As Good as Dead: The Daring Escape of American POWS from a Japanese Death Camp

Read by Tim Campbell, this book preserves the story of the 11 World War II survivors of a Japanese POW camp located on Palawan Island in the Philippines. Over the course of several years, survivors of the Bataan Death March and others captured in the islands were forced to build an airstrip for the Japanese on Palawan. On December 14, 1944, with the American military approaching, the Japanese were ordered to execute the 150 remaining prisoners, apparently through any means at hand. Many were soaked with gasoline and set on fire, bayoneted, shot, or beaten. The 11 who escaped and survived hid, swam, fought Japanese soldiers, were stung by insects, attacked by sharks, and suffered severe injuries trekking through the jungle. The Filipino underground helped move them to freedom. This harrowing story of the bravery and perseverance of those prisoners alerted American forces to the need for quick rescue efforts to save other POWs held by the Japanese. The work also includes follow-up stories—what happened to the Japanese guards and how the escapees fared in later life.