Los Angeles Times

A forgotten World War II horror in the Philippines is revealed in 'Rampage'

"Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila" by James M. Scott; W.W. Norton (640 pages, $32.95)

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It's hard to imagine that a major monthlong battle from World War II - one that devastated a large city, caused more than 100,000 civilian deaths and led to both a historic war crimes trial and a Supreme Court decision - should have escaped scrutiny until now.

But history has somehow overlooked the catastrophic battle for Manila, capital of the Philippines, in the waning months of the war. Like the Rape of Nanking, or the siege of Stalingrad, the tragedy of Manila deserves far greater understanding and reflection today.

James M. Scott remedies that

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