Accused War Criminal - Fiske Hanley

Fiske Hanley was an engineer in a B-29 that was shot down and captured by the Japanese. He spent months with a group called the Kempeitai, which is sometimes equated with the Nazi Gestapo. From what I read, it makes sense.

The hardships described here were terrible. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book for the younger set. Even Hanley mentions that when he would give talks, he would tailor his speeches appropriate to the age of the audience. Many times, I would physically cringe while reading what happened to these men.

One thing I want to point out is that the entire book is not Hanley's experience as a POW. He tells about what his life was like after the war and mentions his family. Another thing I want to mention is the detail put into this version. The version I read is updated twenty years after the first printing, so I don't know how much was in the original book, but Hanley has a lot of evidence to back up what he says. He gives an account of what a Japanese POW was treated like as contrast to his treatment. He adds in short excerpts from other POWs from their affidavits about their treatment. He also has a section dedicated to honoring the WASPS for their contribution to the B-29.

Fiske sounds like he was an amazing man. He was 99 when this updated version came out, and while he hated the Japanese while a POW (understandably), he went on to visit Japan later in life and come to see the people differently. This was an incredibly interesting book, and I'm glad I read it. In the U.S., the history is always so focused on the European Theater for WWII. I was glad to expand my horizons. These stories shouldn't be forgotten. Fiske died in August of 2020 at 100 years old, and I hope he had a glorious life. He deserved it. Good Book!