Behind Japanese Lines: An American Guerilla in the Philippines

by Bernard Norling and Ray C. Hunt

Book Overview

Behind Japanese Lines has a great deal to say about the relations with the Filipinos and about the problems of dealing with and fighting the Hukbalahaps, the communist guerrillas or, indeed, in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081311604X
• ISBN13: 9780813116044
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Good Story

Ray Hunt has turned out an informative book of his World War II years, first as an American soldier in the Philippines, secondly as a prisoner and escapee from the Japanese, and third as a guerilla fighting the Japanese until the American army finally re-captured the islands. Personal accounts of guerilla war are likely to be replete with fabrications as the participants build themselves up, tear others down, and exaggerate their exploits. Hunt seems more honest than most. He doesn't sugar-coat his actions, nor portray himself as the second coming of Napoleon. The book alternates between describing his personal experiences and putting them in context with descriptions of the various guerilla movements in the Philippines, including the Communist Huks, local politics, an account of the American invasion, and his own role as a guerilla leader. He strives to be fair and balanced and comes closer to achieving that than does Fox News. The best part of the book, in my opinion, were the several chapters in which he described his life on the run from the Japanese, the hardships and disease he suffered and overcame, and the assistance he received from Filipinos. My criticism of the book would be that Hunt never really describes in detail the military operations the guerrillas undertook. Thus, it is somewhat difficult to evaluate the contribution guerilla groups made to winning the war. Hunt's story of his three years as a guerilla in the jungles, mountains, and rice paddies of Luzon is vivid and credible. This is probably one of the better books you can read about the Philippines under Japanese occupation. Smallchief

A Very Competent Account by a Competent Man

This book is one of those excellent works by the University Press of Kentucky. They publish a great number of WW II personal narratives concerning the more obscure activities and less known theatres. I recall one written by a bandsman, the only one such I ever saw.This review is based on the 1988 Pocket Book newstand edition of the 1986 hardback original.The book is well written, quite thorough, and extensively sourced and noted, in contrast to many such works in which all that is set down about the author is in the blurb on the cover. There is also a handy map of Central Luzon printed on the inside back cover, a really great idea so that one can easily find it. Why don't other publishers do that? There is also a very useful index which covers not just personal names, as do so many, but has also subject listings to various topics. As contrasted to the original book published during WW II, with the title "American Guerilla in the Phillipines", this one does not whitewash the dirty and brutal aspects of the war and its aftermath. All in all, a very interesting and well written work which deserves a place on the shelves of Spec Ops, "grunt" history, and personal narrative collections.

Behind Japanese Lines.

I would like to say that this book is great for me since the two Guerrillas in the book named William and Joseph Henry are my Grandfather and Uncle. Their father was Irish and their mother was Filipina. My Great Grandfather was killed by the Japanese and they took revenge. They are still alive and had some stories to tell! I would recommend this to anyone since I know first hand that this was a really good history lesson. To all the others who have been in the war, I give my respect and love. God bless you all!

A terrific eye-witness narrative of combat operations.

Behind Japanese Lines: An American Guerrilla In The Phillippines is the story of Ray Hunt, an American soldier who escaped the Bataan Death March and organized a troop of American and Filipino guerrillas. Hunt tells his own vivid and harrowing tale of life as a guerrilla behind Japanese lines, the struggle to survive and harass the Japanese, even the lingering fear among his troops that, because they had not followed orders to surrender to the Japanese when their units in Phillippines surrendered to the Japanese, they would be court martialled for desertion if the Americans won the war. Hunt also argues against the lack of American thanks or compensation to the insurgent Filipinos after the war. Behind Japanese Lines is an exceptionally well written, eye-witness narrative that is a much appreciated and welcome contribution to the growing library of World War II literature regarding combat operations in the Pacific Theater.