An absolutely horrendous view of the cataclysmic battle for the Philippine Capitol during WWII. The details of the atrocities commuted by Japanese soldiers against civilian men, women, and children often reads like a 1980s slasher flick, in the worst possible way. But the final part of the book detailing the war crimes trial of the Japanese commanding officer was fascinating and raises some judicial and ethical questions that are difficult to disentangle from the suffering detailed in the main section. It does take a long time for the book to actually get to the main action, but no book on war has ever really conveyed just how nightmarish it can truly be like this one.