Rating: 
Summary: Lively History
Review: Like any good war epic, this book takes its audience on a wild ride through the horrors inflicted on the good guys by an evil enemy and ends with them being saved at the last minute by a group of courageous men. It seems that this would get old, but it really never does, and the fact that this book is a true story gives it even more drama. This is an excellent book for World War II buffs, but it is an equally good read for people like me who enjoy dramatic stories, good writing and well developed characters. It is in the end an heroic story and will leave readers feeling very good about America and the men who fought in WWII, but it is certainly not mere war propaganda or revisionist history--it is very well done and I am glad I had the chance to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Ghost Soldiers
Review: This novel by Hampton Sides is a great read. It begins with the dangerous battle on the island of Bataan. The Americans hopelessly lose this battle, finally surrendering to the Japanese. The whole story is about the P.O.Ws inside the Japanese camp of Cabanatuan, and the American Rangers on their way to save them. This book includes two genres, Action and Drama. This is one way this book is so good. It definitely has an action side, with all the fighting in the battles and the Rangers trying to free the prisoners. The drama genre comes in when you read about the P.O.Ws inside the camp. What these Japanese did was horrible. In Ghost Soldiers, you read about what the Rangers do to save these prisoners. It is truly amazing what a person would do for his country, like running into the battlefield to retrieve fallen soldiers and risking your own life to save another.
Historically, I think this book was pretty true. In the book Ghost Soldiers, there were many quotes from the prisoners and Rangers during that time period. Overall I think these quotes were not far from the truth. As far as the events go, I believe that Hampton Sides told it as it was. If you're looking for facts about the battle of Bataan, or the prisoners in the prison camp of Cabanatuan, this book is a pretty good source for information. Ghost Soldiers was a fairly decent book for information.
If you're looking for an awesome book, Ghost Soldiers is the book for you. It combines the two genres of Action and Drama, making it a good book for a girl or a boy. It gives you a very good idea on what the soldiers went through to save the prisoners of the Japanese prison camp. It also lets you see how bad the Japanese treated the P.O.Ws of Cabanatuan prison camp. Seeing how bad these P.O.Ws were health wise and mentally, you will realize what they went through.
Ghost Soldiers was an excellent book. If you're into action or drama this book is just for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!
Review: Very well written and readable account. It will have you crying in frustration of the soldiers' predicament and then again with joy over their fate. A great testimony to the heartiness of the American GI in the Pacific War.
Rating:
Summary: Starts slow, but it really builds up
Review: A truly amazing story of heroism. If you're a fan of WWII books, movies and other media, you'll really like this.
Rating:
Summary: "Ghost Soldiers" is an insanly good book....
Review: I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. Sides' account of the Bataan Death March and the rescue mission is vivid, graphic, and at times difficult to read for the horrible events of WWII it discribes. I was upset for not having previously heard how horrible this situation was in the Pacific, and am so glad I read this book as a testemony to the price of Freedom so many young men paid. The European side of the war is more often shown in movies and books, and I learned so much in this book about the Japanese conflict and how difficult a war it was. Hampton Sides writing style is quick and fast paced, and this book never lags even for all the side information there is. It really is a page turner because you never know what could happen next. It's even more amazing considering it's all true. Everyone should read this book to truely understand what a sacrifice it was to win the war.
Rating:
Summary: A well written historical account with personality
Review: On a quest to document my own family's experiences in the Philippines during WWII as guerillas, prisoners and fugitives, I have been reading copious amounts of information about that time to get a "feel" for what it was like. I felt that Hampton Sides' story based on recollections of participants in the rescue, prisoners from the "Long Walk" and of Cabanatuan, and extensive research, was well written and captured my imagination. It isn't often that a non-fiction historical novel can incite emotion. He does this by mixing historical data with narratives of men who lived through the experience. Having invested in 3 months of research living in Japan, Sides is also able to cite pertinent information regarding the culture, history and mentality of the Japanese. This helped me understand in some minute way, how and why some of the atrocities occured. Perspective from all sides of this tale is what makes this novel a great read. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more perspectives from the Philippinos themselves, being that they too lost many lives as prisoners and from collateral damage. Many Philippinos risked not only their lives like honorable soldiers, but they also risked their land and families to help make this rescue possible. Their voice would have lended more texture to the fine tapestry that Sides wove.
Rating:
Summary: An uplifting account of real life heroism.
Review: Ghost Soldiers is the tale of the rescue of Allied prisoners from the Japanese prison camp at Cabanatuan in the Phillipines during WWII. Hampton Sides effectively sets up the story of the rescue by giving us background on the events that led up to the capture of Allied soldiers in the Phillipines. He lets us know what the prisoners interned in the Cabanatuan camp had to endure. Their journey starts with the Bataan Death March and ends in a camp riddled with disease where men are starved and beaten at the whim of their captors. After Sides lays out the background for the prisoner situation he begins to give us information about the Rangers that would risk their lives in a perilous rescue mission across thirty miles of hostile territory. As the book continues Sides switches quite successfully between the prisoner point of view and the Ranger situation. He uses these different points of view to make the narrative a bit more suspenseful and effectively keeps the reader guessing about what the Rangers are going to find at the camp. The camp situation continues to be fluid throughout the book as the war continues and the Japanese become more aware of their perilous situation. The differing timelines and points of view come together by the end of the book when the Rangers make their final play to free the prisoners. Certainly there are plenty of stories of heroism from WWII that have been told and probably more than have not and never will be told. The story of these prisoners and their rescuers is as deserving of telling as any that have come before. Hampton Sides does an excellent job portraying the overall situation without losing focus on the story he wants to tell.
Rating: 
Summary: Questioning the Research
Review: I wasn't convinced that the book was as well researched as it might have been, especially because it seemed to me that validation of some of the personal experiences was lacking.
Books of this type typically wind up in my library for future reading, but I gave this one away when I finished reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Why Had This Story Not Been Told Earlier?
Review: Even if WWII history is not your thing you will still likely enjoy this one. In a filthy disease ridden Philippine POW camp 30 miles behind enemy lines the final 503 survivors of the famous Bataan Death March are being kept in Japanese hands in starvation conditions. The rescue mission is little more than a suicidal death wish with little to no chance of success. But something has to be done, recent military intelligence reveals the Japanese would rather mass execute these survivors than risk the chance of them living to testify at a war crimes trial after the war. With time running out, a 121 band of hand selected men and their charismatic captain set out to do the impossible. You will read their story as they designed the attack, secretly marched the 30 miles to get into position, the attack itself and, the 30 mile trek back out with 503 prisoners many of which were too weak to walk. Some other reviews have complained that it was a great story but poor writing that moves to slow. I disagree. Hampton Sides wanted a historically correct tale that also included the details of the operation to help you understand and appreciate the complexity of what these guys were actually doing (There is plenty of military "shock and awe"). If you are looking for 384 pages of pure shoot'em up action go watch an old John Wayne movie. On the other hand, if you are looking for an exciting book that also includes the "guts" detail of how they pulled it off this book is for you. You will also enjoy a few humorous moments and poignant ones as well that reveales the true heroic nature of these men. If I were a high school teacher this would be required reading for my class. Thanks TRW
Rating:
Summary: Not just a "Guy" book
Review: This was a book that my husband read first, so I assumed it was a typical guy book. It is the type of war book that is easily read by anyone. Sides uses some flowery language at times and the skipping around could be annoying (I didn't mind.), but I found it a fascinating read. Many of us who grew up well after WWII have little knowledge other than dates, facts, etc. that we learned in school. And I knew nothing about the Pacific theatre. Might not appeal to war buffs, but a good read for the general population especially those of us who limited experiences of real hardship.
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