Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror

Rating:
Summary: Compelling Story of Herosim and Survival
Review: A truly amazing story based on real life events documenting Jewish immigration from Nazi Germany to a friendly Phillipines until takeover and oppression by the Japanese Army during World War II.

Frank Emphraim recounts tales long forgotten of bravery, heroism, survival and despair. As a child he immigrated to the Phillipines as the result of extraordinary efforts on the part of the U.S. and Phillipine governments. He tells, along with many others, the story of the four Frieder brothers who took great effort to secure the absorption of 1,200 Jewish immigrants into the Phillipines with the help of Phillipine President Quezon and U.S. High Commissioner Paul McNutt.

What was once a growing Jewish community interspersed amongst native Phillipinos was decimated by the Japanese invasion prior to it's ultimate reclaiming by American troops during the Battle of Manila. Much like Schlinder's List but set in the tropics.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written
Review: I thought the topic seemed interesting. The writing is hard to follow, tons of names which probably mean a lot to the author but not to the reader. It reminded me of memoirs written by family members, great if you know them, but only if you do. Too few facts, too many personal experiences which are of little interest to people outside the family circle.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written
Review: In this book Mr. Frank Ephraim not only tells us about the history of "Manilaners", Jews who fled Europe and headed to the Philippines, but also tells us about the Jewish community already there. His book is detailed, with both the facts of history AND the emotions and actions of the people themselves. We never feel that the Jews, Filipinos, Americans and Japanese are faceless puppets.
He starts off giving us a very complete history of the Philippines, then focusing on Europe and the problems that Jews had living under the growing power of the Third Reich. Soon we are following the resourceful refugees to Manila. We watch them start a new life, with the help of those around them, showing us the support and empathy that the Jews and Filipinos had for the newcomers.
Then the Japanese invaded and he shows us how everyone came even closer together, doing everything to live a normal life. We learn about daily life, the struggle for food and trying to understand how to deal with the Japanese while they also deal with the big long term problems, like trying to find schools for their children and continuing their form of worship under the paranoid eyes of the Japanese.
Of course, the book ends with the American invasion, the bloody fight for Manila and the aftermath. The author does nothing to hide the tragic results of the battle or the fact that even when peace came the Jews still had problems just making ends meet.
This is a book for anybody into Asian history, Jewish history, the history of the Philippines, World War Two and Japanese history. A must for any history library, really, touching on many subjects.

Rating:
Summary: Mixture of history and first-person stories...
Review: In this book Mr. Frank Ephraim not only tells us about the history of "Manilaners", Jews who fled Europe and headed to the Philippines, but also tells us about the Jewish community already there. His book is detailed, with both the facts of history AND the emotions and actions of the people themselves. We never feel that the Jews, Filipinos, Americans and Japanese are faceless puppets.
He starts off giving us a very complete history of the Philippines, then focusing on Europe and the problems that Jews had living under the growing power of the Third Reich. Soon we are following the resourceful refugees to Manila. We watch them start a new life, with the help of those around them, showing us the support and empathy that the Jews and Filipinos had for the newcomers.
Then the Japanese invaded and he shows us how everyone came even closer together, doing everything to live a normal life. We learn about daily life, the struggle for food and trying to understand how to deal with the Japanese while they also deal with the big long term problems, like trying to find schools for their children and continuing their form of worship under the paranoid eyes of the Japanese.
Of course, the book ends with the American invasion, the bloody fight for Manila and the aftermath. The author does nothing to hide the tragic results of the battle or the fact that even when peace came the Jews still had problems just making ends meet.
This is a book for anybody into Asian history, Jewish history, the history of the Philippines, World War Two and Japanese history. A must for any history library, really, touching on many subjects.