Deliverance at Los Banos: The Dramatic True Story of Survival and Triumph…

A very readable account of an historical event at a time when incredible dramatic events were happening moment by moment throughout the world. It is an account from an American perspective, of the civilians in Philippnes at the time the Japanese invaded, and how they were interned until rescued by the 11th Airborne Division of the US Airforce. The internees were Filipinos, Americans, and British mostly - my uncle who was one of the internees and was a New Zealander is listed as British, probably because of the close ties NZ had with Britain at the time, and the fact that my uncle had gone from Britain to the PI. Had there not been US civilians in the camp, it is doubtful whether any of them would have survived or been rescued. It's a clear and unbiased account of atrocities committed, of the way "ordinary" people coped with extraordinary circumstances, of courage and personalities, and is well worth reading. If it has a fault it is that it focussed almost exclusively on one particular group of people, with only passing reference to others, such as the nuns and priests or other groups. ( )