Ghost Soldiers Lived

By Sarah K.

            Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides is a nonfiction novel about one of the greatest prisoner rescues in World War II. The book tells the story of the Rangers, a specially trained company that were sent behind enemy lines to emancipate a prison in Cabanatuan. In the prison were hundreds of POWs, including the only survivors of the terrible Bataan Death March. Because of the war's seemingly fast-approaching end, General MacArthur was concerned that the Japanese would start murdering the American prisoners, or send them off into the heart of Japan to work, as they had done in so many other cases. So he made the decision to initiate a rescue mission. Ghost Soldiers narrates the journey the Rangers made, through the enemy occupied Philippines, to free these prisoners. It also gives accounts of some of men who ended up in the prison camp.

            This book was amazing. The story it tells is written wonderfully, giving the reader knowledge of all the people involved in the prison break, as well as important events, places, and other things. The amount of time taken to compile all this information must have been immense. Sides writes with astounding vividness, truly making you understand the dire situations these soldiers were put through. It is a great recreation of the raid. It jumps back and forth between Lt Mucci and the Rangers march 30 miles to the prison, and the prisoners experiences in the Death March and the camp itself. Even though you know the rescue is successful because the book is nonfiction, it still does a great job of keeping you on your toes and greatly enthralled.

            I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of prison breaks, nonfiction, or World War II stories. It's awesome that an event like this actually happened. So if you like to read about history that truly made history, read Ghost Soldiers. You can find it in bookstores, or libraries, or online.