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When the American forces in the Philippines surrendered in May 1942, a mining engineer named Wendell Fertig chose to take his chances in the jungle. What happened to him during nearly three years behind enemy lines is the amazing story that John Keats tells in They Fought Alone.
With the aid of a handful of Americans who also refused to surrender, Fertig led thousands of Filipinos in a seemingly hopeless war against the Japanese. They made bullets from curtain rods; telegraph wire from iron fence. They fought off sickness, despair and rebellion within their own forces. Their homemade communications were MacArthur's eyes and ears in the Philippines. When the Americans finally returned to Mindanao, they found Fertig virtually in control of one of the world's largest islands, commanding an army of 35,000 men, and bringing a measure of hope to a beleaguered people. John Keats, who also served in the Philippines, captures all the pain, brutality, and courage of this incredible drama. They Fought Alone is a testament to the ingenuity and sheer guts of an authentic American hero.
List of contents
Book One: Surrender / 3
Book Two: Decision / 75
Book Three: The Dragon's Teeth
Book Four: Harvest / 169
Book Five: Morgan / 263
Book Six: War / 315
Envoi / 433
Appendix / 447
About the author
John Keats was an English poet from the second generation of Romantic poets. He was born on October 31, 1795, and died on February 23, 1821. When he died at age 25, he had been writing poems for less than four years. During his life, people didn't care much about his works, but after he died, his fame grew quickly. By the end of the century, he was included in the canon of English literature. He had a big impact on many writers of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and the Encyclopedia Britannica of 1888 called one of his odes "one of the final masterpieces." Jorge Luis Borges said that his first meeting with Keats was something he would remember for the rest of his life. Keats' style, especially in the series of odes, was "heavily loaded with sensualities." Like most Romantics, he used images from nature to show how strong his feelings were. His poems and letters, like "Ode to a Nightingale," "Ode on a Grecian Urn," "Sleep and Poetry," and "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," are still some of the most popular and studied pieces of English literature today.
Summary
When the American forces in the Philippines surrendered in May 1942, a mining engineer named Wendell Fertig chose to take his chances in the jungle. What happened to him during nearly three years behind enemy lines is the amazing story that John Keats tells in They Fought Alone. With the aid of a handful of Americans who also refused to surrender, Fertig led thousands of Filipinos in a seemingly hopeless war against the Japanese. They made bullets from curtain rods; telegraph wire from iron fence. They fought off sickness, despair and rebellion within their own forces. Their homemade communications were MacArthur’s eyes and ears in the Philippines. When the Americans finally returned to Mindanao, they found Fertig virtually in control of one of the world’s largest islands, commanding an army of 35,000 men, and bringing a measure of hope to a beleaguered people.
John Keats, who also served in the Philippines, captures all the pain, brutality, and courage of this incredible drama. They Fought Alone is a testament to the ingenuity and sheer guts of an authentic American hero.
Foreword
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"This remarkable story of guerrilla fighting in the Philippines during World War II is a serious military book that is also an acutely perceptive study of human nature under almost unbearable stress. Taken at either level, it is absorbing reading. . . . More remarkable still, though it contains death, torture, and desolation, it bubbles with humor.” —S. L. A. Marshall, The New York Times Book Review
“A true and admirably researched account of an American hero who refused to accept defeat. His courage was incredible and his resourcefulness equally so. . . . I have read scores of books in this genre and Keats’ is one Of the best.” —Chicago Tribune
“An engrossing account about one of the most unusual heroes of World War II . . . reads like a novel but is based on fact...a remarkable addition to the Nation’s history of World War II, as well as being a tribute well deserved by a man.” —San Francisco Sunday Chronicle
“An inspiring story—one which proves, among other things, that Americans can, when necessary, fight a successful guerrilla war.” —New York World-Telegram and Sun
“A compelling and rewarding tale of endurance and character.” —Time
