Description:
Rescue at Los Baños is the spellbinding survival story of more than two thousand American and Allied civilian prisoners of war--men, women, and children--held in the Philippines by the Japanese during World War II, and the elite 11th Airborne Division's heart-pounding mission in a race against the clock to rescue them from behind enemy lines
As U.S. victory in the Pacific drew near, Japanese soldiers at the Los Baños Internment Camp became increasingly sadistic and began systematically starving, beating, and killing their captives. Fearing the loss of more innocent lives, General Douglas MacArthur gave the 11th Airborne Division the dangerous mission of freeing these beleaguered men, women, and children in a deadly race against the clock. Rescue at Los Baños deftly weaves together dramatic accounts of the prison camp with detailed analysis of the complex military operation being planned and carried out, documenting the incredible story of the prisoners and those who risked their lives to save them.
Brief description:
Bruce Henderson has written more than twenty books, including the national bestseller Hero Found and Rescue at Los Baños. Henderson served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61) during the Vietnam War. He lives in Menlo Park, California.
Review Quotes:
Praise for Hero Found: "Dengler's actual POW experiences are the centerpiece of the book, and, thanks to Henderson's storytelling skill, these scenes often read like a first-rate suspense novel...poignant in its details. An engaging tale of a harrowing POW experience." - Kirkus Reviews (praise for Hero Found)
Praise for Down to the Sea: "What stands out in Down to the Sea are those moments that transform the disaster into an epic of courage and sacrifice. This is a book for anyone who wonders what happens when a ferocious sea attacks a ship and her crew." - Naval History (praise for Down to the Sea)
"Intriguing...if this were fiction the story would zoom right off the plausibility meter." - New York Times (praise for And the Sea Will Tell)
"An exciting read and an example of excellent historical scholarship....a solid book full of passion and fascinating detail. Rescue at Los Banos is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the literature concerning World War II in the Pacific." - Captain Dale Dye USMC (Ret), Author of the Shake Davis File series of novels and Hollywood Military Adviser
"Rescue at Los Banos will swell your chest. Bruce Henderson's powerful account has earned a place on the top shelf of World War II nonfiction narratives." - Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours and Lost in Shangri-La
"Riveting. ... Opens our eyes to... amazing bravery in the midst of a greater war. ... Readers [will] be both shocked by the conditions that POWs had to endure and appreciative of the bravery and ingenuity of that generation we have come to call the greatest." - Washington Post
"Reads like an adventure thriller and sheds new light on one of the most compelling stories of World War II. ... Anyone who enjoyed Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken or Mitchell Zuckoff's Lost in Shangri-La should check this one out." - Military.com
"Rescue at Los Banos will swell your chest. Bruce Henderson's powerful account has earned a place on the top shelf of World War II nonfiction narratives." - Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours and Lost in Shangri-La
"Bruce Henderson has managed to pull one of the most daring rescue missions in military history out of obscurity and turn it into a solid book of passion and fascinating detail. He has done his readers - and military history buffs in general - a great service." - Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret), author of Contra File and other Shake Davis novels and Hollywood military adviser
"Riveting. ... Achieves a high standard of popular history. Rescue at Los Banos artfully blends vibrant character sketches with equally clear military fact, all rendered in vivid color." - Kirkus Reviews
"Gripping. ... A heartrending tale of... survival." - Library Journal
"Bruce Henderson has told a wonderfully exciting story of one of war's greatest rescues with verve, style, and panache. I didn't even stop for coffee during my reading: it was so classically unputdownable." - Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Men Who United the States
"Rescue at Los Banos hits the drop zone. Extensively researched and extremely well-written, Bruce Henderson's riveting account of the historic events of 23 February 1945 finally does justice to the greatest airborne operation in U.S. military history." - John D. Lukacs, author of Escape from Davao
"An epic survival story of men and women held captive in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines until their remarkable rescue by U.S. paratroopers and Filipino guerrillas three years later. Fast-paced and compelling, Rescue at Los Banos is as gripping as any suspense novel." - Vincent Bugliosi, author of Helter Skelter and Reclaiming History
"Riveting...Bruce Henderson does it again with his account of the prisoners at Los Banos. I felt their agonies, sacrifices, and exhilaration. Any reader would love this account of individuals triumphing over seemingly impossible obstacles." - John Wukovits, author of Hell From the Heavens
"The agony and anguish for the Japanese-held Los Banos internees - all civilians and including children and small babies - is almost beyond belief. The raid by U.S. paratroopers that set them free is breathtaking." - Bill Sloan, author of Undefeated