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debbiecollectsbooks's review
5.0
Very interesting read! Shows the dedication and loyalty of one man for his country.
tcatsninfan's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I immediately wanted to read this book when I heard a brief summary somewhere. However, what I thought would be a story about history turned out to be one that is still incredibly relevant today.
There are clear similarities between Onoda’s dismissal of facts as enemy propaganda and modern people’s refusal to believe science, medicine, etc. Onoda would find some fact or detail, a photo of his family or a newspaper, and find a way to twist it and convince himself that the opposite was actually true.
It shows me that this behavior isn’t new, which I guess is a little comforting. As harmful as social media can be, it’s nice to know that it didn’t create the behavior we see in some people today.
There are clear similarities between Onoda’s dismissal of facts as enemy propaganda and modern people’s refusal to believe science, medicine, etc. Onoda would find some fact or detail, a photo of his family or a newspaper, and find a way to twist it and convince himself that the opposite was actually true.
It shows me that this behavior isn’t new, which I guess is a little comforting. As harmful as social media can be, it’s nice to know that it didn’t create the behavior we see in some people today.
arinaski's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting book. I really wanted to read it, but I took a star because the book never mentions how Hiroo Onoda felt once he came back to Japan. I wish I knew more about how a man stuck in time, tried to adjust to a new reality, a world that went on, evolved, while he was on an Island, fighting a war, that ended decades ago.
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
4.0
Ich wollte es nur als Kuriositätenbuch lesen, aber Onoda kann schreiben und hat eine viel interessantere Geschichte zu erzählen, als ich dachte.
Lieblingsstellen:
"Immediately after Kozuka died, I told myself that it would not be so different living alone, but whenever I settled down in one spot, I felt the difference acutely. When there were two of us, Kozuka could go for our water while I cooked. Now I had to do both chores." (S. 193)
"About ten months had gone by now since the departure of the search parties in which my family and friends had participated. I had expected a friendly army to land at almost any time, but there had been no further word. I was beginning to think that the plans had been changed.
That, I thought, was all right too. If ever I did manage to return to Japan, I would still have to work and sweat every day, and I could do that just as well on Lubang." (S. 207)
Und der Schluss!
"Ten minutes later the helicopter I had boarded rose off Lubang, flailing the grass around it. Through the windproof glass I could see Kozuka's grave, and gradually the whole island, grow smaller and begin to fade.
For the first time, I was looking down upon my battlefield.
Why had I fought here for thirty years? Who had I been fighting for ? What was the cause ?
Manila Bay was bathed in the evening sun."
Buch ist in der Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5060614M/No_surrender
Lieblingsstellen:
"Immediately after Kozuka died, I told myself that it would not be so different living alone, but whenever I settled down in one spot, I felt the difference acutely. When there were two of us, Kozuka could go for our water while I cooked. Now I had to do both chores." (S. 193)
"About ten months had gone by now since the departure of the search parties in which my family and friends had participated. I had expected a friendly army to land at almost any time, but there had been no further word. I was beginning to think that the plans had been changed.
That, I thought, was all right too. If ever I did manage to return to Japan, I would still have to work and sweat every day, and I could do that just as well on Lubang." (S. 207)
Und der Schluss!
"Ten minutes later the helicopter I had boarded rose off Lubang, flailing the grass around it. Through the windproof glass I could see Kozuka's grave, and gradually the whole island, grow smaller and begin to fade.
For the first time, I was looking down upon my battlefield.
Why had I fought here for thirty years? Who had I been fighting for ? What was the cause ?
Manila Bay was bathed in the evening sun."
Buch ist in der Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5060614M/No_surrender
tyler_pierce's review against another edition
5.0
Onoda’s story is definitely one of the most fascinating books I’ve read recently on WWII. I really appreciated the chance to look at the War from mindset of a Japanese soldier from the era. Plus it’s full of some great survival tips for if you’re ever in a “stuck in the wilderness”-type situation.
bucketoffish's review against another edition
3.0
I heard about this book from Dan Carlin's podcast on WWII Japan, and it was really cool while reading to recognize some of the passages that he quoted in his show. Hiroo Onoda is a very interesting character, and this book describes a life experience so extreme as to be almost unique. It provides a compelling perspective on the war.
Stationed on an island in the Philippines as a guerrilla warfare agent during WWII, Hiroo Onoda stayed in his post for almost 30 years, conducting raids on the native population and staunchly refusing to believe that the war was over. In this book, written after his return to Japan in 1974, Onoda describes the circumstances that led him to his post in the Philippines, and the reasoning that led him and his comrades to believe the war was still ongoing, despite massive efforts by the Japanese and Filipino governments to persuade him otherwise. He talks about how he lived in the wilderness - how he and the three soldiers he was with clothed and sheltered themselves, gathered food, and carried out their patrols. He discusses how his comrades either left or were killed one by one, and how he finally left his post and returned to Japan.
This is probably the most unusual non-fictional biography I've ever read, and I'm glad I read it.
Stationed on an island in the Philippines as a guerrilla warfare agent during WWII, Hiroo Onoda stayed in his post for almost 30 years, conducting raids on the native population and staunchly refusing to believe that the war was over. In this book, written after his return to Japan in 1974, Onoda describes the circumstances that led him to his post in the Philippines, and the reasoning that led him and his comrades to believe the war was still ongoing, despite massive efforts by the Japanese and Filipino governments to persuade him otherwise. He talks about how he lived in the wilderness - how he and the three soldiers he was with clothed and sheltered themselves, gathered food, and carried out their patrols. He discusses how his comrades either left or were killed one by one, and how he finally left his post and returned to Japan.
This is probably the most unusual non-fictional biography I've ever read, and I'm glad I read it.
superiorweasel's review against another edition
5.0
This book is fantastic. There are a few sporadic grammatical errors but they didn’t detract from the story. The story is a first hand account of Lieutenant Onada during his stay on Lubang. I loved it and I hope you enjoy it as well.
bigbeardedguy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0