Have you ever read a story that was just incredibly inspiring but also incredibly heartbreaking and sad at the same time? Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides was just that as it tells the true story of the army rangers that were sent to rescue the soldiers in Cabanatuan camp in the Philippines during WWII. These soldiers being rescued were the same ones who had survived what is now known as the Bataan Death March a few years previous. This book details the series of events that led to these soldiers being imprisoned in the first place, along with the rather horrific conditions they faced while imprisoned, and the series of events that would ultimately lead to them being rescued.
I knew going in that this would probably be a potentially difficult read due to the subject matter. Any book about life in a prison camp during WWII, especially if it is a true story instead of fiction, is not going to be a pleasant or an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. This book definitely follows that trend as it does nothing to hide exactly how horrible and difficult conditions were in Cabanatuan camp during that time frame. Something I was impressed by was how the book also does not hide what led to those soldiers being there in the first place. The circumstances that led to them having to surrender and then being forced to march to the camp were almost as horrendous in some ways. Events that many of the soldiers often felt were, at least in part, the fault of the U.S. army. I was definitely struck by the level of detail that was included about what many of these soldiers had faced. Reading about what they went through was difficult and as I previously said heartbreaking but I also felt like it was important. This book gave a lot of insight into what they went through and what they felt while doing so. It is always important to remember these kinds of things in an effort to make sure it never happens again. I felt like this book was honest and open but perhaps more importantly respectful of these events. It tried to show multiple sides and provide as honest an accounting of what happened as it could. The book didn’t speculate on how it could have been avoided or who was at fault, it only told what actually happened. This is an important quality to have in a book like this when it is trying to tell a true story but only through secondhand information and sources. Overall, this was an incredible book and one that I am content giving 4.5 out of 5 stars to.
This book is a work of non-fiction military history so if you happen to enjoy that kind of work than I suggest you consider trying this one. However, if you don’t enjoy that genre than I am not entirely sure how well this would appeal to you. I will also state that this book covers a lot of potentially difficult themes and events which may make it difficult for some readers. Make sure to take that into consideration before trying it. For that same reason I would also suggest that any younger readers be extremely careful before trying it. I won’t say they shouldn’t read it considering what it is about but I will say they need to be careful. Along that same line I would also suggest that nobody younger than their late teens read this as it contains a lot of potentially disturbing content that would be difficult for them to get through. Nonetheless, it was a well-written good book and one that I feel I gained something from having read it. If you decide to try it feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.