Retaking the Philippines: America's Return to Corregidor and Bataan, October 1944-March 1945
July 1944: U.S. armed forces are poised for the next step towards Japan. Will it be the Philippines or Formosa? The Army (represented by MacArthur) wants to liberate the Philippines; the Navy (Nimitz and King) proposes bypassing the islands and invading Formosa. Finally, MacArthur persuades Roosevelt to back his plan. Popular historian Breuer has the knack of making complex situations intelligible. His account of the liberation of the American prisoners at Los Banos, Cabantuan, and Santo Thomas prisons and his chapters on the retaking of Corregidor are masterful. Not a scholarly account of the entire Philippine campaign but a useful introduction for nonspecialists, this is recommended for most public libraries. Military Book Club dual main selection. Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.