As Good As Dead: The Daring Escape of American POWs from a Japanese Death Camp

Description

The heroic story of eleven American POWs who defied certain death in World War II--As Good as Dead is an unforgettable account of the Palawan Massacre survivors and their daring escape. " A truly uplifting tale of deliverance from certain death . . . A deeply personal read, in which the reader is drawn into the highs and lows of the action, the tragedy, and the salvation, because Moore has so successfully drawn out the characters. . . . Compelling reading and hard to put down."-Naval History The heroic story of eleven American POWs who defied certain death in World War II,As Good as Dead is an unforgettable account of the Palawan Massacre survivors and their daring escape. In late 1944, the Allies invaded the Japanese-held Philippines, and soon the end of the Pacific War was within reach. But for the last 150 American prisoners of war still held on the island of Palawan, there would be no salvation. After years of slave labor, starvation, disease, and torture, their worst fears were about to be realized. On December 14, with machine guns trained on them, they were herded underground into shallow air raid shelters-death pits dug with their own hands. Japanese soldiers doused the shelters with gasoline and set them on fire. Some thirty prisoners managed to bolt from the fiery carnage, running a lethal gauntlet of machine gun fire and bayonets to jump from the cliffs to the rocky Palawan coast. By the next morning, only eleven men were left alive-but their desperate journey to freedom had just begun. As Good as Dead is one of the greatest escape stories of World War II, and one that few Americans know. The eleven survivors of the Palawan Massacre-some badly wounded and burned-spent weeks evading Japanese patrols. They scrounged for food and water, swam shark-infested bays, and wandered through treacherous jungle terrain, hoping to find friendly Filipino guerrillas. Their endurance, determination, and courage in the face of death make this a gripping and inspiring saga of survival.

Stephen L. Moore, a sixth-generation Texan, is the author of multiple books on World War II and Texas history.

PRAISE FOR AS GOOD AS DEAD "Equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting, As Good as Dead is an incredible, moving tale told by a master storyteller. Moore's research is impressive, but his remarkable ability to relate the human story of everyday Americans in time of war is what really makes this book so hard to put down. I highly recommend it."-John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those About to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach "Meticulously researched and grippingly told, As Good as Dead is a powerful story of brutality, suffering, and the ultimate triumph of the American spirit."-James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and national bestselling author of Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor "As Good as Dead tells an almost unbelievable story of cruelty and despair in which ordinary men survived by defiant determination, simply refusing to submit to their apparent fate. Stephen L. Moore tells the story of the Palawan survivors with great skill, and his book should be required reading to gain an understanding of the often neglected war in the Pacific."-Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II "Visceral and heartrending, As Good as Dead details the stirring stories of eleven grimly determined men who-exercising incredible resolve and grit-survived seemingly impossible circumstances. An outstanding and important work."-Jay A. Stout, author of Vanished Hero: The Life, War, and Mysterious Disappearance of America's WWII Strafing King "Stephen L. Moore shows how the desperate Palawan breakout was just the start of a harrowing escape effort that only eleven men ultimately would survive. . . . As Good as Dead keeps alive a dark, nearly forgotten chapter of World War II history. It also reaffirms Moore's skills as a writer of excellent military books."-The Dallas Morning News PRAISE FOR THE WORK OF STEPHEN L. MOORE "Moore offers what will soon be ranked a major military classic among the past half century's torrent of books on the Pacific War. . . . A major, first-rate, authoritative contribution to the literature of WWII."-Leatherneck "A fabulous, memorable re-creation of how the war was experienced . . . Will definitely appeal to anyone with an interest in the carrier wars of World War II."-America in WWII "Deeply researched and well written, Pacific Payback is by far the most detailed account of USS Enterprise's dive-bombers and their decisive role at the Battle of Midway."-Jonathan Parshall, coauthor of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway "Stephen L. Moore has done a service to the courageous fliers of Scouting Squadron Six and Bombing Squadron Six. . . . Their bravery during the war's first six months, when the nation needed heroes, should long occupy a premier spot in our nation's history."-John F. Wukovits, author of For Crew and Country and One Square Mile of Hell