Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath

Michael Norman · Elizabeth M. Norman

Jun 2009 · Sold by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

About this ebook

Tears in the Darkness is an altogether new look at World War II that exposes the myths of war and shows the extent of suffering and loss on both sides.

For the first four months of 1942, U.S., Filipino, and Japanese soldiers fought what was America's first major land battle of World War II, the battle for the tiny Philippine peninsula of Bataan. It ended with the surrender of 76,000 Filipinos and Americans, the single largest defeat in American military history.

The defeat, though, was only the beginning, as Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman make dramatically clear in this powerfully original book. From then until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, the prisoners of war suffered an ordeal of unparalleled cruelty and savagery: forty-one months of captivity, starvation rations, dehydration, hard labor, deadly disease, and torture—far from the machinations of General Douglas MacArthur.

The Normans bring to the story remarkable feats of reportage and literary empathy. Their protagonist, Ben Steele, is a figure out of Hemingway: a young cowboy turned sketch artist from Montana who joined the army to see the world. Juxtaposed against Steele's story and the sobering tale of the Death March and its aftermath is the story of a number of Japanese soldiers.

Ratings and reviews

Intense recounting of the Bataan Death March during WWII. First hand accounts from survivors of the march and the ensuing years of prison camps and hellships. Torture, starvation, brutality and all manner of man's inhumanity to man. Then the war criminal trials after the war. Tells of the enemy's side as well and sympathy for the leaders of the Japanese Imperial Army. I was seriously affected by that part of the book, having read of the atrocities afflicted upon the Americans. Sympathy was not forthcoming

For the most part amazing but some parts in the beginning.. The buildup was a little too unnecessary n I had to fight my way back to the reason I wanted to read it in the first place. I'm glad I didn't but I came back about 5 different times. The beginning was tough to get through but the middle to the ending was good. The overall storyline was amazing. The mere fact it was real...astounding!!

I have had the privelege to meet this man. He is awesome. The book is excellant

About the author

Michael Norman, a former reporter for The New York Times, teaches narrative journalism at New York University. His is also the author of the memoir These Good Men.

Elizabeth M. Norman, the author of We Band of Angels and Women at War. She teaches at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education.