American Guerrilla: My War Behind Japanese Lines (Memories of War)

It is a matter of official U.S. military record that Roger Hilsman served first with Merrill's Marauders and later transferred to active duty with Detachment 101 of the Office of Strategic Services, with which he fought behind Japanese lines in northern Burma with the American-Kachin Rangers. (As an aside, Tom Chamales, who wrote the novel "Never So Few," also came to Det 101 from the Marauders.) Mr. Hilsman's prose may be politically incorrect, his military jargon may be imprecise, his post-war activities and claims may be distasteful to some--as reviewer John Hancock claims--but Hilsman's service during World War II should never be questioned or dismissed. Hilsman's service record is referenced in several excellent books on the Marauders and on Det 101. Among the most notable books is OSS 101 Det veteran Richard Dunlop's "Behind Japanese Lines with the OSS in Burma" (Rand McNally, 1979); Dunlop also wrote a well-regarded biography of his former OSS boss, "Wild Bill" Donovan. Check out the sources...don't believe the rants of someone like Hancock.

Mr. Hilsman's story begins with his life prior to enlisting and moves a little slowly to finally reach the action portion of the book. Still, the story is quite entertaining. The early background of his family and experiences of youth are good character-building for what follows. I had expected more action earlier on in the book and I thought it took a while to get to that part of the book but overall it was a good story. If you are looking for the action, skip the first few chapters and get right to the part where he joins the OSS. If you enjoy getting to know your character, stick with it through the beginning and you will be rewarded with sharing his adventures in the end.

there are books like this one, perhaps now merely for those who are academically interested in the subject of the World War. Hilsman has a casual and elegant style of writing, his narrative is filled with marvelous details, he has an unerring memory (how I wonder, this book was written many years after his war experience). Here you meet some of the characters from your history books, and learn how they were viewed by their men and their soliders (Stillwell, Seagrave, Merrill). It's a forgotten part of WWII history, and the American soldiers who sweated and steamed in the tropical jungles of Burma find little acknowledgement in any contemporary war talk. So here is an exquisite reminder. Hilsman writes with heart too--he reminds us that even armies defending or attacking each other in foreign lands have to behave with dignity and respect toward those who are native to the land. The book is in many ways an intensely personal narrative, but it's strength and beauty lies in the retelling of a part of the war not often remembered today. Good job, Mr. Hilsman!

The author went on to have a long and noted career as an academic and government official. He was chief of the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) and the Assistant Secretary of State during the Johnson administration.Roger Hilsman graduated from The US Military Academy in 1944 and was assigned to the OSS, Sent to Burma, the author commanded a guerrilla battalion, ambushing Japanese patrols, blowing up bridges, spying on the enemy, and slipping back into the teeming jungle. later he went to the prison camp in Manchuria where the Japanese had held his father and helped liberate him.This is an articulate and informative memoir. In the course of his career the author has written many political and policy books. This gives a sense of the man behind the job.