Book on Bataan ‘Death March’ launched at US Library of Congress

MANILA, Philippines — A book chronicling the infamous Bataan Death March that claimed the lives of many American and Filipino soldiers during World War II was launched at the United States Library of Congress. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said authors Michael and Elizabeth Norman gave a dramatic reading of excerpts from their book at the Madison Building of the Library of Congress. "During the talk, Michael and Elizabeth Norman disclosed 10 years of work went into the writing of the book, including interviews with survivors of the Bataan Death March from the Philippines and the United States as well as soldiers from Japan," the DFA said in an article on its website (www.dfa.gov.ph). Titled “Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and its Aftermath," the book received praise from the Associated Press’ Richard Pyle as “an extremely detailed and thoroughly chilling treatment that, given the passage of time and thinning of ranks, could serve as popular history’s final say on the subject." According to the DFA, the book talk, launching and signing is a partnership of the Philippine Embassy, the Library of Congress Asian Division Friends Society, the Veterans History Project and the Library of Congress Professional Association (LCPA) Veteran’s Forum. It was one of the activities held during the month-long commemoration of the 111th Anniversary of Philippine Independence last June, the DFA added. - GMANews.TV