Bataan Death March: A Survivor's Account

This is the real story of the Bataan Death March from the first survivor to escape from Japanese hands. It sets the standard for all books on the subject.

Ed Dyess was from my home town of Albany Texas. His story is a must read for anyone interested in why America is great. He exhibited in the PI that uncommon valor seen in countless men and boys from small town America. As a young boy I heard him speak of his experiences at the football stadium and have been trying to get a copy of his book since. It is fitting that Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, TX is named after him.

"Bataan Death March: A Survivor's Account" by William E. Dyess is a very descriptive book about the Bataan Death March, a torturous march from Bataan to various prison camps. The march started on April 10, 1042, and it involved American and Filipino soldiers being stripped of their belongings and forced to walk about 100 miles in the hot sun. The soldiers were cruelly treated by the Japanese soldiers, usually beaten until unable to walk and sometimes killed right on the spot. Most of the time they were not given food or water, and when they were given food, the portions would be just a small bite. The book gives readers a look at the Bataan Death March from an actual U.S. soldier's experience. Lt. Col. Dyess survived this horrendous act and he decided to write a book to tell the American people what he went through. The book was very well written, and it had many details of the march, details that no history text book could even start to explain. I really liked "Bataan Death March: A Survivor's Account" because it gave me a sense of what the soldiers had to go through. Dyess' experiences helped me understand the awfulness of the Bataan Death March because he explained them so vividly, and even through his words I could hear the passion in his voice. With the author being a survivor, having a first-hand account of what actually happened on the Bataan Death March really helps readers understand the enormity of the situation. All in all, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about what happened on the Bataan Death March. It is a very poweful book that takes the reader back in time to World War II.