Invisible Heroes of World War II

Extraordinary Wartime Stories of Ordinary People

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Pub Date 07 May 2019 | Archive Date 21 May 2019

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Description

Invisible Heroes of World War II documents ten fascinating true stories of a diverse group of soldiers and noncombatants from all over the world, including African Americans, women, and Native Americans, who fought with the Allies during World War II. These heroes made significant contributions in the war effort, and sometimes gave their lives for freedom and liberty, often without much recognition or fanfare. Some were frontline soldiers who were captured by the enemy and endured horrific conditions as POWs, others were ordinary citizens who fought in the French Resistance and provided vital operations to undermine Nazi occupation, while others were engineers, workers in industry, or war correspondents and photographers. All served with valor and distinction as part of the massive Allied forces who fought to free the world from tyranny and oppression.
 
Invisible Heroes of World War II documents ten fascinating true stories of a diverse group of soldiers and noncombatants from all over the world, including African Americans, women, and Native...

Advance Praise

"World War II famously gave rise to human atrocities such as the Holocaust and the atomic bomb, but it also became a proving ground for heroes who refused to back down from the fight against evil. This title tells the stories of many of these brave soldiers and noncombatants. The first half shares stories of individuals from the war, two of which are previously untold. The second half focuses on often overlooked groups such as the Navajo code talkers and the Purple Heart Battalion. The short biographical sketches are well cited. Difficult topics such as torture and personal loss are approached with grace by neither glossing over nor overly examining the experiences. Each individual or group story includes background information, giving readers a chance to see what elements led up to their heroic acts and service during the conflict. A solid primer for those just learning about World War II, this collection also offers new stories that will interest even the most avid history buff." —School Library Journal

"World War II famously gave rise to human atrocities such as the Holocaust and the atomic bomb, but it also became a proving ground for heroes who refused to back down from the fight against evil...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781629724171
PRICE $19.99 (USD)
PAGES 208

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

Honesty. Loyalty. Patriotism.

That's the stuff heros are made out of.

Bravery is a side-effect of loyalty, honesty and patriotism in war. Not all heros die bravely swinging the scabbard, cutting down the enemy left and right. Sometimes it takes more bravery to watch a man die and do nothing.

Borrowman's latest offering is about invisible heros. Those who waged war at the front lines, those who built the lines and those who fought far from the front line.

From him we learn about Pat Patton's war in the Philippines. How he eluded and enraged the Japanese with guerilla warfare for more than two years before being captured. Through Pat's eyes we see the inhuman cruelty one nation inflicted on another. From Bataan to Hiroshima. Patton's story is representative of thousands of individual people who fought their own war within a World War, to whom retreat was not an option and surrender was not part of their vocabulary.

The truly invisible are those who simply disappear. Whether they are on the front line of battle or still getting there. Their remains are never recovered, their stories are only officially ended. They are the ghosts that haunt us because there is no closure for those who knew them.

They are the question marks of history and they are the ones most quickly forgotten by a world who seeks comfort in questions that do have answers. They are numerous, faceless and sometimes nameless with each group or family seeking closure in small details of where their loved one might have spent his last hours.

Women played a greater role in World War II than in any other war preceding it. Many women were pioneers who paved the way for women in the military and in women in combat roles. One woman's story is that of Dickey Chappelle. She once took a photograph of a Marine wounded in the vicious battle for Iwo Jima. (Incidently; Major Howard Connor of the 5th Marine Division said of the Navajo code talkers that if it hadn't been for them the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.)

Dickey asked the Marine why he smiling and he replied that he was lucky, his comrades had carried him off the beach to be taken to the hospital ship USS Samaritan.

No Sir, no Ma'am. It is we who are lucky. Seventy five years later, it is our duty, our honour, our privilege and our absolute pleasure to pay homage to the people within these pages. We are lucky to be alive to do so.

BORROWMAN brings us ten stories of unsung heros. Stories such as the bravery of the Purple Heart Battalion and their ascent on Suicide Hill. The Navajo code talkers and Chief Joseph Medicine Crow. Who can forget the Tuskegee Airmen and Benjamin O. Davis Jr? And not least, the engineer corps who had to fight and build bridges and clear landmines, sometimes all three in one day.

I rate this book 5 stars and end with the immortal words of Yvor Winters:

"Who should dare to write their praise
Do so in the plainest phrase.
Few names last, where many lie;
Even names of battles die.
These will stand for many more:"

For the invisible hero we shall set a table with an empty chair, an upturned wine glass and a sweet, red rose.

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Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of the novel. This book was filled with the short stories of unsung heros of WWII. My favorites were the first (Bataan death march) and forth (WWII photographer) stories. The author clearly spent a lot of time interviewing, searching records, and fact checking for this great work. I am so glad I was able to read this work. Highly recommend this for any history lover!

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Well-written, well-researched book about some unlikely heroes of world war II. Written after interviews from these people, it holds your interest and puts you in awe of what ordinary people can and will do when put to the test. Great read!!

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Heroes are called such because of their self-sacrifice for the good of their fellow man. These were but a few of so many heroes that were unrecognized for their courage and determination to stop the horrors of war.

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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This book was amazing. I had heard of some of the people or groups that were featured, but many were new to me. I learned a lot and felt moved emotionally. I was grateful that the tedious details of war crimes were stated factually instead of sensationalized. The author’s voice was inviting and very engaging. This is a book I’ll be purchasing for research and rereading over and over again. It’s one I’ve already recommended to people and will likely continue to recommend. It’s so good!

Triggers: rape, torture (prisoner of war)

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