The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival in World War II [Hardcover]

Steven Trent Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2001

Advance Praise for The Rescue

"Steven Trent Smith grapples boldly with several big subjects: the Japanese occupation of the Philippines; the capture of Japan's 'Z Plan' (the decisive-battle strategy for destroying the U.S. Pacific Fleet); the rescue by submarine of forty Americans stranded in the Philippines; the climactic Battle of the Philippine Sea. Meticulously researched and well written, The Rescue ties these elements together into an epic that is emotionally engaging from start to rousing finish."--Martin Russ, author of Breakout and The Last Parallel

"Smith's thoroughly researched, detailed account of the brave American and Filipino guerrillas on Negros Island in the Philippines will do much to introduce readers to this little-known aspect of World War II in the Pacific. Operating in the most primitive conditions, suffering the deprivations of living and fighting in the wild, these guerrillas were a formidable army and did much to win the war for the Allies in World War II. And the courageous and resourceful submariners of the USS Crevalle of the Pacific Fleet went well beyond the call of duty to rescue their fellow Americans from harm's way. This is a fascinating story well told." --Elizabeth Norman, author of the award-winning We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese

"The Rescue is a delightful journey with the gallant few who resisted the Japanese occupation of the Philippines and who shaped the larger events which led to victory in the Pacific. Smith's brilliant research and unique storytelling make this account a must for all who enjoy history and a grand adventure."--Peter Huchthausen, author of Hostile Waters

"With a photojournalist's eye for action and detail, Steven Trent Smith's The Rescue is a remarkable achievement. The incredible mission to save forty Americans stranded in the Philippines reads more like a work of fiction. This story could easily grace the big screen of your local movie theater, with a plot filled with non-stop action, amazing twists of fate, and an incredible cast of characters, complete with a climax that's certain to get the pulse pounding. A must-read for all those interested in one of the great secret submarine operations of World War II and all action adventure fans alike!"--Richard P. Henrick, author of Crimson Tide and Nightwatch

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A television photojournalist who has covered the Iranian hostage crisis, the hunger strikes in Northern Ireland, the shooting of Pope John Paul II, various Olympics and Charles and Diana's wedding, Smith has also won four Emmy awards for producing public service announcements. He breaks into print with a taut tale of a forgotten rescue mission in 1944. When the Philippines fell to the Japanese in May 1942, more than 40 Americans living on the island of Negros abandoned their homes and fled inland. Most were missionaries, Silliman University faculty and their family members, who endured two years of hardship as they moved from place to place in the jungles and mountains, evading Japanese patrols sent to capture them. Protected by sympathetic civilians and watched over by vigilant Filipino resistance fighters, these Americans were finally evacuated in May 1944, as the Allied offensive came closer to the islands. But the evacuation by submarine the U.S.S. Crevalle was only part of the drama. On the last day of March 1944, two Japanese flying boats carrying Adm. Koga Mineichi and his staff crashed in a severe storm. The admiral, in command of the Japanese fleet, had just completed top secret plans to counter the next American offensive; these plans washed up on a beach on neighboring Cebu island and quickly found their way to the American commander of the resistance. When Crevalle evacuated the civilians, the plans went along, with mixed results in influencing the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. Smith evaluates the two admirals and the resulting controversy. (May 18)Forecast: While the subject matter here is certainly intriguing, given Smith's journalistic exploits, one wonders whether a memoir can be far behind this well-reported story. Based on firsthand accounts supplied by surviving refugees and submariners, Smith's account will engross buffs, but won't reach beyond that market.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

On May 22, 1944, the U.S. submarine Crevalle was instructed to go to the remote Philippine island of Negros to pick up some Americans and Filipinos and take them to Australia. Following Pearl Harbor, navy subs regularly landed spies and saboteurs, as well as ammunition, supplies, and medicines for the guerillas. In 1944, the Crevalle was sent to Negros to pick up 25 people but ended up with 40, including 21 women, 12 children, and seven escaped American POWs. Smith, an Emmy Award-winning freelance television photojournalist with a passion for history, begins his study with a long account of the prewar lives of the missionaries at Stilliman University in Negros, the sugar planters, the Filipino Americans, and the soldiers stationed in Panay and Negros. He describes the Japanese invasion and how the civilians coped with living in the jungle for over two years before their rescue by the Crevalle, which also picked up a crate of important secret Japanese documents taken from a captured Japanese admiral. Smith's account of the long, hellish journey to Australia is eminently worth reading and, though perhaps overlong, is a fascinating book that belongs in every public and academic library. Stanley L. Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471412910
• ISBN-13: 978-0471412915
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #579,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read with some historical errors, July 17, 2004

By 

Dennis J. Tyra (Lynn Haven, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival in World War II (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes what we see on shows like "Survivor" trivial trash. That said I offer the following comment in the spirit of constructive criticism.

More care should have been taken in research and/or being critically reviewed by a knowledgeable individual. The text (pg 284) mentions the Japanese carrier Zuikaku as being sunk in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Try getting sunk off Cape Engano later in the year. Also stated (pg 283) was the Shokaku as being "the last remaining from the fleet that had struck Pearl Harbor." The Zuikaku was. Incorrect also (pg 288) is the claim that two escort carriers were sunk by naval gunfire off Samar. I believe only the Gambier Bay was sunk in that manner. U.S.S St Lo went down due to a kamikaze strike. I am only a casual reader of history and found these errors. Anyone who puts out a book on historical events should take rigorous action to ensure accuracy. I seem to be finding more and more books coming out with errors which distract from the holy grail of historical fact.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uncommon Heroism, March 17, 2003

By 

Lawrence R. Mayes (Rapid City, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival in World War II (Hardcover)

Author Smith has combined three almost independent stories, that of those rescued from the Japanese on the Philippine Island Negros, the saga of the submarine Crevalle which affects the rescue and the aftermath of the survivors' stories and the historic events of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, influenced by the secret documents spirited away by the submarine during the rescue. Smith richly details the lives and living conditions of 40 Americans who become trapped on Negros by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines after their attack on Pearl Harbor. He follows them as conditions worsen, ultimately causing the survivors to move further and further into the jungles. Some become involved in the Philippine resistance movement, and well documented and dramatic stories of heroism and sacrifice by these men, women and children abound. In time General Douglas MacArthur orders the rescue of these Americans and the Crevalle becomes the focus. The details of the cooperation between the US Navy, the Philippine resistance forces and the survivors leading to the dramatic rescue make for great reading. On a parallel track are events culminating in the crash landing on the east coast of Negros of a Japanese aircraft containing two very senior Admirals and the "Z" Plan for the Japanese conquest of American forces in the Pacific. Through a series of brave actions by Philippinos and Americans, the Z Plan eventually is recovered and liberated, along with the American survivors, by the Crevalle. The book culminates with the Battle of the Philippine Sea (The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot), greatly influenced on both sides by the Z Plan, negatively for the Japanese and positively for the Americans. The book concludes by bringing the reader up to date on the subsequent lives of the key figures described throughout the book. This book is a great read, rich with history, full of heroic actions and giving a unique insight into events of enormous import in the individual lives of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumphant Saga of Courage and Survival in World War II, May 18, 2002

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival in World War II (Hardcover)

Stephen Trent Smith's "The Rescue" is not only a spellbinding account of the rescue of forty American civilians and soldiers from the Japanese-occupied Phillipines, but also a splendid terse look at the Pacific U. S. submarine campaign and the last decisive battle between Japanese and American naval forces; the Battle of the Phillipine Sea, more popularly known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". Smith possesses both a great photojournalist's eye for detail and the ability to write a gripping thriller; more often than not, "The Rescue" comes across as a well written World War Two espionage thriller. Smith describes one of the most exciting rescues of people trapped behind enemy lines during World War Two and succinctly places it in context within the overall war aims of both Japanese and American naval and general staffs as both sought air and sea superiority over the other. I strongly recommend this fine book as one of the best recently published histories of World War II. I look forward to yet another fine book from Steven Trent Smith on the still largely untold story of American and Filipino resistance to the Japanese occupation of the Phillipines.