All This Hell: U.S. Nurses Imprisoned by the Japanese

This remarkable book captures the oral histories of American Army and Navy nurses who served in the Pacific before and during WWII. With excerpts from illicit diaries, hour-by-hour accounts of shellings, and food allotments described in grams, the book brings these women's stories to modern readers. It is hard to imagine. Many of these women did not know that war was coming to the Pacific when they signed up for their two-year tours of duty in 1941. The Philippines were a fun, exotic duty station, with parties and balls and outdoor activities. War caught most of them by surprise. And there they were, isolated on islands, giving care to their wounded and dying friends as little by little, the Japanese overran the country. Subject to front-line war conditions -- including shelling -- and treating the wounded of enemy bombs and hand-to-hand combat, these women KNEW the soldiers they were helping. These were their friends cut to pieces, infected with gangrene. And conditions kept worsening, as supply lines were cut and the front lines kept encroaching on military hospitals. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, tropical diseases, dysentary, fleas, rats, lack of medical supplies... these women grimly, bravely, knowingly endured it. Many were offered opportunities to flee the Philippines before their internment as POWs, but refused to leave the wounded they were tending. After the American surrender, the nurses were interned in POW camps. At first, the Japanese allowed the black market to operate, and people could buy extra food and supplies (soap, razor blades, cigarrettes). But the Japanese were losing the war, and the Philippines had few to no supplies left. The black market ended. Starvation ensued. The book retells the experience of these nurses: surviving years of war and imprisonment, knowing your fellow prisoners by name, saving their lives, and watching them die of starvation. Reduced to eating garbage, when it was available. Powerless to help, because they were themselves starving, too. Continuing to work despite fainting on the job, hand tremors, and failing eyesight due to malnutrition. They were liberated hours before they could be killed by their captors as planned. Returning home, freed at last, they were asked by the army and navy to refrain from mentioning their time as POWs. They were encouraged to become "ladylike" again. So they did. Extraordinary. How fortunate we are to have this book, full of oral histories and eyewitness accounts, written while the memories (and the rememberers) were still alive. Human endurance amazes me.

This is an intensely riveting book. The stories and flow make it seem like you are with the nurses. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in World War II, Nurses' tales or just a really great book to read!

I thought I knew about Bataan and Corregidor before I read ALL THIS HELL. I thought I knew what it meant to be civilized. I thought I knew the meaning of the words depravity and atrocity. I thought I knew the meaning of the words courage, bravery and heroism. I thought I knew the meaning of the word, Hell. But there is the Hell you see, the Hell you may be able to escape and the Hell that has to be survived. This book should be mandatory reading for all human beings who consider themselves civilized as well all Americans who appreciate our freedom. If you do not appreciate freedom now, you certainly will after reading ALL THIS HELL. After reading this book, when I hear the word, "Veterans", I will always think of women as well as men.

All This Hell, a compelling narrative describing the gruesome horrors endured by those little remembered women, the nurses of WWII. A vivid account of saving "Private Ryan" from the nurses' perspective. It depicts the hazards and personal trauma these women endured daily from Japanese brutality. Moreover, this book gives insight into what the POW camps were about and how much was hidden from the public. The stories of these women had added another chapter to our history books.

If history was this interesting in high school, there would be a lot more history majors in our colleges! ALL THIS HELL is a riveting account of the courage and humor employed by U.S. Army and Navy nurses to withstand years of imprisonment by the Japanese in World War II. These women are truly heroines and were pioneers in our country's armed forces. I recommend ALL THIS HELL to everyone who appreciates a well written and meticulously documented page turner. The story will change the way you think about freedom, and leave unforgettable images in your heart and mind.