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No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War

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Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier in World War II, was abandoned on an island in the Philippines and told not to surrender until the rest of the Japanese army came back for him. He and a handful of others held out for years, surviving in the jungle by devising techniques for survival and avoiding detection. Despite attempts by his own government and family to retrieve him, Onoda remained engaged in shootouts with police even decades after the war ended. The book "No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War" is his own account of the extraordinary story of his devotion to duty and blind obedience to a lifetime of government brainwashing.

The book delves into Onoda's perspective, duty, honor, commitment, and culture, exploring how he and his comrades continued to believe that Japan had won the war even as they were aware that the country was prospering under American occupation. It showcases the incredible story of Onoda's unwavering dedication to his mission as a guerilla fighter, his survival techniques in the jungle, and the struggles he faced in accepting the end of the war and his mission.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is straightforward and journalistic, often lacking suspense but rich in detail about Onoda's survival.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative follows Onoda's thirty-year struggle to accept the war's end, focusing on his survival tactics and the rejection of reality despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

Setting:

The setting is a remote Philippine island, emphasizing isolation and the challenges of jungle survival.

Pacing:

Pacing is generally slow, focusing on the minutiae of daily survival rather than fast-paced action.
I HID IN THE BUSHES, waiting for the time to pass. It was a little before noon on March 9, 1974, and I was on a slope about two hours away from Wakayama Point. My plan was to wait until the time of th...

Notes:

Hiroo Onoda believed the war was still happening until 1974, almost 30 years after WWII ended.
He was left on Lubang Island in the Philippines with a small group of soldiers during WWII.
Despite hearing news of Japan's prosperity, he thought it was a deception by enemies.
Onoda survived in the jungle by hunting, stealing, and hiding supplies.
He remained in the jungle while most Japanese soldiers on the island surrendered.
Onoda was only 22 when he arrived on the island but was 52 when he surrendered.
He had a trained survival skillset, making his story a practical guide for jungle living.
Onoda's health was surprisingly good when he surrendered, better than many Japanese men of the same age.
He surrendered his Samurai sword to Ferdinand Marcos, the President of the Philippines, who returned it to him later.
Onoda's experience has been described as a testament to loyalty and a strong sense of duty.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include discussions of war, violence, death, and the psychological effects of prolonged isolation.

From The Publisher:

In the Spring of 1974, 2nd Lt. 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 army and police, hostile islanders, and eventually successive Japanese search parties, Onoda had skillfully outmaneuvered all his pursuers, convinced that World War II was still being fought and waiting for the day when his fellow soldiers would return victorious. This first-person account of those years of evading capture and trying to stay alive is filled with drama, tension, and excitement.

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