Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 8 begins the larger book segment titled "Book Two - Harrow Hell," which is inclusive of Chapters 8 through 13. Chapters in this section of the book tend to be much shorter than previous chapters, and this is especially true for Chapters 8 through 11. In Chapter 8 the Rangers cross the Papanga River and arrive at the vicinity of the camp. They make a long, difficult, crawling approach across nearly a mile of rice fields. Lieutenant John Murphy leads F Company on the longest approach, moving around the camp and gaining position at the camp's rear. Many of the Rangers fear they have been spotted, though they have not.

Chapter 9 returns to the prisoners' of war experience. In early January they hear and see distant artillery barrages as the American invasion of Luzon begins in earnest. The airfield they have been constructing for...