Back to Bataan.(Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission)(Review)

Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission, by Hampton Sides (Doubleday, 342 pp., $24.95)

On January 28, 1945, 121 U.S. Army Rangers went behind enemy lines to raid Camp Cabanatuan, deep in the Philippine jungle. Their objective was to liberate the camp's 511 American prisoners-the last survivors of the Bataan Death March. But just as the Rangers were poised to begin their assault, they received an ominous report: A mere four miles from these 121 men were stationed more than 7,000 Japanese troops. And only one mile from the POW camp was a bivouac of 200 more enemy soldiers-the elite forces of the Dokuho 359 Imperial Battalion.

But there was no turning back: The Rangers had to succeed. The prisoners were the men Douglas MacArthur had left behind; for the past three years, they had been suffering unimaginable tortures. There were rumors that the Japanese had orders to wipe out all remaining camp inmates before the Americans arrived; the Rangers would have to be swift, and rely heavily on the element of surprise.

If the plan succeeded, it would go down as one of the most brilliant raids in U.S. military history. If not, the consequences would be disastrous: Even the smallest mistake could turn this prison break into a bloodbath. As it turned out, the raid was a tremendous success. War photographer Carl Mydans said in Life magazine: "It is now American history and every child of coming generations will know of the 6th Rangers, for a prouder story has not been written."

So why has no one ever heard of the raid at Camp Cabanatuan? The POWs did have their 15 minutes of fame, including a glorious entry under the Golden Gate bridge, welcomed by tens of thousands of well-wishers. But in the ensuing months came Iwo Jima, Okinawa, victory in Europe and then in the Pacific. The stunning raid on Cabanatuan was largely forgotten by history.

Hampton Sides hopes to change this with his powerful new retelling of the raid. Using prisoner diaries, U.S. and Japanese army records, other archived transcripts, and extensive interviews with survivors, he has crafted a book chock-full of dialogue, anecdotes, and meticulous detail. Aside from the thrilling attack itself, it's the prisoners' tales that are most gripping. The Japanese treated the vast majority of Americans and Filipinos ruthlessly (though Sides does point out a few instances of Japanese acts of kindness amid the cruelty). Most of the abuse would take place during the 75-mile forced march that became known as the Bataan Death March.

Sides is unrelenting in his graphic depictions of the atrocities: One guard ...