The Incredible True Story of the American Women Held Captive on Bataan: We Band of Angels

J.W.: This was an inspirting story of women banding together during the worst of times during war. It' illustrates the power of operating as a team to survive.

United States on Oct 14, 2023

RastaPapaPnoy: Gift For My Father In Law Which He Enjoyed Reading.

United States on Aug 30, 2023

Amazon Customer: I cannot remember where I heard about this interesting book but I am so glad I added it to my Amazon cart. We learn about the difficulties these nurses went through in Bataan and their imprisonment afterwards. We have all heard of the deprivations of war but, in this book we see how it affected the nurses during and after the war. Clearly we did not value their efforts as much as the soldiers which gives insight into those times. You cannot read this book without coming away in awe of their accomplishments.

Canada on Apr 09, 2022

Kindle Customer: What a forgotten story. Thank you to the author for bringing this back to the fore. Over one hundred nurses based in the Philippines prior to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and Manila did their jobs during the rout of Bataan and Corregidor. After treating thousands of casualties under constant fire and explosions, they were captured and imprisoned. For almost three years, they then survived near starvation and severe living conditions in prison camps while still maintaining military discipline as they treated and comforted the sick and the dying. A few evacuated to safety in Australia but the rest lived to tell a different tale. Stateside they were touted as heroes but then quickly forgotten in the annals of history. The author did painstaking research and met with many of the surviving nurses, forming ongoing friendships with some until their death. An exciting read and addition to WWII literature. My only criticism is to question mosquitos having teeth.
😲😲

United States on Jan 03, 2022

Melanie Forde: The book is obviously the product of a boatload of research and features solid wordsmithing. The topic was fascinating and, X decades after the fact, little covered and thus unique. So We Band of Angels should have been a great read, especially for this WWII junkie. While it certainly held my interest, I finished with a feeling of disappointment. My main gripe is that I didn’t really get to know the characters, and thus had little emotional investment in them. Perhaps the author might have made them more “real” if she had focused on fewer of them? Perhaps Norman’s choice of an objective reporting style (to differentiate herself from the reporters who propagandized about the nurses in the immediate aftermath of their release?) interfered with character development? At the same time, Norman had no problem straying from objectivity when deploring the fact that the military brass failed to give the nurses what she considered proper recognition, even if many of the angels did indeed receive this medal and that.

The author’s focus seemed blurred at times, not least of all when selecting data meant to convey the deprivation and sacrifice experienced by the nurses. In two...

United States on Jul 01, 2019

Contessa: Mention Bataan to anyone familiar with the WWII Pacific battleground and the reaction is likely to be one of pain. Unspeakable misery was inflicted in what became known as the Bataan Death March. The much lesser known story but no less compelling is the story of the Band of Angels: the 100 Army and Navy nurses stationed in the Phillipines when it was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Army. This is the story of the military nurses who were surrendered by their government and taken prisoner in December 1941 until the Phillipines were liberated in 1945.

These women came to military nursing service from all walks of life and all parts of the country. As professionals they each embodied a passion for nurturing and protecting others. For some, the military afforded them the opportunity for a good education, worthy occupational training, and to experience life outside the confines of their humble daily existence. Life working in a tropical military hospital had its advantages. Exotic location, regular hours, and a congenial social life. Combat duty was the farthest thing from their minds. In an instant, everything changed once the bombs started flying. War is hell, and these women...

United States on Mar 23, 2018

PeterPan56: Excellent read, as a teacher of History it helps to learn new aspects to enrich one's teaching away from ' The Syllabus'!

United Kingdom on Dec 30, 2015

JLH: Excellent - so interesting to read more about the American experience in the Far East. Written in 1999, the author was able to meet the nurses she is writing about, which lends authenticity and personal interest to the book. She was therefore also able to provide us with actual photos of the nurses in the book which is a real plus. These nurses really were a band of angels and I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Far East war - or indeed anyone interested in other peoples lives.

United Kingdom on Jul 18, 2013