Valor
The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man's Defiance and Indomitable Spirit
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- 10,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
Unbreakable: The Harrowing Tale of an American Hero's Survival in the Pacific Theater
Valor is the magnificent story of Lieutenant William Frederick "Bill" Harris, a genuine American hero who survived the fall of the Philippines and brutal captivity under the Japanese during World War II. This riveting narrative nonfiction, expertly crafted by New York Times bestselling author and retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton, offers a fresh perspective on the Pacific War.
Captured during the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942, Harris endured a series of harrowing ordeals, from a daring escape through shark-infested waters to guerrilla fighting in the Philippines and a treacherous voyage to China. Despite being starved, tortured, and beaten in the notorious Ofuna POW camp, Harris never surrendered. With ingenuity and courage, he eavesdropped on guards and created secret codes to communicate with fellow prisoners.
Through military documents, personal photos, and an unpublished memoir provided by Harris' daughter, Valor dramatically reveals the Lieutenant's experiences in his own words. From his liberation in August 1945 to representing American Marine POWs during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, this is the stunning and captivating true story of an unbreakable spirit and an American hero.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A U.S. Marine's daring escape from the Japanese-occupied Philippines is recounted in this dramatic WWII adventure story. Former combat pilot Hampton (Viper Pilot) details how Lt. William Frederick Harris, the son of Marine Corps general Field Harris, was taken prisoner at the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942, escaped captivity by swimming three miles across Manila Bay to Bataan, dodged Japanese patrols, fought alongside Filipino guerillas, and attempted to sail first to China and then to Australia before he was recaptured and taken to a series of POW camps on the Japanese home islands, where he endured beriberi, dysentery, starvation, and torture while teaching himself Japanese in order to spy on the guards. After his camp was liberated in August 1945, Harris witnessed the formal signing of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. Eager to command his own battalion, he stayed in the Marines, married, and had two daughters before being sent to Korea, where he disappeared during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Hampton skillfully interweaves Harris's travails with the major events of the Pacific war and draws a nuanced portrait of the dynamic between father and son. The result is a captivating portrait of courage and determination during wartime.
