Taken Captive: A Japanese POW's Story

"IdonotknowwhetherIdozedofforpassedout,butthenextthingIrememberisgraduallybecomingawareofabluntobjectstrikingmybodyoverandover.JustasIrealizeditwasabootkickingmeintheside,Ifeltmyarmbeinggrabbedroughly,andIreturnedtofullconsciousness."OneGIhadholdofmyrightarm,andanotherhadhisriflepointedatme,nearlytouchingme."'Don'tmove.We'retakingyouprisoner,'theonewiththeriflesaid."OnJanuary25,1945,PrivateOokaShoheioftheJapaneseImperialArmywascapturedbyAmericanforcesinthePhilippines.Neardeathfromstarvationandacutemalaria,hewasnursedbacktohealthbyhiscaptorsandshippedofftoaPOWcamp.TakenCaptiveishispowerfulandpoignantaccountoflifeasaprisonerofwar.LongregardedasaliteraryclassicinJapan,thisextraordinarymemoirisappearinginEnglishforthefirsttime.Therearenoepicbattlesorgrandscaleheroics.Thisisanintimate,gripping,andultimatelyenlighteningtruestoryofasophisticated,middle-agedscholarthrownintoaprimitivestruggleforsurvival.Itisfilledwithmomentsofsublimeordinariness--prisonerspassingtimebyplaying"20Questions"--andheartstoppingencounters--alonesoldierdecideswhetherornottoshootanunsuspectingenemysoldier.Theharshconditions,thedailyroutinesthatoccupyaprisoner'stime,andaboveall,thepsychologicalstrugglesandbehavioralquirksofcaptivesforcedtoliveincloseconfinementareconveyedwithdevastatingsimplicityandcandor.Throughout,theauthorconstantlyprobeshisownconscience,questioningmotivationsanddecisions.Whatemergesisamultileveledportraitofanindividualdeterminedtoretainhishumanityinanuncivilizedenvironment.InTakenCaptive,OokaShoheiprovidesmuchmorethananunprecedentedlookatthePOWexperiencefromaJapanesepointofview.HisstirringaccountoffersapenetratingexplorationofJapanesesociety,anditsvalues,asembodiedbythemicrocosmofhisfellowPOWs.Recallinghiswartimeexperiences,OokaShoheihascreatedabrilliantworkofrarehonesty,insight,andemotionalsubtlety.