Prisoners of the Japanese
POWs of WWII in the
Pacific.
Gavan Daws. Quill
Publishers, 1994.
This intriguing book is the result of ten years
of documentary research and hundreds of
interviews. Its expansive scope is reflected by
the bulk of this text (396 pages not including
notes). The author exhibits a fluid narrative
style that is sometimes reminiscent of Stud
Terkel’s biographical works, making it
interesting and easy to get lost in.
The stories contained within the narrative are
far ranging and cover most, if not all, of the
prisoner of war campaigns in the Asian and
Pacific theatres.
Sometimes these are related from a personal
perspective and other times from piecemeal
accounts from various sources. The former
technique is especially compelling because it
often draws not only on the recollections of
certain individuals, but it also introduces
their personal idiosyncrasies and those around
them.
Statements related are often verbatim.
Oftentimes they are brutal and frank, making for
a very graphic description of the elements of
man’s inhumanity toward one another. As such,
the stories are not simply confined to the
relationships between captors and captives, but
also detail how prisoners exploited one another.
At the same time, the author is quick to
acknowledge those moments when humanity
overtakes even the antagonist.
This book served to expand my own feelings about
the war, both pro and con. Because of its
sometimes brutal content, it is not for the
faint-of-heart. On the other hand, the reader
will benefit from the personal and engaging
style that successfully relates history as a
living experience.
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