The Times When Men Must Die: The Story of the Destruction of the Philippine Army During the Early Months of World War II in the Pacific, December 1941-May 1942

What was the ultimate role of the Philippines in the Pacific theater during World War II?

In The Times When Men Must Die, Marconi Dioso revisits Bataan and Corregidor and revives the questions that until now most historians and self-proclaimed experts have grappled with themselves: Why did Japanese military reinforcements arrive to finally allow Homma to bring the Philippines to its knees, while Washington set its military priorities elsewhere, in the process leaving Filipino and American soldiers helpless on the islands? From the standpoint of the battlefields and their combatants, the citizens of the Phillippines and the United States should gain a lasting insight into the racial divide between these two nations as they struggled to fight a common enemy.

The Times When Men Must Die offers Diosos take on these questions, while chronicling the military tactical maneuvers and exchanges, logistics situation, training, alternating between gruesome anecdotes and those rare, light, humorous moments in the lives of the participants. It combines solid research and dreamlike writing from the standpoint of the battlefields and their combatants.

About the Author

A native of the Philippines, Marconi M. Dioso delved into the tragedy that befell the Philippine Army during the first months of World War II, discussing how the Filipino soldiers became the sacrificial lambs in the Pacific. He also authored other published books under the series titled A Trilogy of Wars, which focus on the battle that occurred in the Philippines between 1896 and 1902.