This tale of Japanese Army lieutenant Hiroo Onodo's 30-years of guerrilla warfare in the Philippines is an amazing story of survival and one man's dedication to his beliefs. At the same time it is an indictment of the training given the Japanese where orders counted and independent reasoning was frowned upon. Onodo's training at a special guerrilla warfare school inclined him to see conspiracies within conspiracies. As he himself mentions, they "read the lines between the lines between the lines" of newspapers and messages left for them by those trying to make them understand the war was long over.
Although not addressed in this autobiography, Onodo's beliefs were responsible for the death of two of his friends years after the war, when, like one private soldier, they might have surrendered to the authorities and survived. This was a tragedy, as was the fact that Onodo's book does not mention that he killed several Filipino civilians during his 30-year ordeal.
In the end through, you need to admire Onodo as, like America's Sergeant York, he declined to profit from his experience and sought a simpler life helping others. Check out his Wikipedia page for details on his later life.
Although not addressed in this autobiography, Onodo's beliefs were responsible for the death of two of his friends years after the war, when, like one private soldier, they might have surrendered to the authorities and survived. This was a tragedy, as was the fact that Onodo's book does not mention that he killed several Filipino civilians during his 30-year ordeal.
In the end through, you need to admire Onodo as, like America's Sergeant York, he declined to profit from his experience and sought a simpler life helping others. Check out his Wikipedia page for details on his later life.
