Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Told here for the first time in vivid detail is the story of the defenders of Wake Island following their surrender to the Japanese on December 23, 1941. The highly regarded military historian Gregory Urwin spent decades researching what happened and now offers a revealing look at the U.S. Marines, sailors, soldiers, and civilian contractors in captivity. In addition to exhaustive archival research, he interviewed dozens of POWs and even some of their Japanese captors. He also had access to diaries secretly kept by the prisoners. This information has allowed Urwin to provide a nuanced look at the Japanese guards and how the Americans survived three-and-a-half years in captivity and emerged with a much lower death rate than most other Allied personnel captured in the Pacific.
Synopsis
Told for the first time in vivid detail is the story of the defenders of Wake Island following their surrender to the Japanese on December 23, 1941. Highly regarded military historian Urwin offers a revealing look at the U.S. Marines, sailors, soldiers, and civilian contractors in captivity.
About the Author
Gregory J. W. Urwin is Professor of History at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he specializes in American and British military affairs. He is the author of eight other books, including Facing Fearful Odds: The Siege of Wake Island, which won the Gen. Wallace M. Greene Jr. Award from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. He lives in Doylestown, PA.