The most moving story with the best characters, storyline and gut-wrenching moments that brought me to tears!

When World War II becomes a real threat to America, Jimmy Propfield and his best friends, Hank and Billy, join up to get out of Mobile Alabama and see the world. Jimmy is also trying to leave behind a broken heart from his high school sweetheart, Claire. The boys are sent to the Philippines which seems like a paradise compared to Alabama. On December 8, 1941, when Pearl Harbor is attacked, life as they knew it changes. They are thrown headfirst into the war with the enemy as the battle for the Pacific ensues. The last stand on the Bataan Peninsula ends with the largest surrender of American troops in history following in the Bataan Death March, one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare. The three friends band together to make it home alive not knowing they are in for a four-year fight to see family again.

I don’t remember the last time I was so moved by a work of fiction. If you had told me that a book about World War II, a historical fiction novel, would become one of my favorite books of the year, I would have laughed at you. This story was about so much more than war and history, this story was about the men that went over there and how they were changed; a story of character development that is some of the best of any written I have read in a very long time.

These two authors have collaborated to craft one of the best written stories I’ve picked up in years. I have read books by Tosca Lee before and knew immediately this would be a top of the year read for me and I can easily say that is true. Normally if you ask me what my favorite genre to read is I say suspense thriller, but I’m starting to rethink that. Honestly, if it is a well-written story with characters that grab me by the heart, I will be hooked. A great story doesn’t have to have shoot outs or fast car chases or serial killers to keep me glued to the page, characters that are on a journey like this and written so well are the best glue. Readers that are looking for a book with amazing characters, a heartfelt story, and tears as they turn the last page will not want to miss this one. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, it is one of the few I would!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Three teenage friends abruptly leave Mobile, Alabama and enter the United States Army before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Jimmy, Hank and Billy all have some sort of connection with Claire, a girl they all grew up with but have a falling out over unspoken situations that readers slowly become aware of what happened through flashback chapters. The three boys turn into men when they find themselves stationed in Manila and are plunged into war on December 8, 1941. Their easy life becomes hell as they are captured and endure the Bataan Death March to a prisoner of war camp. There’s no hope for rescue but they are determined to make it home and reconnect with Claire. There are terrible scenes of brutality but what rings forth is an absolute belief of taking care of each other along with a strong religious message.

What a wonderful, horrifying, touching, heartbreaking, and yet amazing story of 3 young American boys who enlist in WWII! Hugh, Billy, and Jimmy vow to stick together and all come home after the Japanese are defeated. However, the events that unfold are beyond imagination. This story helped me truly envision situations the troops may have encountered. This was a story that really touched my heart, and will stay with me for a long time!

This is an emotional, heartbreaking read, yet it's an important one. I've read hundreds of books about WWII, but none were focused on Japan prior to reading this book. I don't ever recall learning about the March of Batann, and it was horrible to read about. However, like the atrocities in the concentrations camps, it's a part of history that shouldn't be overlooked or forgotten. The book is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the determination of so many. Themes of family, forgiveness, and friendship are woven throughout. I appreciated the research, and facts, that went into this novel. I also liked the multiple timelines. Some parts of the story felt like a documentary vs. fiction.

I found this book incredibly interesting and thought provoking. I was drawn in right away, which doesn't always happen with non-fiction.
This was very well written; the story flowed really well and kept me engaged.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *

Three high school friends (Jimmy, Hank, and Billy) from Mobile, AL enlist in World War II in the historical novel, The Long March Home. They are stationed in the Philippines when the unimaginable assault on Pearl Harbor happens on December 7, 1941. Immediately after the crippling devastation to Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Army attacked the Philippines. For the next several months, Filipino and American troops fought the Japanese, but without reinforcements or fresh supplies and no support from the US Navy, an order came on April 9, 1942 for American and Filipino soldiers to lay down their weapons.

Most non-fiction and historical fiction books about WW II are set in Germany, Poland, Holland, or Russia. Very few are based in the Philippines or in Japan. The Long March Home is a gripping, page-turning novel complete with thorough research by the authors, Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee, regarding the Bataan Death March and other atrocities inflicted on American forces based in the Philippines. Imperial soldiers were taught to not show any mercy for captured soldiers. The prison camps were horrendous.

I read this book in one day because I was not very familiar with these historical events. The narrative non-fiction is spectacular. There are many gruesome scenes.

Thanks, NetGalley, for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

I highly recommend this book!

This is Jimmy Propfield's story, his growing up in Mobile Alabama, and his father being the local Pastor. We meet his friends, and follow him as his life unfolds. Jimmy as he grows up during the time when war has broken out in Europe, and follow him as he and his friends enlist and end up in the Philippines!

Hank, Billy and Jimmy are wondering how they got so lucky to be away from the fighting in Europe in such a lovely warm setting, but then Pearl Harbor happens, and soon they are prisoners of war!

While a fictional read, the author based this book on fact, so much lack of regard for human life, and we soon wonder if these life long friends will ever see Mobil again?

We are coming up on 80 years since the end of this war, and we need to never forget, and hope this never happens again. The authors did a wonderful job of bringing this story alive!

I received this book through the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Wow! What a book! There are no words to describe the depth of feelings this book creates. I wanted to rage against an enemy who would do this to innocent people and I wondered what goes on today that never comes to light. When I read the description and was told there were graphic parts, I was sceptical. But as I started reading this story I became so engrossed in the story that I could not put it down. It moves along quickly and soon you find that you just can't put it down until you reach the end. It is the story of Jimmy Propfield who grew up thinking he would one day marry Claire and whose father wanted him to go to seminary to follow in his footsteps and become a preacher. It tells of how he grew up with his best friends Hank, Billy, and Claire with all of their ups and downs. Then one day they join the Army leaving Claire without so much as a goodbye. It tells how they survived eached day in the Bataan Death March and in POW camps. I cried, I was angry, and even a moment or two I was happy. Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book and recommend everyone read it!

Thank you to Revell for the advanced reader copy which in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee is brilliantly written with a bold, entertaining and heart-wrenching story.

When three teenage friends enlist during WWII, they have dreams of setting out on a big adventure. Little did they know how horrible adventures can be. Based on actual events, three young men soon find themselves in the fight of their lives as they begin the long, arduous Bataan Death March.

This book played out like a movie. Every chapter is a new scene in a gripping story that is emotional, gruesome and heartbreaking. The girl back home aspect is a nice break in the book when things become too real.

This is not a Christian book by any means. God is mentioned, and the characters struggle with their faith. But faith in God is not the theme of this book. Resilience, courage and the true meaning of friendship are the main themes. In fact, God is cursed more than praised in this book, which is unsettling but very real considering the circumstances. I am glad the authors didn't hold back.

This is a highly emotional read. I'm not too fond of books with so much violence. But the story is important and needs to be told. We are free today because of the courageous soldiers who fought in WWII.

I recommend this book to those who like historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review.

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire. Life in the Philippines seems like paradise--until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila that Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive. Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

I have read many historical fiction about WWII based in the European arena, but I have never read any accounts of the fight in the Philippines including the Bataan Death March., so I was curious when I saw I could request it from NetGalley and thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this well-written and researched book. I recommend it for anyone interested in books about WWII.

This book was both difficult to read and hard to put down.

The authors did an excellent job with the backstory of the three main characters, Jimmy, Hank and Billy, as they find themselves at war in the Philippines before they could possibly be ready for it. Glances back at their childhoods as great pals and the hardships they endure as soldiers cement the bond between the three. So the story is as much one of being willing to lay down your life for a friend as it is the details of the battles they faced.

I had read stories of Japanese prison camps and the cruelty that went on in them, but this story brought it home as we watch each of our characters endure unimaginable torture and suffering, while always having their friends’ welfare in mind.

The story has a somewhat satisfactory ending. Very well-written! 5 stars!

This is a heartbreaking read, but so important.
WWII gets tons of attention on the Eastern front, but very little on the Western front. We all know who Hitler was. How awful the German concentration camps were. The millions who died. We get a glimpse of Russia destroying countries with communism. But, we don’t read nearly enough about Japan. The Japanese were vicious and did not treat their POWs with any regard for human life.
The March of Batann left many dead and the rest terribly abused and discarded for three and a half years. Those who survived carry their torturous memories to the grave.
No one goes through extreme abuse and trauma without it changing them. We need more mental health and trauma trained councilors to help all trauma victims to slowly heal and learn to live with their new self.

The story opens with a private letter Jimmy Profield received from his closest friend, Claire Crockett. The letter provides information about these close friends and their relationships with Claire. She says, “You left without a single word. How could you?”

Jimmy, the only child, of a preacher’s son, enjoyed the time he spent as a kid playing outside with childhood friends. He was born in Alabama in the 1930s and shared his formative years with Claire his sweetheart and best friend, along with her younger sibling Billy. They were a close-knit group that got even closer when Hank Wright joined them in the fourth grade. Tragedy strikes their small town, prompting Hank, Jimmy, and Billy to enlist in the war effort, without saying goodbye to their families.

The writers proceed to transport readers to Manila on December 7, 1941, where this trio is getting ready for combat. This group was assigned to the 31st infantry in Manila. This was insane. Could they be gazing at a wartime paradise playground in the Philippines, where women, alcohol and fun are freely available?

However, everything instantly changes when the Japanese bomb Pear Harbor. Suddenly, the three friends must gather all of their resourcefulness and courage they have to survive, and they vow to go to any length to return home together. I liked how the story was told through these friends, including flashbacks to their childhood and the challenges they faced as they grew up and tried to figure out their place in life.

They have no clue how difficult the promise they made would be to keep, especially after they are ordered to surrender on April 9, 1942, and are forced to begin a 60 - mile death march up the Bataan Peninsula to the horrific prison camps that are completely unprepared to handle approximately 10,000 American Troops.

Because this tale was based on astonishingly real events, I appreciated how the story wasn’t as graphic as it could have been. Through this moving, heartbreaking, yet uplifting story, readers get a close-up and incredibly personal look at what it means to go to war in service to our nation, fight an impossible battle, and through many miracles find their way home with honor.

In the end, this book honors the strength of the human spirit, despite all of its imperfections and insecurities. It emphasizes the significance of friendship, family, home, and forgiveness as well as the worth of love and mercy. This is a tough read, but a necessary one. The Bataan Death March, in the Philippines, is something I’d never heard of. I was overcome with emotion as I concluded reading this amazing, moving tale. These likable characters, their fight, and the story they told won’t be easily forgotten. This novel is a fantastic choice for your next book club pick.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Outstanding.
A fictional work but based on known facts regarding the aftermath of the American surrender to the Japanese in the Phillipines in WWII. Sometimes the telling of extreme cruelty and violence by men upon men but with a subtle love story for the main characters for the girl back home. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Stunning, simply stunning. The Long Walk Home, inspired by true stories, is the tale of three friends from Mobile, Alabama who are amongst the many thousands of US military personnel captured when the Japanese invade the Philippines in 1941. The atrocities they witness and the unspeakably cruel treatment they suffer at the hands of their captors makes for a harrowing, heart wrenching, emotionally draining but compelling read, one that is interspersed with tales of the three friends’ poor but seemingly idyllic upbringing, from childhood to young adults, in rural Alabama in the 1920s and 1930s. Although WW2 ended nearly 80 years ago, the conflict still holds a terrible fascination for many and reading this book helps one understand why that is. It held my attention from first page to last. Very highly recommended.

I have read a number of World War II stories. Most of them taking place in Europe. I have read a few of them that have taken place in the Pacific Theater, but not a lot. While The Long March Home does feature three friends that grew up together and show their struggles once they arrive in the Philippines with the Japanese, I had a hard time following the story. The story does have two timelines. The first one is in the past, which shows the friendship as the boys mature into young men. Then the second one shows them during World War II. The first part is interesting and shows the different sides of the boys and the coming-of-age lifestyle from Nebraska. The second plot line reads a lot like a history textbook. Japanese were bombing. Americans were running, fighting, and hiding in the foxholes. While I believe this helps show the historical aspect of the Bataan Death March, it just felt really dry to me. I wanted to have more of a story, not a textbook of the historical event. Of course, what young man in this time period did not miss a girl back home. Following one of the guys, readers will see him yearn for what happened in the past. The descriptions of the war and the setting were a play-by-play of what was happening. This is shown in an example with just a description “We held the line there for a week before being ordered to withdraw east” (Chapter 10). Overall, the World War II aspect felt more like a documentary feeling than a story feeling. Some readers this might be right up their alley, but for me, I wanted a story that I could follow and fall in love with. Not to be told what happens.

I received a complimentary copy of The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I had never read anything by Marcus Brotherton before, but with Tosca Lee as a contributor, I knew this would be a good book. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me hooked all the way through. The authors make you feel you truly know Jimmy, Billy, and Hank, and throughout the novel I laughed, hurt, and cried with them.
The premise: two boys, in love with the same girl, Claire, leave their small world in Mobile, Alabama to enlist in the Army at the beginning of World War II. They bring along Claire's brother, younger by a year, and all get sent to the Phillipines, where they endure unimaginable trauma and torture at the hands of the Japanese once America surrenders to Japan.
I am so glad I read this, as I must admit I was completely ignorant of the Bataan Death March, and basically everything these men went through during the war. I can't imagine how they lived their lives when and if they returned, having survived such horrors. Bravo to Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee for shedding light on this horrific and forgotten period in history.

A terrific novel detailing the lives of three servicemen captured in the Phillipines in WW2. The book is a work of fiction, but the author has made good use of historical facts to add a sense of realism to his story. The book is full of action and suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. A truly great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.