Product Description

"This incredible journey is truly a remarkable account of the guts and patriotism of a genuine World War II hero."--H. Norman Schwarzkopf, General, U.S. Army, Retired

"The tale he's left us has the feel of that moment when America was desperate for heroes, and reading it now is as much a trip back in time as it is a journey across the dark Sulu Sea."--New York Times Book Review

"His story is utterly amazing, and so too is this book. We are in his sons debt for permitting us to read it."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #364179 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-22
• Released on: 2000-11-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This newly discovered memoir relates one WWII soldier's extraordinary escape from the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and the fortress of Corregidor as he made his way through jungles and villages and then across the Pacific in a leaky boat. A pilot, Gause was stationed in the Philippines when the Japanese launched their attack on the American-controlled islands just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Retreating with the American forces to the peninsula of Bataan, he was captured as that area fell to the overwhelming forces of the Japanese. He made an amazing escape from a prison camp to the American fortress of Corregidor, off the coast of the Philippines, and then, when that bastion fell, escaped again; with another American officer, he managed to reach Australia in an old motorboat. They were helped by a beautiful Filipino woman, residents of a leper colony and the isolated inhabitants of various islands on which they landed. The author's repeated references to "japs" and "nips" and his description of the Japanese conquerors as "victory-crazed sadistic devils" may offend readers of a more ethnically sensitive era, but despite these lapses and his merely workmanlike prose, the drama of the events described will hold readers' attention. Gause died in a plane crash in the European theater later during the war. His long-buried journal, found in his foot locker by his son, offers a real-life adventure for fans of The Thin Red Line. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Among all the war stories of World War II, this memoir stands apart as a remarkable true story of a great escape and a miraculous sea voyage. Maj. Rocky Gause, an American pilot in the Philippines, was trapped on the Bataan Peninsula as the Japanese invaded in 1941; when U.S. and Filipino forces surrendered in spring 1942, he escaped from the Bataan Death March and began a 159-day odyssey of survival that ultimately took him from Corregidor to Australia. Accompanied by another American soldier, Capt. William Osborne, Gause sailed a leaky, 20' wooden motorboat across 3200 miles of treacherous waters, dodging Japanese warships, aircraft, submarines, and coastal patrols. Using a hand compass and an old National Geographic map of Oceania, Gause and Osborne navigated all the way to Australia and safety. Rich in detail, suspense, and drama, this memoir was written a year after Gause's escape using notes and a journal he kept during the journey. Gause died in a plane crash in 1944, but his son has resurrected and published this inspiring and exciting tale of human courage and endurance. Recommended for all public libraries.ACol. William D. Bushnell, USMC (ret.), Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This story is unbelievably "movie-perfect" (and Miramax will film it), yet it is purportedly true. Gause, an American pilot who died in 1944, maintained a log of his sea escape from the falls of Bataan and, then, Corregidor in 1942. These records had lain among his effects, his widow resisting importunings to publish them. Gause's son has now decided to go public, in tribute to World War II veterans, to whom he says he often relates the tale. The reputation of Japanese prison camps having preceded them, Gause opted to head for Australia in a leaky boat with a balky engine and another American as crew. The odyssey features much comradely poignancy that complements the action: brushes with Japanese cruisers, planes, even a submarine; near destruction in a typhoon; an encounter with a possible German spy; and the topper, a Japanese strafing attack. Perhaps stranger tales of patriotic heroism have emerged from the war, but not many; and this one should strongly resonate with readers. Gilbert Taylor

Customer Reviews

They don't make heroes like this anymore!
Major Damon "Rocky" Gause's "War Journal" chronicles his escape from the Philippines by boat to Australia at the outbreak of WWII. This heroic escape is outlined in detail in this fairly short, very readable account. It gives the reader a feel for the time as well as the incredible odds faced by Major Gause and his shipmate Captain William Lloyd Osborne. This book reads like a screenplay and I can't wait for the movie. Recommended to military and adventure buffs alike. A special thanks to Damon Lance Gause, "Rocky's" son, for sharing his father's heroic escape with the world.

A fine adventure story
This is an excellent adventure/survival story as much as it is a war story. You will like this if you have enjoyed Into Thin Air, The Perfect Storm, We Die Alone, and other survival tales, as well as WWII retrospectives like The Greatest Generation or Citizen Soldiers. Major Gause escaped Bataan and Corregidor in the Phillipines and then, with another officer, island-hopped in a small, leaky fishing boat all the way to Australia, avoiding Japanese airplanes and ships --and poor supplies of food, drinking water, fuel, and sunscreen - along the way. This is a first person account by Gause, and in the typical ways of his generation, he understates his accomplishments and adds humor to the story too. What's more, after reporting to General MacArthur in Australia, Gause didn't feel his duty was done. After a publicity tour of the States to help sell War Bonds, he demanded active duty again and was sent to Europe, where he lost his life testing modifications to the P-47 in preparation for D-Day. Sadly, Gause's dedication to service only allowed him to hold his newborn son a single time before he went off to war again. One is left wondering whether the Boomers and other post-WWII generations could ever be counted on to make the kinds of sacrifices in pursuit of freedom as did The Greatest Generation men like Gause. If you know a WWII veteran, take the time now to thank him or her for saving the world.

An exciting record of adventure, courage and sacrifice
I couldn't put down this book. As a World War II history buff, and having lived in the Philippines as a young child, I was fascinated with Rocky Gause's escape from the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942.

Gause attributed his successful escape to the Filippinos who helped him along the way. He acknowledged their courage and sacrifice in not only helping him, but in fighting for freedom. I have always considered Filippinos to be the friendliest people in the world. No doubt, their willingness to help soldiers like Gause stems from wonderful and powerful attribute.

I hope that more people read this book. Gause's record, along with the history of the Philippines in World War II, is one that needs to be heard.