This book is a must-read for anyone interested in World War II. It tells the story of the real heroes of Bataan, the men who refused to surrender but went into the mountains to continue the war against the Japanese. Lieutenant Edwin Price Ramsey should have been awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines.

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Those words barely begin to speak of the sacrifices Lt. Edwin Price Ramsey gave for his fellow countrymen, the war effort against the Japanese in the Philippines, the behind the scenes guerilla movement, and the Honor he bestowed upon the United States of America through his actions and his command. This gentlemanly young officer went from the glory of Army Polo into the depths of an unsuspected Hell in a matter of months to become well known as the leader of the very last Cavalry Charge in United States Army History for which the Distinguished Service Cross was bestowed upon him, at the age of 24!

This in-depth bio eloquently traces the Lieutenants' life from childhood to the end of WWII. His remarkable true story has more twists than a licorice stick as well as plenty of eye filling emotional sledge hammers.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who would like to know what the phrase "sacrifice for country" really means.

My father in law was a guerilla fighter from the age of 12 to 16 in the Bataan area and this book brought to life for me what he went through. Unless you've lived it, this is as close as you can get to being there. I think it should be mandatory reading for high school students so they can better understand not only what the Americans were doing in the Philippines but what real honor is all about. Ramsey could have tried to escape the island, or like others, hid out til MacArthur returned to save them. He had something we all wish we have when the going gets tough. He saw the bigger picture.

I read this book because Abie Abraham was a bunkmate of my great-uncle, Lloyd Spradlin, who survived the Bataan Death March only to die of dysentery in Cabantuan prison, an infamous hell-hole run by the Japanese. Although I never knew my Uncle Lloyd personally, I grew up listening to stories of the pain the family suffered when this wonderful, handsome young man was taken at the age of 22, in September, 1942. He enlisted when he was 18, and only had 2 months left of his tour of duty when the war broke out in the Pacific and the Bataan Peninsula was overrun by the Japanese. These men held out under insurmountable obstacles and fought a delaying action that has all but been forgotten. They felt forgotten, too, and called themselves "The Battling Bastards of Bataan -- no father, no mother, and no Uncle Sam ... and nobody gives a damn."
This book outlines in vivid, graphic language the horrors Mr. Abraham and thousands of other prisoners endured, and then goes on to describe Mr. Abraham's efforts after the war to disinter hundreds of American and Filipino soldiers and have their remains returned to their families. My uncle was one of these, and was returned to be buried in Lexington, Kentucky. He is personally mentioned several times in the book, along with many, many others. Mr. Abraham's memory is awesome, and I congratulate him on writing a first-hand story -- one that is becoming all too rare nowadays as we are losing so many of our precious World War II veterans.
I'm 44 -- and while I don't remember these events personally, we must never forget the sacrifice our American boys gave in the first horrible months of World War II in the Pacific.
If you're interested in World War II history at all -- especially the events in the Philipines -- this is a must-read book.

Greetings ... I'm young spunk compared to great men such as Mr. Abraham and my Father, and yet Dad managed, if such was possible, to impart to me some small appreciation of the utter hell our brave American men and women, many chronological teens, suffered for the sake of the whole world. While I will remain anonymous, I also am privileged to have received Mr. Abraham's testament to my father's own sacrifice in World War II. I never can grasp the extreme torture and horror endured by "Abie" and, possibly to a lesser extent, Dad. All I can say is that while there is a love and a thankfulness in my heart and my soul and the rest of my father's family for the utter brutality and total defiance of the rules of war (Geneva Convention) by the Japanese, Germans and Russians, sadly, along with a lot of great young kids half my age or less, there are ALSO a LOT of total PUNKS that could care diddly for what men like Mr. Abraham and Dad have endured for their benefit. Take warning, today's ACLU, left-wing feminazis, post-1960s flower-people, National Education Association and Jane Fonda replicas, if it wouldn't have been for selfless heros and heroines like Mr. Abraham and my father, you wouldn't even have the FREEDOM to tell these "fuddy duddy" old (supposedly) "worthless" Veterans types what you think of them. Wake up, America, and re-fortify yourself - don't listen to Europe ... don't be fooled, we are STILL in a "cold war" and Communism and Socialism did NOT become extinct with the taking down of the Berlin Wall. Buy the book. Read it. And get ready for the day when the ACLU inevitably comes along and searches your home for every non-burned copy. Don't let all the hell of Bataan and all the other horrors of the first and second world war be for nothing. While there is time, listen to your fathers and mothers. And teach YOUR children.

"Oh God, Where Are You" is one of the best books I've ever read. It really shows the horrors of war and shows that Abie is truly a hero along with all of the others who died on or after the Bataan Death March. Even though I'm 17, I personally know Abie and work with him at the Butler VA Hospital. He is a great inspiration to me and many others. Rick

This book serves as an excellent guide to those wanting to dive around the many wonderful sites in the Philippines. I just wish the author included a more in-depth write-up on Apo Reef.

The book is a great reference for people who are planning to or thinking about diving in the Philippines. It provides a good description of what to expect with regard to general dive locales, as well as specific dives.

The book works, and works well because of several reasons.

First, it provides (still valid) contact information on dive operators and lodging providers in the different areas, as well as providing general ideas on price range for these operations.

Second, the book gives a good briefing and summary of the different dive locales in the Philippines, providing pros and cons, as well as tips that are useful to the would-be traveller.

Third, the book provides a near-comprehensive listing of specific dive sites in the different locales. While the underwater environment changes, it does so slowly, and practically all assessments and descriptions still hold. It provides info on what to expect in terms of depths, surface conditions, currents, as well as what to see. It also provides a quick rating in the form of stars, as to how good the sites are. These are highly accurate, although some have been under-rated, in my opinion.

Fourth, the photography is great. The book has been designed well, and is quite engaging. Full-color photographs are peppered throughout the book.

The text is getting old, but that doesn't change the fact that it holds its promise well of talking about the dive sites in the Philippines.

I can understand why no one has come up with anything to replace this book. It would be a tough to top or even match. Mr. Jackson has done a really great job of this one.

After diving the Philippine Archipelago, I can only understand and appreciate the book more and more.

taj d.

a philippine divemaster

On the basis of the information in this book we planned our dive trip to Bohol. It turned out that everything written was accurate and reliable, and we had a great trip. Like the rest of the series, nicely laid out with excellent photos.

I haven't read through an entire book for quite a while, so when I started this book, I expected the same. However, I found it to be extremely interesting and exciting and found myself making time to continue my reading. It occupied my vacation travel and I didn't even think about getting motion sick, which is what usually happens! The book is written from a woman's perspective, and Gracia comes across in all her humanity--not pious--in the midst of a very difficult situation. She takes the reader through some excruciating details. But her faith, though strained at times, was lifted by her loving husband and sustained by a God who chose her to share this turbulent time of her life with others. She did a wonderful job and I highly recommend this book.

Even though I knew from news accounts that Martin Burnham was killed during the bungled rescue attempt, it still hit me with such force when I read of his needless death in the jungle. He was a true hero and a man of God. He could have escaped but would not leave his wife behind with such merciless men. I was horrified by the attitudes of those terrorists, even though I should not have been surprised. I read Daughter of Jerusalem, An American's Woman's Journey of Faith, and I learned about the absence of personal accountability and and the absence of mercy in the cultures fostered by Islam. Gracia is a woman of valor and I give thanks for her and Martin.

I also could not put this book down!! The book is well written and easy to follow. It is the account of Martin and Gracia's captivity through their eyes, not the media. It was truly convicting and thought provoking. I was humbled by this book. I will truly think before I complain again. Through it all.....Gracia and Martin remained faithfull to God, displaying courage and strength that comes from Christ. Their example of faith through adversity is remarkable! It was no accident that I read this book. There were things in my life I needed to be convicted of. Anyone who reads this book will truly understand what the fruit of the Spirit means. It is my prayer that many read this book and their lives are changed! Thanks to Gracia for sharing!!

This is a very good, readable book. It depicts a culture in which helping others was the normal--not the charitable--thing to do. The mindset of the Teduray people of the Philippine rainforest, with whom the author Stuart Schlegel lived for years, is a world view that, sadly, seems almost unbelievable for people who are indoctrinated into a capitalistic system. It's like a splash of cold water in the face. Wouldn't it be nice for every Anthropology 101 student in the U.S. to experience this book, if for no other reason at all simply to face the fact that there are human mindsets possible that are not ruled by money, greed, scarcity, and conspicuous consumption?

The people you will meet in this book are cooperative, peaceful, egalitarian, and truly democratic. They also live in harmony with the earth. There have been many books about tribal people, gathering- hunting societies, like the Bambuti of the Congo rain forest, the Kung Bushmen, the Inuit, Native Americans. Most of these people have values similar to those of the Forest Teduray. Gathering - hunting societies have to be cooperative because its the only way they can survive. There are no hierarchies for the same reason, and women are always at least equal to men because in most such economies they provide 70- 80% of the food Nevertheless the Forest Teduray are a special kind of people for a number of reasons. They are semi agricultural, and they live in villages rather than small bands, and these villages are connected to each other in a very loose, unstructured federation. And yet they have not only maintained the basic core values of traditional gatherer- hunting peoples, but have developed and refined them into a way of life that not only works perfectly for them, but actually seems possible for our own society. It is a bit of a stretch, I admit, and the historical record is hardly encouraging. It does appear that nation states must always develop male dominated hierarchical and violent, aggressive societies. But there is no compelling reason to believe that this is necessary. The Teduray think it is "no way to live". Just imagine living in a Teduray world: a global human society living in harmony with everyone else, and with the planet. As difficult as it will surely be to get there, it's got to be worth trying. I never saw a better manual for how to live this way than Wisdom from a Rain Forest. The Teduray really know how to live, and they know how to talk about it. I think the world needs this book, and I wish everyone would read it. There are always many books on the best seller lists about how to fix your own personal inner life, to provide soup for your soul or something. But maybe we can't do any of that by ourselves. Maybe we need to work together to build a healthy society. A way to live the Teduray would call "just right". Many times you may hear people say "this book changed my life". I have always believed this is not really possible, that no book can ever really do that. This book changed my life.

Searching for wisdom today usually brings to mind countless books on how to get ahead, or rich, or thin, or powerful. Schlegel has not written a how-to book for modern success, but the story of his own discernment of the difference between wisdom and knowledge.

Although Schlegel went to the Philipine island of Mendanao for an intellectual purpose, a study to complete his doctoral dissertation on the Teduray tribe, he found himself impressed with a style of life and social interaction that most westerners would call primitive. Schlegel saw not only the value and benefit of the Teduray lifestyle, he found his own life influenced by these people in positive ways.

The tribe is now extiinct, wiped out as the result of political conflict, but the wisdom of its ways has not been lost, it lives on in Schlegel's depiction in this book, providing wisdom to those who search for it in unpredictable places.

Those looking for an uplifting read need to look elsewhere; Bulosan's "America..." reads like a laundry list of suffering and hopelessness. Bulosan writes powerfully, compellingly and beatifully, but he would have been better off sticking to his own story instead of trying to create a composite.

With tragedy so frequently present nowadays, it doesn't seem hard to believe that Bulosan's protagonist would experience so much tragedy (extreme poverty, deaths, heartbreak in every sense of the word, a severely debilitating disease, etc., etc.). A closer reading reveals that he has indeed created a composite, mashing the numerous hard-luck stories of the Filipino migrant workers of that time into a single person's life. It is difficult to believe, but if you can get beyond that fact, "America..." proves a depressing read with important historical weight, chronicling the ups and mostly downs of the Filipino migrant, with a progression from childhood to the life's winding down phase.

I lent this book to my grandfather, who lived at approximately the same time, and could very well have been in the provincial areas, practicing the customs Bulosan described. It was extremely disappointing but enlightening to have him give the book a thumbs down based on accuracy. Many descriptions of the hardships of not only Bulosan but those around him, particularly in the Philippines, were much too tragic for my grandfather to take, although he had suffered plenty in his childhood.

Often in writing stories, reality is much more interesting than fiction; by trying to unrealistically include everyone's experiences as one individual's trial does create an unbelievable tale, that will be even more difficult for those unaccustomed to the goings-on and atmosphere of a third-world country.

Bulosan's work is important as it is one of the select pieces of Filipino-American literature that has made the rounds in universities and literary circles, and that it covers an often forgotten group and struggle in American history. However, his attempt to create an all-encompassing experience within a single character is his downfall. A read recommended with a grain of salt.

You're a filipino...living in your own house, free to walk your suburbian streets, free to go to any school you wish, free to work in an office, free to interact with anyone you please...but you're not in the Philippines. Have you ever thought about the struggle of your previous generations in order to have this freedom you often neglect? This book is an awakening of spirit and will command your heart to appreciate what Carlos Bulosan and those like him suffered for. All filipinos living in a foreign land MUST READ this great work! And then, ask yourself how can you be a better citizen, a better human being and how much do you respect those around you? At recent times it may be hard to fully understand why being a filipino is a blessing. This book will provide you with a reason to be proud of your heritage and will make you remember forever that you are a free filipino.

This book is an essential read for those who wish to learn more about the various Asian ethnic groups that have shaped America in the early 20th century. Carlos Bulosan, in this autobiography, describes his days of hunger, pain, loneliness, joy, whimsy and fantasy in "big brother's" country, America, with fellow Filipino "manongs" and sometimes not-so-friendly Americans. This book will touch your heart and make any Filipino-American remember and appreciate his or her roots.

Here in the US, Philippine cuisine is most often summarized by the following: lumpiang shanghai, lechon (manok), pork barbeque, pancit, sinigang and adobo. If you can cook the above, consider yourself an experienced Pinoy chef; this book, fortunately, blows this notion out of the water.

The book reveals a cuisine that is the amalgamation of history and geography; it features a multipage discussion on how Filipino cuisine can be subdivided into regional specialties, each with its own historical influences; it provides a grouping of dishes by genre (how many Filipino cookbooks describe the various meat and seafood ginataan variations while smartly leaving the dessert ginataan for later?); it compares and contrasts dishes with similar ones from other parts of the Philippines. From reading the book, one gets a glimpse of just how diverse Filipino cooking really is, each major region in the archipelago of 7100 islands, large and small, developing a unique taste that warrants its own recipe book.

Accurate/appropriate English translations for many of the recipe names help make the recipes seem less exotic and unapproachable while the clear instructions guide the novice through even some of the more intricate dishes.

This book focuses on the recipes of Filipino favorites, everyday dishes as well as fiesta ones. The recipes offered made up delicious food. It does not dwell on lots of glossy pictures. The pages are not glossy so the book is easy to read and use. The ingredients asked for in the recipes are easy enough to get in smallish to larger cities. Filipinos who would like a quality ethnic cookbook will enjoy this one.

This book gives an excellent introduction to Filipino food and cooking. The author has collected and tested hundreds of traditional recipes. While I'm no expert on the authenticity of these recipes, I can say that they are tasty and not too difficult to try at home. Some of the special features are adobo (vinegar and garlic sauce), coconut recipes, purple yam recipes, and pickles. While pork is a central ingredient in many of these recipes, it is also easily possible to put together a completely vegetarian menu using this book. Gelle includes a brief overview of Filipino food history and regional specialties at the beginning of the book, as well as a glossary of ingredients and index at the end.

Benevolent Assimilation is McKinley's phrase for the civilizing mission of America in the Philippines. Miller makes a good case that the Filipinos neither needed civilizing or Christianizing since they had both. What America really wanted was a colonial empire to establish itself as a great power. McKinley did not know what he wanted, but people made him believe in the civilizing mission of the U.S. government.
What Miller demonstrates in this book is that the Philippines wanted independence and not American government. The revolt which followed the Spanish American War was long and devastated the islands. Thousands lost their lives, and American troops showed no mercy in putting down the revolt. The revolt lasted for over three years, and cost the U.S. much in men and treasure.
America won, but lost seventy years later in Vietnam.

An excellent telling of a period that most Americans and Filipinos know little or nothing about. With America's new ownership of the Philippines, we were drawn into a second conflict once the Spanish were routed. The insurrectionist movement against America brought about a bloody and savage war that cost tens of thousands of lives. The third phase was the attempt to subdue the Moros, some of the toughest and most fearless warriors on the planet. The troops involved thought they would only be fighting Spanish regulars and then sent home. Rather, many spent years fighting in jungles and swamps against a clever and determined foe, and many were then shipped off to fight the Boxer's in China in 1900, only to be returned to battle the often fiendish inhabitants of places like Sibago Island, Jolo and Samar. A classic account and ranks with "Muddy Glory" and "Little Brown Brother" to name but a couple. There isn't much written about this conflict, but the information is out there. These lessons should have taught America about getting involved in smaller nations affairs.

Stuart Miller's book is an excellent study in the political turmoil and subterfuges involved in the transition of America into an imperialist power. The book is not really a military history; the military aspects are secondary to Miller's coverage of how Americans justified, reacted to, and lied about our subjugation of the Philippines. It is a very sobering history of the river of lies poured out by the military, especially General Otis, and the administration of William McKinley. This is also a study in racism; how allegedly "superior" Anglo-Saxons needed to "civilize" and "Christianize" the Filipinos, many of whom were Catholic. Overall, this book is a good primer about a shocking and somewhat vile episode in American history. High School history teachers in particular should read this book and include it in their lessons about the outcome of our "splendid little war" with Spain. It is a sad truth that as a result of this conflict, America did not seem to learn anything about the nature of guerilla warfare with a people fighting to be free of foreign control. Our failure to profit from this episode helped propel us into another such quagmire in Vietnam, a nation not too far from the site of our earlier fiasco in the Philippines.

This is one of the best book I have read.It's adveture, funny and fun to read. You will just never put it down.

I am a contemporary of John's having been in the Philippines and at Clark AB during much of the same period he was. His stories are wonderful and very accurate in terms of relating what it was like being an American teen/pre-teen in the Philippines during that time frame.

Highly recommended both for the stories as is and as a history of a soon-to-be forgotten period of time for American military dependents.

John Santacroce has written a wonderful book full of adventure, humor, and discovery. It's a page-turner for young readers as they share John's adventures growing up in the Philippines and learn something about historical events of the time. Younger baby boomers will also identify with the author's perspective of this era. Read this unique book and talk about it with your children! One of the many great features of this extremely well-written memoir is that it uses intelligent but conversational language, no profanity, and never "talks down" to its audience. It's loaded with an adventurous boy's observations and discoveries about a fascinating land. I guarantee this book will be a treasured addition to your library, and one that readers of all ages will enjoy!

This amazing collection of first-hand accounts of the survivors of the Bataan Death March is brutal but compelling reading. Donald Knox has interviewed an extensive collection of survivors and persuaded them to tell the excruciating details of their capture, their time in the camps and on work details and their release. Their stories are alternately shocking and inspiring. The book is an invaluable historical resource, and any student of the war in the Pacific will find it fascinating reading. Since it is presented as a collection of interviews from different sources, some familiarity with the story of Bataan and American POWs in Japan will help the reader place each story in the right context. These testimonials can be gruesome, but it's important that the POWs' stories be told.

Author Donald Knox has taken personal narratives from over sixty survivors of the Bataan death march and combined them into this gripping story of the struggle to survive. On April 9, 1942, the penninsula of Bataan fell into Japanese hands. The surrendering Americans were then subjected to a ninety mile march without adequate food or water. Men were shot and bayonetted for sport by the Japanese. Once the Americans reached their prison camp, they were herded into a tiny area with only two water spigots. Hundreds of men died each day from dysentery, malaria, and starvation. Many healthy men were soon reduced to skeletons. Others simply refused to go on any further. Still others found that the only way they could survive was to find a friend to help them get through.

After two to three years of living in this nightmare, the American forces returned to liberate the Philippines. Fearing that the prisoners would be liberated by the returning Americans, the Japanese loaded the surviving POWs into "Hell Ships"; massively overcrowded freighters to be transferred to the Japanese home islands. Some of the men went mad, while others drowned when their ships were sunk by American submarines. Once in Japan, the men were forced to work long hours in Japanese factories and mines while still receiving little in the way of food or medical care. The conditions in the Japanese labor camps were as unimaginable as they were in the Philippines; little food and water and constant beatings by the Japanese guards.

I've read several oral history books about World War II, and this book is one of the best. Knox lets the survivors' stories create this book. I was in awe of the horrible conditions that these men were forced to survive under. It is a true testament to the human spirit that these men were able to overcome the merciless beatings and the extermely meager food and water rations they received to survive and return home. Anyone who questions why the Americans used the atomic bomb should read about the Bataan prisoners and what they were forced to endure. I highly recommend this fine piece of oral history. Read it and understand what some of the true heroes of World War II did for their country.

Enjoyable reading this is not. Gripping, it most certainly is. Eye-witness accounts from actual survivors of some of the most cruel treatments men have ever had to endure; but endure they did! The actual battle conditions were strength sapping enough; arduous fighting whilst suffering from the effects of frequent food shortages. Then capture by an enemy that, by it's own strict code of honour, made them contemptuous of any soldiers that became their prisoners. The lucky ones died quickly. Those not so fortunate suffered the "death march" through the Bataan Peninsular to their respective camps in other parts of the islands, followed by years of brutal treatment & torture, both physical & mental, together with the debilitating affects of starvation, slavery, disease with minimum medical attention. Some poor devils followed this with a hellish sea journey in overloaded, cramped, steaming hot, holds of cargo ships, to similar treatment in the prison camps of Japan & Manchuria. Final release brought freedom & repatriation to a United States that recognised & rewarded only the war heroes. Most POW's had huge problems convincing US doctors that their divers post-captivity symptoms were in fact, prison camp related. Not necessarily the doctors' fault since the headaches, nightmares, stress related sufferings, were poorly researched at that time. Most ex-prisoners received little, or no, real effective attention & the phsycological traumas resulted in a high incidence of drinking problems & suicides amongst those unfortunates. A sad & poignent ending to the book. The accounts are not all strife & gloom. There are some humourous & up-lifting moments recounted, particularly where "buddies" were supporting each other in adversity. Knox does a truly great job in presenting the accounts in such a clear & chronological order that the end result reads like a novel. Read it, & weep!