This is what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "Compelling read. The story of the Army and Navy nurses caught in the Phillipines during WWII, and how their experiences of combat and being prisoners of war affected the remainder of their lives. Nurses treated with reverence, respect. Also provides many insights about the role of women in the military, war, and in society. They were indeed a band of angels." ( )

Wonderful scholarly recounting of the experiences of the Army and Navy nurse POWs of the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II. The best book on this topic. Author did numerous oral history interviews so there are some great individual stories. Author does a good job of bringing these women to life - describing their physical appearance, lives before the entered the ANC and their lives afterword and how the experience impacted on the rest of their lives.

On the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Japanese also bombed Manila and other targets in the Philippine Islands. Among those caught up in this invasion were 99 Army and Navy Nurses. This is the story of those women.

I must say, for the time period, this was one bad-ass group of women. While caught up in extreme conditions they worked tirelessly to nurse the wounded. When evacuation of Manila was ordered they were ferried to a small Island, Corregidor. Here they continued their care . Aiding the Doctors, they built an outdoor hospital in the jungle, working and living there. After the surrender of Manila they were taken prisoner and were interred at Santo Tomas Internment Camp (which previously had been a University). They spent four long years, facing starvation and disease.

I was happy to have found this book, and it was a good read on subject I knew nothing about. Yet, I can only give 3 stars. It was just one of those books-I liked it, the story held my attention in small doses. ( )

Really quite good and well-researched. The only negative I have regarding the book is that I had a tough time keeping some of the women clear in my mind. It's probably just because of the sheer number of women that Norman covered in the book, but it would have been helpful to more carefully delineate them to the reader. I also found myself really wishing for photos of some of them. Aside from those minor qualms, it was really excellent. I had never read about these women and didn't really know anything about them. Terrific research ... nothing like first hand accounts to really paint a picture. ( )

Author Elizabeth M. Norman did her research, poring through letters and diaries in addition to tracking down survivors to interview them. In reading We Band of Angels, I learned a lot. The Army and Navy nurses in the Philippines were the first American women in combat. They were also the first American women prisoners of war.

Norman takes readers through the nurses' lives before, during, and after World War II. Many of them told her that the key to their survival was to keep busy. It didn't matter what they did as long as they did something. This book is packed with information, but ultimately, I was never fully engaged in Norman's story. I think it can be chalked up to the fact that I've been spoiled with the non-fiction that I prefer to read: detailed histories that still manage to read like the best fiction. So... consider my very subjective opinion when you decide whether or not to read We Band of Angels. It not only covers an important part of history (and covers it well), but it also covers a very important part of women's history. I'm very glad I read it. ( )