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No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War (Bluejacket Books)
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List Price: $18.95
Special Price: $12.89
Your Savings: $ 6.06 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.548252
EAN: 9781557506634
ISBN: 1557506639
Label: US Naval Institute Press
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 219
Publication Date: 1999-10
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
Studio: US Naval Institute Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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In the spring of 1974, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army made world headlines when he emerged from the Philippine jungle after a thirty-year ordeal. Hunted in turn by American troops, the Philippine police, hostile islanders, and successive Japanese search parties, Onoda had skillfully outmaneuvered all his pursuers, convinced that World War II was still being fought and that one day his fellow soldiers would return victorious. This account of those years is an epic tale of the will to survive that offers a rare glimpse of man's invincible spirit, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. A hero to his people, Onoda wrote down his experiences soon after his return to civilization. This book was translated into English the following year and has enjoyed an approving audience ever since.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: What a way to spend 30-years
Comment: I had an opportunity to visit Corregidor Island (Philippines)a few months ago and got quite interested in the history of WWII.
When I found out that the last Japanese soldier didn't surrender for nearly 30-years after the war was over I couldn't believe it. Then I found out that he had written a book about his life and specifically his time as a soldier.
A very interesting read. This may be hard to believe, but it explains why he never gave up during those 29+ years on Lubang Island. Gave the book to a friend of mine and they enjoyed it as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Japan surrenders at last!
Comment: I just finished reading "NO SURRENDER; My Thirty Year War" by, Hiroo Onoda.
An amazing story to say the least, and...a true one! Here is a real story that would shame any of modern televisions' "Lost" series.
Onoda is a Japanese soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army that is sent to the island of Lubang (in the Philippines), to conduct jungle warfare against the American and allied forces in 1944. The main elements of the Japanese army are retreating, as Onoda and others are left behind to continue the fight until..."Japan returns". Onoda remains on Lubang with a few others to continue "the cause" not 5 years, or 10, or even 20 but...thirty years! Onoda finally turns over his sword in 1974! Here is the real story of the "last Samurai."
I was in Subic Bay in 1968 as part of the naval forces that were stationed in Viet Nam. Just a few miles away from where I stood, Hiroo Onoda was still fighting "my father's war" under the flag of the Rising Sun!
Despite his heroic efforts and on-going pledge to duty, I find it impossible to believe that Onoda did not know the war had actually ended. During his tenure on the island he would have noticed the on-going changes of technology, and...as early as 1965 he and his small group came into possession of a transister short-wave radio. Onoda and the others listened extensively to radio Peking, radio Japan, and even the BBC. Like most people who live their life as a "mission," anything can be justified. In fact, Onoda latter concedes to this very point.
I only wish this book contained an updated section to reveal what ever happened to Onoda after he returned to Japan. I wonder if, Onoda finally died or, if like all old soldiers... "just faded away."
History buffs or, serious military historians should have at least one copy of this book on their shelf.
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Summary: A MAN REFUSING TO BELIEVE THE OBVIOUS BECAUSE HE LOVES TO KILL TOO MUCH
Comment: I can't believe that this monster still generates interest and fascination to this day. What Onoda doesn't include in his writings but which has been revealed in personal stories and interviews is that as early as 1950 he was fully aware that the war was over but loved killing too much. He has revealed that since the war was over civilians would be less wary and would become easy targets. And indeed, they were. He would sneak into a village at night and cut the throats of sleeping children.
He also would take pot shots of mothers hanging their clothes on clothes lines or feeding their chickens.
He calls himself the ultimate soldier and yet he killed the defenseless over and over. And when he finally tired of having to kill his own food (more often than not he would steal it from the mouths of needy children) he went home to a hero's applause. Why Japan would accept him and laud his "heroic" efforts instead of turning him over to Phillipine authorities as a not only a war criminal but more accurately a serial killer is simply unexplainable.
This clearly demonstrates Japan's unwillingness to accept their responsibility for atrocities during the war, WHICH THEY STARTED with the Rape of Nanking in 1931 in which unborn children were ripped from the wombs of their mothers by the "bold and brave" soldiers of Japan. It is no wonder then that an inhuman cowardly monster like Hiroo Onoda would be the poster child of heroism for the Japanese.
We must wonder why we think such an individual merits such attention.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Somewhat skeptical
Comment: It was not mentioned in the book, that Mr. Onada was forgiven for 29 Filipino deaths caused by him. It is difficult for me to beleve he could have been so naive and ignorant.
Customer Rating:
Summary: and 1/2 stars... Dedicated soldier
Comment: Growing up I had heard the incredible stories of Japanese soldiers popping up from the jungles years & decades after the war was over. It always blew me away that someone could continue on fighting for so long after the war had ended. I could see someone doing it for 1 or 2 years because they were usually on isolated islands. No one (as far as we Know) was fighting the war for longer than Hiroo Onada.
The only thing was though Onada didn't really need to fight for longer than the one or two years after 1945 when the war ended - that is if his mind wasn't blocking out all the information that was showing him the war was over. No matter what happened he was too suspicious that it was a trap by the American's or Filipinos. I found the story amazing but after a while one has to wonder if he will ever believe anything.
Countless times the island was blanketed with notes dropped from planes that said the war was over & Japan had surrendered. One of the soldiers he lived with walked away from Onada & his friends in 1949 (after 5 years living with Onada). He walked to freedom & then came back & tried to convince the last 3 soldiers (Onada, Shimada & Kozuka) to give up - that the war was over, they were wasting their time. They dropped notes with the 3 soldiers names on it, pictures of Onada's family members...& walked around the island with bullhorns yelling that the war was over. Onada, Shimada & Kozuka heard this from their friend & saw the notes but were convinced that their friend was captured by the enemy & it was all a trap.
Over the years his brother came & yelled on speakers to get Onada to surrender, Onada got within 150 yards of his brother & recognized him & his voice but still thought it was a trap.
Another time his sister did the same thing - he still thought something was fishy & refused to fall for the trap. People always left old newspapers around - from around the world , but mostly from the Philipines & Japan. Sometimes the stacks of newspapers were several feet high. They would read them all, right down to the "want ads". They still twisted things in their minds that the Americans had edited out all these papers & taken out the parts about the war - Onada thought the Americans went to all this trouble just to trick these couple of people on some isolated island.
For about 15 years they had access to a transistor radio & they would listen to stations all over the world - mostly Japanese but others such as the BBC. Still they couldn't wrap their heads around it that things were as they were being told from ex-soldier friends & family members. Finally after 30 years somehow Onada saw the light.
The survival part of the book is pretty interesting & there is no doubt his 30 years of living out in the elements & off the land is one of the greatest survival stories in our lifetime.
He was a smart guy & had a brilliant mind for details but his mind prevented him from seeing that the war was over 29 years before he finally walked out of the jungle.
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