Belly of the Beast: A POW's Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival Aboard the Infamous WWII Japanese Hellship, the Oryoku Maru [Paperback]

Judith Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2001

The stirring true story of how Naval Corpsman and POW Estel Myers survived on the brutal Japanese hell ships during the waning months of WWII, Belly of the Beast is a personal history of his horrendous journey to freedom-and a shocking chronicle of a relatively unknown chapter of WWII. Heroic, horrific, and, ultimately, inspiring, it is a tribute to the power of faith, the strength of the soul, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A writer actively involved in veterans' rights and POW organizations, Judith Pearson offers Belly of the Beast, the harrowing story of WWII POW Estel Myers. From Kentucky sharecropper to naval medical corpsman, then malnourished POW, Myers was herded with many other American soldiers into the almost airless hold of the Japanese prison ship Oryuku Maru. Three-quarters of Myers's fellow prisoners died there.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Drawing on a collection of newspaper clippings as a starting point, Pearson has researched and written the story of an American POW of the Japanese during World War II. Estel Myers, a young navy hospital corpsman, was captured in the Philippines in 1942 and remained a prisoner until he was liberated from a camp in Japan in 1945. Fiction writer and journalist Pearson details the harrowing nature of Myers's existence during those years, especially the trip from the Philippines to Japan. Through it all, he did what he could as a medic to keep himself and others alive. Pearson uses a simple but compelling style to craft this biographical narrative. There is no documentation, but the book strives for historical accuracy, drawing on interviews with survivors of the same events. Recommended for any public library with readers interested in World War II. Edward Gibson, Lincoln Univ. Lib., PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451204441
• ISBN-13: 978-0451204448
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #875,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, unvarnished truth, June 22, 2002

By 

"donbee" (Gaylord, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belly of the Beast: A POW's Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival Aboard the Infamous WWII Japanese Hellship, the Oryoku Maru (Paperback)

The deeper I got into this book, the more involved I became with the men who suffered so horribly. I have done my own research and asked many questions about the POW experience under the Imperial Army, because my father suffered along with Estel Myer and the others. Belly of the Beast is an accurate portrayal of part of my father's journey. He survived the Bataan Death March, imprisonment in the Philippines, the 3 hell ships mentioned in the book, and further imprisonment in Japan and Manchuria. He came back to the United States, only to succumb to the ravages caused to his body several years later. This is riveting, unvarnished truth, and only one story of many which prove to us that freedom comes with a steep price. One very good way to honor these men, who suffered so much, is to remember their stories and share them with others, so no one forgets --- ever!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Father is Estel Myers and my hero, October 31, 2001

By 

Alecia (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belly of the Beast: A POW's Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival Aboard the Infamous WWII Japanese Hellship, the Oryoku Maru (Paperback)

Belly of the Beast is a good history lesson for those who never knew how the p.o.w.s suffered at the hands of the enemy. I was happy to see the author stated facts from information she obtained and now the truth about the war is out and not sugar coated . Although this is a great tribute to my father, I pray that people will realize that our freedoms are not free. That my father and other great men paid a high price for our country and for us. This author did a great justice to all the men and women of WW2!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Harrowing Story of Atrocities and Survival, November 14, 2003

By 

Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belly of the Beast: A POW's Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival Aboard the Infamous WWII Japanese Hellship, the Oryoku Maru (Paperback)

Author Judith Pearson has written a riveting tale about the improsonment and ultimate mistreatment of American POWs by the Japanese. The story centers around Estel Myers, a young man who joins the Army as a corpsman. After serving a tour in China, Myers was assigned to the Philippines shortly before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese invaded in mid-December, 1941, and Myers was taken prisoner by the Japanese.

Myers suffered for two years in a Japanese prison camp with very little food or water, but his ultimate punishment was soon to follow. The Americans had turned the tide against the Japanese,and were fighting their way back to re-capture the Philippines. Realizing this, the Japanese began loading their POWs on "Hell Ships"; grossly overloaded freighters; for the long voyage to prison camps in Japan. Myers was loaded aboard the ship Oryuku Maru with approximately 1,600 other POWs. Only about 400 arrived in Japan alive. Myers survived the sinking of the Oryuku Maru as well as transfers from two other Hell Ships before reaching Japan.

The conditions on the ships were much worse than in the camps. Each man was allotted approximately 1/4 cup of rotten rice per day, along with a tiny amount of water. Men were unable to sit or lay down in the holds of the ships due to the massive overcrowding. Sanitary facilities amounted to a bucket lowered by the Japanese. The death rate was astounding. In the later stages of the voyage, as many as fifty men were dying per day.

Upon reaching Japan, many of the men were put to work on docks, in coal mines, or building defense shelters. Many died, but some, including Myers, managed to survive to be liberated by the Americans. Myers eventually succumbed years later due to the toll taken on his body by the Japanese.

This is an eye-opening book. The atrocities committed by the Japanese are unbelievable, and it is a miracle that Myers managed to survive for so long. Read this fine book and live the life of a POW.