All This Hell: U.S. Nurses Imprisoned by the Japanese

Rating:
Summary: All This Hell
Review: All This Hell, a compelling narrative describing the gruesome horrors endured by those little remembered women, the nurses of WWII. A vivid account of saving "Private Ryan" from the nurses' perspective. It depicts the hazards and personal trauma these women endured daily from Japanese brutality. Moreover, this book gives insight into what the POW camps were about and how much was hidden from the public. The stories of these women had added another chapter to our history books.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating but flawed history
Review: I ordered this book for the story of the Guam nurses. I found it a very important addition to the history of military women, WWII in the Pacific and POWs. But I also found some basic factual errors in the part of the story I know something about; the invasion of Guam. Read this fascinating book for the personal stories and details of war/POW experiences, but check the military/historical details in other books. The writing is somewhat difficult to wade through and the appendices confused me. The titles of the tables imply that they cover all the women POWs written about, but (except for the listing of Guam nurses) they do not appear to include the Guam POWs. I finally decided that the one listing ages shows their age at release. (Some were surprisingly old - in their 50s, few in their 20s.) In all a very interesting topic that deserves wider recognition.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating but flawed history
Review: I ordered this book for the story of the Guam nurses. I found it a very important addition to the history of military women, WWII in the Pacific and POWs. But I also found some basic factual errors in the part of the story I know something about; the invasion of Guam. Read this fascinating book for the personal stories and details of war/POW experiences, but check the military/historical details in other books. The writing is somewhat difficult to wade through and the appendices confused me. The titles of the tables imply that they cover all the women POWs written about, but (except for the listing of Guam nurses) they do not appear to include the Guam POWs. I finally decided that the one listing ages shows their age at release. (Some were surprisingly old - in their 50s, few in their 20s.) In all a very interesting topic that deserves wider recognition.

Rating:
Summary: There is hell and then there is hell
Review: I thought I knew about Bataan and Corregidor before I read ALL THIS HELL. I thought I knew what it meant to be civilized. I thought I knew the meaning of the words depravity and atrocity. I thought I knew the meaning of the words courage, bravery and heroism. I thought I knew the meaning of the word, Hell. But there is the Hell you see, the Hell you may be able to escape and the Hell that has to be survived. This book should be mandatory reading for all human beings who consider themselves civilized as well all Americans who appreciate our freedom. If you do not appreciate freedom now, you certainly will after reading ALL THIS HELL. After reading this book, when I hear the word, "Veterans", I will always think of women as well as men.

Rating:
Summary: I thought I knew...
Review: I thought I knew about Bataan and Corregidor before I read ALL THIS HELL. I thought I knew what it meant to be civilized. I thought I knew the meaning of the words depravity and atrocity. I thought I knew the meaning of the words courage, bravery and heroism. I thought I knew the meaning of the word, Hell. But there is the Hell you see, the Hell you may be able to escape and the Hell that has to be survived. This book should be mandatory reading for all human beings who consider themselves civilized as well all Americans who appreciate our freedom. If you do not appreciate freedom now, you certainly will after reading ALL THIS HELL. After reading this book, when I hear the word, "Veterans", I will always think of women as well as men.

Rating:
Summary: Women POWs of WWII
Review: If history was this interesting in high school, there would be a lot more history majors in our colleges! ALL THIS HELL is a riveting account of the courage and humor employed by U.S. Army and Navy nurses to withstand years of imprisonment by the Japanese in World War II. These women are truly heroines and were pioneers in our country's armed forces. I recommend ALL THIS HELL to everyone who appreciates a well written and meticulously documented page turner. The story will change the way you think about freedom, and leave unforgettable images in your heart and mind.

Rating:
Summary: There is hell and then there is hell
Review: While it is horrible how our nurses were treated as POWs, by this account they lived in relative safety and comfort compared to their male counterparts where many were killed for sport, used for medical experiments, etc. While the facts are shocking, they reinforce the story given me by a Swiss friend who was also interred by the Japanese in the Philippines. I found the book difficult to read not due to content but rather due to writing style.