Corregidor [Paperback]

Eric Morris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1984

Told in the voices of the soldiers, doctors, and nurses who were the untested but valiant defenders of Corregidor, the tiny island fortress of Generals Macarthur and Wainwright; Corregidor is the remarkable history of forty American and Filipino survivors. Before Pearl Harbor, American servicemen in the Philippines led a life of colonial ease. But from December 1941 to May 1942, defeated and humiliated by the Japanese and deceived by Washington, they fought and dies to buy America some desperately needed time to regroup and respond to the Japanese onslaught in the Pacific.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For this 1982 volume, the author interviewed numerous participants of the Philippine campaign of 1941-42 to produce a more intimate account than most histories of this critical engagement against the Japanese forces. This title remains "eminently readable and belongs in most World War II collections" (LJ 5/1/82).
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

Morris's work is unusual. It has freshness and intimacy that other books on the subject lack....Eminently readable. (Library Journal )

Corregidor vividly conveys the circumstances of men fighting hunger, dystentery, and malaria, as well as the rapidly encroaching Japanese; the effects of massive and sustained bombardment upon civilians and troops penned within the confines of the island and tunnels of Corregidor; and the wide variations of behavior among units and individuals as it became apparent that, for all the rhetoric issuing from Washington, no relieving force was going to arrive. (Times Literary Supplement )

Corregidor vividly conveys the circumstances of men fighting hunger, dystentery, and malaria, as well as the rapidly encroaching Japanese; the effects of massive and sustained bombardment upon civilians and troops penned within the confines of the island and tunnels of Corregidor; and the wide variations of behavior among units and individuals as it became apparent that, for all the rhetoric issuing from Washington, no relieving force was going to arrive. (Times Literary Supplement ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Stein & Day Paperback (February 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812880218
• ISBN-13: 978-0812880212
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,742,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely reminder to: "Be Prepared", February 10, 2001

By 

Tom Pike (Harrisonburg, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corregidor: The American Alamo of World War II (Paperback)

"Corregidor" is a true-to-life "Winds of War" about the early stages of WWII for America. "Corregidor" traces memories of actual participants and research illustrating peacetime from mid year of 1941 to the fall of Bataan and Corregidor in the Philippines from December 1941 to May 1942. Great adventure depicting a true-to-life drama. Illustrates the strong heart of the American and Philippine troops who fought the battles and the failure of an unprepared military leadership. Many lessons of military and national leadership are demonstrated. In an age when the American military is searching for meaning and redefinition this is a must read for those interested in a properly prepared military.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Corregidor, August 24, 2006

By 

James J. Pupo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Corregidor: The American Alamo of World War II (Paperback)

Excellent read for any one trying to understand the truth of the Battle of Corregidor.

As the son of a Corregidor veteran I found this book very helpful to understanding the Battle of Corregidor. My father like, like many veterans, struggled with his experiences at Corregidor and as a P.O.W. (May 6, 1942 until liberated in Japan September 1945) and found it difficult to talk about.

This book and others like it honor the Philippine Campaign Veterans.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on a forgotten chapter, August 12, 2010

By 

Thomas M. Magee - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Corregidor: The American Alamo of World War II (Paperback)

This book by Eric Morris is GREAT!! The book is written in such a way that anyone will enjoy it. This book is about a forgotten part of US history. The place where the largest loss of the US Army took place. The place where thousands of soldiers were forgotten, left to die.

The author interviews like 40 different survivors with a sprinkling of the traditional narrative of the battle. The story line jumps from one survivor to another then to some narrative of events. This method makes it very interesting and fast paced. If you read this you might find yourself drawn into the story as if it was a novel. The way this story flows could easily transfer into a screen play. I felt that when I read it. I saw movie on every page.

Unfortunately this would be a very sad movie. The story of Corregidor and Baatan is a forgotten chapter of American History. Most people aren't aware that 19,000 Americans marched into captivity. Baatan remains the biggest surrender of the US Army in history. Due to the brutality of the Japanese many of those 19,000 did NOT make it home. There were around 50,000 Philippine citizens that also marched into captivity with those Americans. There were also thousands of US civilians who also were rounded up by the Japanese.

This book chronicles their story. You see vividly how the life in the Army prior to December 1941 was, good and easy. The war caught them by surprise. You learn new things to about their plight. The book, through eye witnesses eyes casts MacArthur in a new light. You will see that he isn't the hero or savior some will see. You will see how MacArthur's earned his nickname of dugout Doug. He even mentions how General MacArthur lied in dispatches and how he wasn't really in touch with the situation on the ground. His out of touch perceptions cost the Army a great deal. I won't spoil the story for you on how.

The big pull of the book is in the stories. You can see how Washington ignored their plight and how that effected their morale. You will see great heroism in their actions. They literally fought, way beyond expectations for four months until they were out of food. This book also shows how they did inflict a great harm on the Japanese, but were overwhelmed. Their stories are very heart wrenching. Your heart will pull on every page. They fought on with no hope of being saved, no hope of victory, with little food against great odds. You will be overwhelmed in the later chapters as you read about US citizens going to Camp Carrol and other places to their death. With all of that they marched on. Their effort will make you proud to be an American.

Everyone needs to read this book if for nothing else to learn about this chapter of US History people have forgotten.