horrifying but engrossing account of WWII POW experiences

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	• Prisoners of the Japanese: Pows of World War II in the Pacific Gavan Daws William Morrow & Co, 1994 - 462 pages average customer review:based on 34 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Gave an idea of the extent of atrocities committed

This book was especially well written in telling how the Japanese during World War II exploited their prisoners ruthlessly without regards to humanity. I did have problems though with it not describing more of the "good" Japanese which it briefly mentioned. I wish it described more of what happened to these good japanese after the war. Other than not talking much about the Japanese guards with actual humanity in them, it was a well written piece which informed me to a higher extent the viciousness of the Japanese military to POW's in World War II.

The best overall view so far

To get an idea of the scope of the evils perpetrated upon Allied POWS by the Japanese, this is a MUST read. So far, Daws has produced the widest coverage of what was a black period in our military history. Men and women were ruthlessly sacrificed by the politicians of the day, the history distorted to rouse up the home front... then the POWS were simply discarded and ignored. The horrors, if left untold or unlearned, are sure to occur again. Daws should be awarded a medal!

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horrifying but engrossing account of WWII POW experiences

You have probably never read a book like "Prisoners of the Japanese" because there probably has never BEEN a book like it. It's not a first-hand account, and often it reads like a novel rather than a history because Daws' style is very vivid and he tells his story with a very effective immediacy which makes it seem as if the events were taking place today instead of half a century ago, and it includes many of the personal stories of the POW's, American, British, Australian, and Dutch (from what is now Indonesia), who were held in Japanese prison camps, mostly outside of Japan, from 1941 to 1945. Whatever you may know about World War II and about Japanese atrocities, you still have much to learn if you haven't read "Prisoners." This book will take you month by month and even day by day through the hell of the camps and the appalling lives these poor men led until their liberation after V-J day. Starvation, beatings, terrible jungle diseases for which the Japanese refused to provide medical treatment, bone-wracking fatigue, ghastly tortures, and often outright murder were the daily lot of these men who suffered for Allied military blunders and lack of preparation. Not many of them are alive today, but I think we owe it to ourselves to learn about their terrible experiences and to honor them in at least this way. Shame on the U.S. government and military for keeping these stories hush-hush for over fifty years!

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Harrowing and necessary

As the child of a civilian POW in the Philippines, I feel that Daws has written a book that everyone should read. The story is little-known in this and other countries, and his descriptions of the brutal and malicious treatment of soldiers and civilians forces one to wonder how _anyone_ survived. It is important to note, however, that Daws is Australian, and is at times (notably in his prologue) prone to criticizing Americans and lauding Australians. While a little national pride isn't harmful, it may contribute to a failure to distinguish between the Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent. This is not simply an inaccuracy, but an affront to those Americans who lost everything and were imprisoned by their own nation solely because of their ancestry. I doubt that the error is intentional, but it is grevious.

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God Bless the POW's

Outstanding account of the Pacific POW's under impossible conditions. The soldiers of WWII allowed all of us to survive and we can NEVER repay their commitment and sacrifice. A terrific book about terrible times.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7

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