Corregidor, the Rock Force Assault, 1945

June 3, 1988
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, escaping Corregidor not long before it fell to the Japanese in 1942, delivered a ringing promise to the people of the Philippines: ``I shall return.'' Flanagan tells the story of the Japanese conquest of the Philippines and the recapture of the tiny island at the entrance to Manila Bay in 1945, militarily a minor but symbolically important moment in MacArthur's return. The two-week battle for Corregidor was complicated by the Americans' gross underestimation of enemy strength: expecting a few hundred demoralized defenders, they encountered more than 6000 Japanese soldiers and marines deployed in tunnels and caves, every man dedicated to the Bushido code that dictated a fight to the death. As the dust was settling, MacArthur himself came ashore and was met by the commander of the victorious U.S. Army troops. ``Sir,'' said Col. George Jones, ``I present to you the Fortress Corregidor''a stirring conclusion to a dramatic and well-told story.

December 1, 1988
These two titles complement each other nicely. Together they tell the complete story of the island fortress in Manila Bay which became the symbol of American defeat and resurgence in the Philippines. Of the two, General Wright's story is far more gripping and personal. Wright was on the notorious Bataan Death March in 1942 and then in POW camps in the Philippines and Japan. An analytical and sensitive West Pointer, Wright gives a memorable look at POW life and attitudes towards food, the war, and each other. Several of the personalities he describes are unforgettable. Other survivors have published their stories, but this is one of the most detailed and best written. By contrast, General Flanagan's book is a straightforward popular history of the U.S. airborne and amphibious assault that eventually recaptured the island in 1945. There is a useful account of Corregidor's prewar history, the American fortifications, and the doomed campaign against the Japanese. Most of the book is a bullet-by-bullet account of the attack by the 503d Parachute Regiment, based on numerous interviews and recollections. Both titles are recommended for general collections.Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles

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