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Bataan: Our Last Ditch : The Bataan Campaign, 1942 Hardcover – November, 1990

by John W. Whitman (Author)

11 customer reviews

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Focuses on America's first engagement in WWII. Unpublished letters, written and oral testimony of over 350 veterans restores these gruelling months into a historical record.

Bataan: Our Last Ditch : The Bataan Campaign, 1942

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a superb tactical study of the battle for Bataan in 1942 by a lieutenant colonel on the staff of the Pentagon who served in Bataan with the 31st Infantry. The narrow focus facilitates a detailed and perceptive presentation of Japanese and Philippine-American fighting power. Whitman makes an original contribution by concentrating on Bataan's Filipino defenders, the newly raised Philippine army and the regular Philippine Scouts. The Philippine army, despite its lack of training and equipment, did most of the fighting and the dying. And the superb performance of the American-officered Scouts suggests that U.S. military interaction with Third World cultures is not always a disaster of mutual incomprehension. Recommended for all World War II collections.
- D.E. Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hardcover: 768 pages
Publisher: Hippocrene Books; First edition (November 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0870528777
ISBN-13: 978-0870528774
Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 11 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3062 in Books > History > Military > World War II

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from a descendent of an American Defender of Bataan-one of the Battling Bastards

ByThomas Stadtmilleron May 7, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

My dada was at Clark Field and became a POW of the Japanese after the 9 April 1942 surrender. He was on the "Death March", "hell ship" Nissho Maru, at Keisen-23 POW Camp on Kyushu

Anything relating to Bataan and POWs of Japan I read. It contributes to my family history project

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Warriors, with a capital "W".

ByAlbert Rushon December 13, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

More than twenty years ago John Whitman succeeded in doing something that no other author on the subject of Bataan has done since. He succeeded in writing the finest single-volume combat book of America's first great land battle of WWII. In the years both before and after "Bataan: Our Last Ditch" was written, most authors have only glossed over the actual combat that took place over four brutal months, and instead they tend to focus on the Death March and the prisoner experience. While those "chapters" of history remain critical reading to Americans of all ages, Whitman's offering is instead a very disciplined and highly detailed account of the fighting before April 9, 1942. While a must have for any true WWII student, the book should also appeal to more casual readers. "Our Last Ditch" is a great testament to the Americans and Philippine Scouts who did so much to buy critical time in the early days of the Pacific War and fought valiantly to defend the Philippines. Whitman correctly identifies the Philippine Scouts as being among the finest soldiers in the US Army and provides numerous examples of their heroism under American command. There is also a healthy amount of information on the poorly equipped Philippine Army units that also did their share to defend their homeland, as well as the role played by the Marines, Navy Sailors, National Guard and Air Corps in the battle. Whitman ends his narrative on April 9th, intentionally leaving the Death March to other authors and choosing not to get into the final stand of the Americans on Corregidor. Instead, he offers a pure, if not somewhat formal at times, battle history of Bataan. Indeed, these men need to be remembered not simply as POWs or victims of atrocity, but also as Warriors with a capital "W".

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A Great Read - Well Done

ByR. Marinoon January 6, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Information on this chapter in our history is very hard to come by and the author does an admirable job filling that gap. The opening chapter on the destruction of the Culo Bridge was very well written..... reminded me of Bruce Catton. Really took you there as the last of the army made its' way into Bataan. The content and style of the opening chapter provided a nice hook for the rest of the book.

Being a former Marine, I have always found Army unit designations somewhat of a challenge and an Order of Battle, (particularly for the Luzon Force), is the only thing that would have made this outstanding book a little better. A few more photos of some of the major participants would have been nice - but not required. I was able to go online and research as I read the book which provided some help.

The book is dedicated to the Philippine Scouts. I knew nothing of them prior to reading this book and came away with a healthy admiration of them, their abilities as soldiers and the sacrifices they made for their homeland and the U.S.

I also could not help but wonder how things would have played out if MacArthur (who believed in his own hype) had just followed War Plan Orange and left all the food stocks and ammunition in Bataan as originally planned instead of dispersing them all over Luzon and ultimately losing them to the Japanese. While the garrison would have eventually fallen, considering the beating they gave the Japanese in February of 42, having those supplies would have allowed them to last longer, take a greater toll on the Japanese and at least let them go down swinging. They deserved better during the war as well as after.

It is really a shame that some of these heroes were not recognized more while they were alive. To have fought as they did under those conditions is truly remarkable. As an infantryman, I could only shake my head in admiration.

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I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the early phases ...

Bybruce t klemon February 9, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I found this to be a very interesting book. Not much has been written specifically about the Bataan battle and this book provides a lot of detail. Mr. Whitman explains the troop status and strength and weaknesses. He provides detailed information on the unit status from initial mobilization and training or lack thereof. He points out that most of the mobilization took place between July and December. Camps had to be built supplies issued troops organized and all this takes time. Clearly there was not enough time for the units to complete basic much less get ready for combat against units of the Japanese that had been fighting for quite some time and were well trained. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the early phases of WWII. It will give you a clear understanding of the lack of readiness of the allies in the Pacific theater and the problems faced at the start.

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Im very impressed

ByP. Olsenon June 15, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Excellent, comprehensive, and well-written history of the largest American defeat in US history.

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Fighting to the last

Bysteinar ysland jensenon August 3, 2014

Format: Hardcover

This is a battle everybody should read about. The "battling bastards of Bataan" fought back the Japanese and caused huge casualties on the Japanese invasion forces in those four months, whithout receiving any supplies.
It also shows that the fall of Bataan was caused by hunger.
When the Japanese launched their final attack on the 4 april 1942, the american and filipino defenders had been living on small rations since early january. In march rations, who had been halved on the start of the siege, was being cut in half again, medicine was running out and there was no hope of getting relieved. In the end, what brought down the defenders was hunger and starvation. It also shows the courage and the tenacity of the Filipino Scouts who fought there.