Short Synopsis
An epic story of exceptional valor, Undefeated tells in gripping prose how outnumbered and outgunned American soldiers and airmen fought against invading Japanese forces in the Philippines at the beginning of World War II and then continued to resist through three harrowing years as POWs.

Full Synopsis
Called "a master of the combat narrative" (The Dallas Morning News), author Bill Sloan captures the valor, fortitude, and suffering of the American defenders of the Philippines as no other author has. Abandoned by their government, the men and women of the American garrison struggled against impossible military odds, rampant disease, and slow starvation to delay inevitable surrender by the largest American military force ever. Rather than picturing these defenders as little more than helpless victims of an overwhelmingly powerful and sadistic enemy—as most previous books about the Philippines campaign have done—Undefeated credits American troops with the unexcelled heroism and indomitable spirit they displayed under the worst imaginable conditions.

Interwoven throughout this panoramic narrative are the harrowing personal experiences of dozens of American soldiers, airmen, and Marines. Sloan also provides intimate, in-depth profiles of General Douglas MacArthur, who evacuated to Australia as the situation on Bataan worsened, and of General Jonathan Wainwright, who succeeded him as top U.S. commander in the Philippines and himself became a prisoner of the Japanese.

"Sloan demonstrates that if captivity is a state of being, defeat is only a state of mind." ---Publishers Weekly

"A skillful step-by-step description of the brutal and heroic but mismanaged 1941--42 campaign in the Philippines." ---Kirkus

"This accessible narrative will appeal to many military history fans for its themes of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism." ---Library Journal