Communiqués of General MacArthur

After defeat by Japanese invaders and a harrowing escape from the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia in March 1942. Placed in charge of the newly created Southwest Pacific Area, MacArthur was desperate to retain his new post so that he might reconquer the Philippines and, in so doing, reclaim his honor. Thus began the daily issuance of communiqués from his headquarters that related a grueling World War II campaign of more than a thousand days as Allied forces fought a relentless enemy from the northern shores of Australia to the heart of Manila.
Never before available in print, this volume of communiqués brings to life the regular updates issued to a public anxious for news of the great advance across the Southwest Pacific. These daily pronouncements present not only a record of the campaign but also a master class of public relations management as MacArthur attempted to portray himself as the great hero deserving of enduring fame regardless of the truth prevailing on the battlefield.

James Ellman is an investor and historian who lives in Kailua, Hawaii.

Douglas MacArthur and His General Staff
Edited and Annotated by James Ellman
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 271
Bibliographic Info: 59 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9320-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5180-4
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Part I—Papua New Guinea 9
1. The Kokoda Trail Campaign 10
2. The Battle of Milne Bay 40
3. The Siege of ­Buna-Gona 47
4. The Battle of the Bismarck Sea 69
5. The Envelopment of Lae 74
Part II—The Race West 91
6. Assault on Los Negros 92
7. Hollandia 102
8. The Battle of Biak 130
9. Counterattack on the Driniumor River 143
Part III—“I Have Returned” 159
10. Landing on Leyte 160
11. The Battles of Breakneck Ridge and Ormoc Bay 184
12. Victory on Leyte and Mindoro 201
13. Return to Luzon 217
14. The Battle of Manila 238
Conclusion 251
Chapter Notes 255
Bibliography 259
Index 261

• “This book will be an important source for anyone wishing to learn about the war in the Southwest Pacific. Its detailed descriptions of the fighting forces, American, Australian and Japanese, is indispensable to readers.”—James Duffy, author of War at the End of the World

• “In his new book, James Ellman has done a tremendous service for historians, researchers, and Pacific War enthusiasts in assembling this vital compilation of General Douglas MacArthur’s communiques. With thoughtful editorial comments and keen observations, Ellman has created a must-have resource that belongs on the bookshelf of any student of World War II history.”—James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow and Rampage