Valor is an exciting and informative read about WWII and one man's experience. First hand looks like this one bring the harrowing experiences to light and make us view the war as real people lived it. Not the sanitized and sensationalized Hollywood version but the dirty, horrific and terrifying version it really is. Valor is a well researched work and brings new information to light about WWII.

Thank you for the honor of reading this work.

4.5 stars rounded up for an inspiring story of a truly courageous man who would not give up. Lieutenant William Frederick “Bill” Harris was a 25 year old US Marine lieutenant and graduate of Annapolis Naval Military Academy. He arrived in the Philippines 1 week before the Japanese attack on the Philippines. He was taken prisoner and escaped. He managed to get as far south as Sulawesi, Dutch East Indies, before being recaptured by the Japanese. He endured savage beatings that would have killed most men.
He survived and was promoted rapidly in the Marines. He was sent to Korea and killed there.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading stories of courage in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Thanks to St Martin's Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Pub. Date: 03 May 2022

I enjoyed “Valor.”

It’s the real-life story of U.S. Marine Lieutenant Bill Harris and his exploits after being captured and imprisoned by the Japanese during the Battle of Corregidor at the start of WWII. Author Dan Hampton interweaves a “macro” overview of the war in the Pacific—how it began, the role of the Philippines, the progress of the war and various battles, etc.—with Harris’s day-to-day struggle, including various attempts by land and by sea, to rejoin U.S. forces and get back into the war.

“Valor” is well-written. Mr. Hampton succeeds in maintaining tension throughout his work. We want to know what’s going to happen to Lieutenant Harris next. And Hampton includes lots of good research. I learned things I hadn’t known, even having read a fair amount about World War II.

Two cautions: there are some brief but possibly disturbing explanations of Japanese war crimes, including POW mistreatment, human experimentation, and even cannibalism. And fans of Douglas MacArthur beware: Mr. Hampton makes no bones about being thoroughly unimpressed by the general and his performance in the Philippines at the start of the war.

Those who have enjoyed books and movies like James Clavell’s “King Rat,” Stephen Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun,” and David Lean’s “Bridge on the River Kwai,” or who are interested in World War II and especially the Pacific theater of operations, should find “Valor” an absorbing addition to their libraries.

This book tells the fascinating story of Lieutenant William Frederick “Bill” Harris. It begins on December 8, 1941 (still December 7 in Hawaii), with the bombing of Clark and Iba Fields south of Luzon in the Philippines. Twenty-three-year-old Lieutenant Harris is on the dock at Mariveles with his men, fifty-three miles south of Clark. It concludes on September 2, 1945 with Harris’s presence on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Here the Japanese signed an unconditional treaty of surrender before representatives of nine of the Allied nations. Harris’s exploits in between are an unbelievable saga of bravery and perseverance. The author, Dan Hampton, is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and the author of seven other books. Harris’s compelling story has been carefully researched by Hampton. I recommend this skillfully told and inspiring tale. I read a NetGalley advance copy, but look forward to perusing the hard edition with charts and photographs.

A good solid WWII read for fans of UNBROKEN and marine history. There's even a cameo appearance by Louis Zamperini! Knowing little about what went on in the Philippines (apart from the Bataan Death March), this filled in the picture.

We can never credit enough those who fought in WWII for beating back evil at such high cost and in such numbers.

Stories like these are inspiring and heartbreaking. During WWII, America was at the top of its game and young men like Bill Harris, serving in the Marines, saw unspeakable things and lived through hell as a prisoner of the Japanese.
I was heartbroken to read what Happened to him during the Korean War, just 5 short years after his hellish war experience and finding love and starting family.
Men like Harris are a rare breed and Valor is a testament to them.

Most of us bracket the war in the Pacific in World War II with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the atomic bombs dropping on Hiroshima and Nagaski in 1945. We also remember the iconic photo of the flag of the United States being planted on the rugged rocks of Iwo Jima. What happened in between?

The Pacific war was mainly fought in the air and sea. What was life like for the soldiers and seamen? Author Dan Hampton gives us a detailed and riveting look at the life of a Marine in “Valor: Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man’s Defiance and Indomitable Spirit.” Marine Lieutenant Bill Harris was a recent graduate of Annapolis when he was sent to the Philippines just prior to the start of World War II. Serious and thoughtful, he was the son of a high-ranking Marine officer.

The Japanese Navy and Air attacked the Philippines hours after their attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States military was not yet fully prepared for war in December, 1941. Lt. Harris and his men fought hard at the Battle of Corregidor, but they were defeated. They watched the Stars and Stripes being lowered, then a white flag being raised. Can you imaging the pain of seeing that? From that moment on, Lt. Harris knew he would be taken prisoner; he also vowed he would escape and rejoin his comrades at some point during the war. He swam 3 miles through shark-infested waters to begin his escape.

The rest of the story focuses on the unbelievable strength and bravery of Lt. Harris and a few men who joined him, as they escaped and spent over a year evading the Japanese, walking through the jungles of Philippine islands. Along the way, they helped resistance fighters, battled severe storms, hunger, and exhaustion. They planned to find a boat and sail to China. After that attempt failed, they tried to sail over 1,000 miles to Australia. Through it all, Lt.Harris focused on staying free and helping his country. He was finally taken captive and spent two years in horrendous Japanese prisons but his spirit stayed strong.

The book provides much informative detail about battles, and military strategy. My copy did not have maps or photos, but I believe those will be included in the published book. These will be very helpful, as Lt. Harris traveled to many Islands.

I’m glad that this book will show the story of true valor to our generations. Lt. Harris, we are grateful for your brave service. I’m sorry your life ended in the way it did. I hope that authors continue to bring to life the heroes of World War II.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

Dan Hampton, pilot and military aviation expert, has a new book being released May 3 by St. Martin’s Press, Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man’s Defiance and Indomitable Spirit.

Valor is the true story of Lt. Col. Bill Harris’ life and military career. Ordered to surrender to the Japanese in the Philippines, Harris was immediately and brutally mistreated. He hatched a daring escape plan, barely avoiding the Bataan Death March.

Hampton records perils Harris encounters as he tries to escape the Philippines and rejoin the Marines, including sharks, natives loyal to the Japanese, recapture, and surviving in a POW camp.

Hampton has done academic-quality research to preserve Harris’ story, with an impressive bibliography. Besides dozens of historical books, Hampton accessed Harris’ personal correspondence and exchanged phone calls and emails with survivors of Harris’ family.

This isn’t some dusty tome; there’s plenty of action, a dash of romance, and loads of inspiration in reading about Harris’ experience. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

This book is all about Bill Harris. He escaped the Japanese when they invaded the Philippines and fought in guerilla warfare against the Japanese. However, his main goal was to go to Australia or China to rejoin the fight. Before he could do that, he was attacked by the Japanese and then sent to Prisoner of War camp in Japan.

The story is one of resilience, the reader must have that quality also to get through the parts of Bill trying to escape off the Philippines islands. It was so slow and so boring, I had to quit reading the book.

The author tried to do too much with too little. There should have been more focus on his time in the POW camp, his release, and his home life.

However, the VAST MAJORITY of this book focuses on Bill and a little boat trying to escape the Philippines.

This story should be told, but just be forewarned, the boat trips drag on and take forever to get to where they are going.

Much of Valor is hard to read. Starting with the betrayal of General Douglas MacArthur with his dithering and sulking because the Japanese didn’t do what he expected of them when they bombed Pearl Harbor and then attacked the Philippines. Again in Korea, he ran the war safe behind the lines and isolated from reality.
Many POWs’ ordeals have been recorded, and Bill Harris’ experience differs in that he was on the run for so long before being betrayed by islanders. The horrors of captivity under sadistic captors are unbelievable. Their experiments on prisoners were worse than the well-documented Nazi crimes. Cannibalizing prisoners, removing organs from living people, including screaming infants.
A Japanese naval ace’s comments are interesting: “Had I been ordered to bomb Seattle or Los Angeles in order to end the war, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I perfectly understand why Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Bill Harris endured so much, but then had only a few years to enjoy life before Korea. Sad ending.

Great book about an honorable man who had courage and a lion's heart. They just don't make them like this anymore! Reminded me a lot of the book "Unbroken", so if you enjoyed that, you will love this. It will make you want to be a better person.

A truly inspirational book on the hardships endured by our servicemen in captivity during WW2. The brutality they faced was horrendous, but they still managed to overcome these obstacles. A great tribute to the soldiers fighting all around the world. I really enjoyed this book and would hope you do as well.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.