Hell's Guest

by Glenn D. Frazier

Book Overview

"It was the 1930s in southern Alabama where cotton and cornfields were the backdrop of my childhood stage. I was growing up just like everyone elsewrapped in a simple and predictable way of life.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1878853872
• ISBN13: 9781878853875
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Williams & Company, Publishers
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A unique story of war, captivity, and its aftermath

Without exaggeration Hell's Guest is the most unique work I have ever read about WWII, and I have been an avid reader of hundreds of books about WWII during the last 40 years. The quality of the writing is outstanding. Not a word is wasted, and the reader RELIVES every instant of Col Frazier's service, captivity, and the painful aftermath that haunted him for 30 years after his return to the USA. Every page is fascinating, but here are some of the highlights: 1. Col. Frazier's introduction on how he enlisted in the army and came to be in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded is an amazing story in itself. 2. His exploits during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines are the stuff of legend. On his own initiative and with incredible courage he improvised ingenious defenses that slowed the Japanese conquest of the islands and bought time to shore up defenses of Australia and other Pacific islands. 3. The brutality of his capture in the Philippines and captivity in Japan is so vividly portrayed that the reader feels that he is sharing it day by day with Frazier. 4. The aftermath of his release from Japanese captivity and how its horror affected the rest of his life is life is yet another amazing story. I have never read a book by any other WWII Veteran that expresses the lasting consequences of the horror of captivity. The way in which Frazier finally overcame the horror of these memories after more than 30 years is perhaps the most important part of the book. 5. As well, the breath and scope of Frazier's life after WWII is amazing. After the war he worked in many amazing careers in Alabama, Georgia, Chicago, Washington, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Florida. However, the recurring nightmares of his WWII captivity haunted him until he finally learned to defeat his hatred of his Japanese captors. Only then, after 30 years, did he find peace. In all these regards it is an incredible story.

Not able to put it down...

Like other folks that wrote a review, I also met Col. Frazier at a book signing. Col. Frazier talked with my children that are (8) and (10) years old and have left a life long memory in their mind of a great man. I read the book in just a couple days and it is a great story and Col. Frazier is amazing to have survived in the Philippines in battle and as a POW for 3 years. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Compelling Reading!

During a visit to the USS Alabama memorial, my family had the priviledge to meet Col. Frazier during a book signing. Having had an Uncle who survived Pearl Harbor, this book hit very close to home and brought back painful memories that all our brave military went through during those defining years. I don't even like to read all that much, but I read this book cover to cover in just one day! A real heartfelt masterpiece.

A History Book Worth Reading!!!!

I am not one for writing reviews (this is my first!), but I was so impressed and affected by this book, I had to leave a review. I met Col. Frazier at a book signing, and had him autograph a copy for my bro-in-law. On the way home I began reading Col Frazier's story and within a few pages, I found I couldn't put it down. Hell's Guest is engaging, amazing, horrifying, painfully honest, and beautiful. It is told so well, you can almost hear the bullets and feel his pain as a POW. I also appreciated how he didn't censure how he felt about the situations he found himself in - he doesn't set out to tell a heroic story about himself. He just tells his story honestly and vividly. Whether you are a WWII fanatic or not, this book will affect you page after page. With so many of our WWII vets passing away, there is an important part of history well preserved in Hell's Guest.

I could not put this book down!

To begin, I am not related to Mr. Frazier; this book was recommended to me by a friend, so I told them I would read it. To my surprise, "Hell's Guest" is a book that cannot be put down until it is finished. This true story is gripping in its intensity, and you have to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. How Glenn Frazier survived the Death March of Bataan, much less everything that followed is nothing short of a miracle of God. If you are interested in a glimpse of World War II history - without the rose-colored glasses - then read this amazing book.