The cover of this book errs when it states "He (Mellnik) then developed the Philippine guerilla movement..." as he had very little to do with developing the movement except, when he reached Australia after his escape, MacArthur 'assigned' him that duty. As any reader of the Philippine guerrilla movement knows, that movement was developed in the islands by the Filipinos and the Americans who were left behind when the Philippines fell to the Japanese. MacArthur and his staff were late in supporting a guerrilla movement they previously didn't even know existed. I've read dozens of books in this area, many by the leaders who stayed behind, and all agree with the above. But, that is another story.
The true value of this book is in Mellnik's telling of the Fall of the Philippines and the heroic struggle by the American service personnel and mostly untrained Filipinos against the Japanese. Of all the books I've read in this area, none have so dramatically portrayed the sacrifice these men and women made on an almost daily basis. I've read things here I've never seen in another book on the Fall of the Philippines. These chapters are what make the book a valuable resource.
The true value of this book is in Mellnik's telling of the Fall of the Philippines and the heroic struggle by the American service personnel and mostly untrained Filipinos against the Japanese. Of all the books I've read in this area, none have so dramatically portrayed the sacrifice these men and women made on an almost daily basis. I've read things here I've never seen in another book on the Fall of the Philippines. These chapters are what make the book a valuable resource.
