Rescued by Mao: World War II, Wake Island, and My Remarkable Escape to Freedom Across Mainland China
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
I'm not sure why the book is titled "Rescued by Mao," unless it was to increase sales, as Mao only appears at the end of the book for a few moments in the author's life. The author really deserves the credit for rescuing himself, along with the help of numerous Chinese civilians and soldiers. My own father was shot down behind Japanese lines in China, and also escaped with the help of the Chinese people and their guerrilla forces.
This is a interesting story, but with a few problems. For example, the author really does not have a good grasp of World War II history and makes a number of mistakes early in the book as he discusses the war in Europe. You can skip the entire first chapter without missing out on his adventures on Wake Island and in China.
I noticed he also claims to have seen P-51 Mustang fighters on two occasions before the winter of 1943. I had doubts and looked it up. The P-51 was primarily used in Europe and only made it to the Pacific in late 1944, but was not used in numbers there until early 1945.
Although he suffered as a Japanese POW, and deserves credit for surviving that experience, the story of his imprisonment indicates he was somewhat better off than most Japanese military POWs. But I think a lot of that had to do with the kind of person he was, a man who was able to make the best of any situation he found himself in. Perhaps it was due to his religious faith, as he often gives credit to that himself.
This is a interesting story, but with a few problems. For example, the author really does not have a good grasp of World War II history and makes a number of mistakes early in the book as he discusses the war in Europe. You can skip the entire first chapter without missing out on his adventures on Wake Island and in China.
I noticed he also claims to have seen P-51 Mustang fighters on two occasions before the winter of 1943. I had doubts and looked it up. The P-51 was primarily used in Europe and only made it to the Pacific in late 1944, but was not used in numbers there until early 1945.
Although he suffered as a Japanese POW, and deserves credit for surviving that experience, the story of his imprisonment indicates he was somewhat better off than most Japanese military POWs. But I think a lot of that had to do with the kind of person he was, a man who was able to make the best of any situation he found himself in. Perhaps it was due to his religious faith, as he often gives credit to that himself.
