Between1941and1945morethan110,000Americanmarines,soldiers,airmen,andsailorsweretakenprisonerbyGerman,Italian,andJapaneseforces.MostwhofoughtoverseasduringWorldWarIIweren’tpreparedforcapture,orforthelife-alteringexperiencesofincarceration,torture,andcamaraderiebredofhardshipthatfollowed.Theirharrowingstory--oftenoverlookedinGreatestGenerationnarratives--istoldherebythePOWsthemselves.Longhoursofinactivityfollowedbymomentsofsheerterror.Slavelabor,deathmarches,theinfamoushellships.HistorianThomasSaylorpiecestogetherthestoriesofnearlyonehundredWorldWarIIPOWstoexplorewhatitwasliketobethe“guest“oftheAxisPowersandtorevealhowthesemenmanagedtosurvive.GunnerBobMichelsenbailedoutofhiswoundedB-29nearTokyo,onlytoenduredaysofinterrogationandbeatingsandmonthsasa“specialprisoner“inatinycellhometoseventeenotherAmericans.MedicRichardRitchiespentlongmomentsofterrorlockedwithdozensofothersinanunmarkedboxcarthatwasrepeatedlystrafedbyAlliedforces.Intheclosingchaptertothismovingnarrative,themenspeakoftheirdifficulttransitiontolifebackhome,wheremanysought--notalwayssuccessfully--toputtheirexperiencebehindthem.ThomasSaylorisanassociateprofessorofhistoryandthedirectoroftheFacultyScholarshipCenteratConcordiaUniversityinSt.Paul.HeistheauthorofRememberingtheGoodWar:Minnesota’sGreatestGeneration(MHSPress).
