P.O.W. in the Pacific: Memoirs of an American Doctor in World War II [Hardcover]

William N., M.D. Donovan (Editor), Josephine Donovan (Editor), Ann Devigne Donovan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0842027254 | ISBN-13: 978-0842027250

This is the story of William N. Donovan, a U.S. Army medical officer in the Philippines who, as a prisoner of war, faced unspeakable conditions and abuse in Japanese camps during World War II. Through his own words we learn of the brutality, starvation, and disease that he and other men endured at the hands of their captors. And we learn of the courage and determination that Donovan was able to summon in order to survive.

P.O.W. in the Pacific: Memoirs of an American Doctor in World War II describes the last weeks before Donovan's capture and his struggles after being taken prisoner at the surrender of Corregidor to the Japanese on May 6, 1942. He remained a P.O.W. until his release on August 14, 1945, V-J Day.

Shocking, moving, and yet tinged with Donovan's dry sense of humor, P.O.W. in the Pacific offers a new perspective-that of a medical doctor-on the experience of captivity in Japanese prison camps as well as on the war in the Pacific. The book is edited by Donovan's daughter Josephine, with the assistance of her sister, Ann Devigne Donovan.

Readers will be inspired by this true story of one American's heroism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Donovan's tale is testimony to the strength of the human spirit and provides rare illumination of a horrific war often too glibly defined by its endnotes at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (William M. McBride )

Provides an account of the war on a very personal level rarely seen. An excellent book, easily read, insightful, and deemed an important contribution. (Albert J. Dorley, Jr. )

This is an important book, for nothing so demythologizes the 'good war' as Donovan's harrowing story of torture, disease, and death. In explicating the war's harsh realities, this book ranks with the classic accounts by Paul Fussell and E. B. Sledge. (William M. Tuttle, Jr. )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842027254
• ISBN-13: 978-0842027250
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,290,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a page-turner; I read it in one sitting., February 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: P.O.W. in the Pacific: Memoirs of an American Doctor in World War II (Hardcover)

Overall, it's a fine book, and I'm glad I read it. The maps were very helpful, as were the introductions to each chapter that put Dr. Donovan's experiences in the larger context of events. But I have some beefs: (1) It *sounds* like an old man telling the story. Even if the authors had not disclosed this, you could still tell because Dr. Donovan telescopes interesting details & stories in the way old men often do. My other concern about this oral history is the 50 year delay between the events and the re-telling, as time selects memories and the hard edge comes off the stories. (2) The chapter on the home front was uninteresting. The wife's experience seems little different from the thousands of wives of POWs/MIAs in the history of warfare. I did like the "stopped bumping" description, though. :-) (3) It would have been nice to have at least a paragraph or two on how the author's war experiences affected his post-war life. What are the long-term effects of experiences like this? 50 years of hindsight would have been valuable in this regard. (4) I'm a military physician, so I was looking for medical details about captivity. I can fully understand why they may have been omitted, however. I can only hope that I never have to endure what Dr. Donovan did, and if I do, that I can measure up with the same courage, skill, and resourcefulness that he displayed.