Taken Captive: A Japanese POW's Story

图书标准信息

• 作者 Ooka Shohei 著
• 出版社 Wiley
• 出版时间 1996-04
• 版次 1
• ISBN 9780471142850
• 定价 248.80元
• 装帧 精装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 330页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

"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.

【作者简介】

OOKASHOHEI(1909-1988)wasacelebratedJapanesenovelistandliterarycritic,andauthoroftheaward-winningWorldWarIInovels,FiresonthePlainandTheBattleofLeyte.