--- product_id: 2257469 title: "No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War" price: "196 zł" currency: PLN in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pl/products/2257469-no-surrender-my-thirty-year-war store_origin: PL region: Poland --- # No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War **Price:** 196 zł **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War - **How much does it cost?** 196 zł with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pl](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/2257469-no-surrender-my-thirty-year-war) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In the Spring of 1974, 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army made world headlines when he emerged from the Philippine jungle after a thirty-year ordeal. Hunted in turn by American troops, the Philippine army and police, hostile islanders, and eventually successive Japanese search parties, Onoda had skillfully outmaneuvered all his pursuers, convinced that World War II was still being fought and waiting for the day when his fellow soldiers would return victorious. This first-person account of those years of evading capture and trying to stay alive is filled with drama, tension, and excitement. Readers learn about Onoda's early life, his training as an intelligence officer, and his final assignment to the Philippine island of Lubang. When American forces take over the island, he retreats into the mountains and life becomes a constant battle against the elements as well as the enemy. The description of his selfless dedication to a cause allows us a rare glimpse of the invincible spirit of the human being, and his ingenuity in adapting to primitive surroundings is a commentary on man's resourcefulness. Even after the Japanese forces surrender or are killed, courage and conviction allow him and his few comrades to continue until he alone returns to civilization. A soldier who fought and survived the war's longest, loneliest battle, Onoda became a hero to his people and his account of events, first published in Japan in 1974 and in English in 1975, has enjoyed an approving audience ever since. Currently no other English edition is in print. Review: A supreme sense of duty in a model Japanese soldier - A fine work and a testimony to the dedication, loyalty and supreme sense of duty in a model Japanese soldier. Coming from a humble background and resigned to military service as a junior enlisted man, Hiroo Onoda unexpectedly found himself in guerilla-warfare training school as an officer-candidate. Because of the exigencies of the war deeply in progress by 1944, Onoda and his classmates graduated early on a expedited training schedule to be able to be put into combat quickly. Onoda and a handful of other officers, along with about forty enlisted men were put on Lubang Island in the Philippines, an Island strategically-located near the entrance to Manila Harbor. While Lubang remained under Japanese control, it was necessary for Japan to guard, fortify and keep it under Japanese control since the Americans were clearly intent on returning. The Americans had started to gain the upper hand in their quest to get back the Philippines. It was unclear if the natives on the Island would continue to reluctantly cooperate with the Japanese occupiers, switch their loyalty over to the Americans or perhaps, pursue a path to independence by playing off one side against the other. Amazing to think about today, Onoda and his small group of four chose to "hold out," even as the majority of Japanese soldiers on Lubang decided to take their chances and surrender "en masse" to the Americans. Even in 1945, it was still unclear as to who would win the war in the Pacific. Onoda and two of the other three surviving comrades would make their bet on Japan and chose to hold out for a long time. One of the two remaining Onoda comrades was shot and killed ten years into the hold-out period. The other comrade would hold out with Onoda for twenty-seven years, almost as long as Onoda. When he arrived there in 1944, Onoda was a young, junior officer, just 22 years old. When he finally came out in 1974, he was 52. So how did Hiroo Onoda manage to hold out for thirty years in the jungle on an Island occupied by Philippine natives, who hunted, fished and farmed? This is the story of "No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War." Onoda was convinced that Japanese surrender propaganda was simply that, propaganda perpetrated by the Americans. Over the years, both he and his surviving comrades became aware that Japan was again prospering. Remarkably, they chose to believe that it was Japan and not the United States who had won the war, even as Lubang had been taken by the Americans. At different times and in different ways, Japanese officers and government officials, as well as members of his own family made appeals for him to surrender. Onoda, however, believed these were subtle, well-crafted hoaxes designed to bring him in and to prevent him from continuing his sworn-to mission as a guerilla fighter. "No Surrender" is at its best in revealing the techniques and tricks that Onoda had to devise, test and master to eat, stay healthy and to not be detected or captured. Much of what is in "No Surrender" would constitute best practices in a Survival Manual for jungle living. Amazingly, when Onoda finally did choose to surrender and return to Japan, in spite of all the privations he endured over thirty years living in the jungle, his general level of health was superior to that of the typical Japanese man of the same age who would have lived in Japan for that time. When Onoda finally came in, he surrendered his most important possession, his prized Samurai sword to Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines, who graciously returned it to him. When Onoda returned to Japan, he was welcomed back as a hero. Review: wow - Ononda-san was quite the ornery fellow. Several times throughout the book I thought he must’ve been crazy. Crazy dedicated and crazy focused! Incredible story. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #115,312 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #91 in Japanese History (Books) #170 in WWII Biographies #511 in World War II History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,123 Reviews | ## Images ![No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71y9r9Y9UYL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A supreme sense of duty in a model Japanese soldier *by J***Y on April 8, 2016* A fine work and a testimony to the dedication, loyalty and supreme sense of duty in a model Japanese soldier. Coming from a humble background and resigned to military service as a junior enlisted man, Hiroo Onoda unexpectedly found himself in guerilla-warfare training school as an officer-candidate. Because of the exigencies of the war deeply in progress by 1944, Onoda and his classmates graduated early on a expedited training schedule to be able to be put into combat quickly. Onoda and a handful of other officers, along with about forty enlisted men were put on Lubang Island in the Philippines, an Island strategically-located near the entrance to Manila Harbor. While Lubang remained under Japanese control, it was necessary for Japan to guard, fortify and keep it under Japanese control since the Americans were clearly intent on returning. The Americans had started to gain the upper hand in their quest to get back the Philippines. It was unclear if the natives on the Island would continue to reluctantly cooperate with the Japanese occupiers, switch their loyalty over to the Americans or perhaps, pursue a path to independence by playing off one side against the other. Amazing to think about today, Onoda and his small group of four chose to "hold out," even as the majority of Japanese soldiers on Lubang decided to take their chances and surrender "en masse" to the Americans. Even in 1945, it was still unclear as to who would win the war in the Pacific. Onoda and two of the other three surviving comrades would make their bet on Japan and chose to hold out for a long time. One of the two remaining Onoda comrades was shot and killed ten years into the hold-out period. The other comrade would hold out with Onoda for twenty-seven years, almost as long as Onoda. When he arrived there in 1944, Onoda was a young, junior officer, just 22 years old. When he finally came out in 1974, he was 52. So how did Hiroo Onoda manage to hold out for thirty years in the jungle on an Island occupied by Philippine natives, who hunted, fished and farmed? This is the story of "No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War." Onoda was convinced that Japanese surrender propaganda was simply that, propaganda perpetrated by the Americans. Over the years, both he and his surviving comrades became aware that Japan was again prospering. Remarkably, they chose to believe that it was Japan and not the United States who had won the war, even as Lubang had been taken by the Americans. At different times and in different ways, Japanese officers and government officials, as well as members of his own family made appeals for him to surrender. Onoda, however, believed these were subtle, well-crafted hoaxes designed to bring him in and to prevent him from continuing his sworn-to mission as a guerilla fighter. "No Surrender" is at its best in revealing the techniques and tricks that Onoda had to devise, test and master to eat, stay healthy and to not be detected or captured. Much of what is in "No Surrender" would constitute best practices in a Survival Manual for jungle living. Amazingly, when Onoda finally did choose to surrender and return to Japan, in spite of all the privations he endured over thirty years living in the jungle, his general level of health was superior to that of the typical Japanese man of the same age who would have lived in Japan for that time. When Onoda finally came in, he surrendered his most important possession, his prized Samurai sword to Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines, who graciously returned it to him. When Onoda returned to Japan, he was welcomed back as a hero. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ wow *by N***N on August 26, 2025* Ononda-san was quite the ornery fellow. Several times throughout the book I thought he must’ve been crazy. Crazy dedicated and crazy focused! Incredible story. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Japan surrenders at last! *by J***A on March 4, 2008* I just finished reading "NO SURRENDER; My Thirty Year War" by, Hiroo Onoda. An amazing story to say the least, and...a true one! Here is a real story that would shame any of modern televisions' "Lost" series. Onoda is a Japanese soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army that is sent to the island of Lubang (in the Philippines), to conduct jungle warfare against the American and allied forces in 1944. The main elements of the Japanese army are retreating, as Onoda and others are left behind to continue the fight until..."Japan returns". Onoda remains on Lubang with a few others to continue "the cause" not 5 years, or 10, or even 20 but...thirty years! Onoda finally turns over his sword in 1974! Here is the real story of the "last Samurai." I was in Subic Bay in 1968 as part of the naval forces that were stationed in Viet Nam. Just a few miles away from where I stood, Hiroo Onoda was still fighting "my father's war" under the flag of the Rising Sun! Despite his heroic efforts and on-going pledge to duty, I find it impossible to believe that Onoda did not know the war had actually ended. During his tenure on the island he would have noticed the on-going changes of technology, and...as early as 1965 he and his small group came into possession of a transister short-wave radio. Onoda and the others listened extensively to radio Peking, radio Japan, and even the BBC. Like most people who live their life as a "mission," anything can be justified. In fact, Onoda latter concedes to this very point. I only wish this book contained an updated section to reveal what ever happened to Onoda after he returned to Japan. I wonder if, Onoda finally died or, if like all old soldiers... "just faded away." History buffs or, serious military historians should have at least one copy of this book on their shelf. ## Frequently Bought Together - No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War - Tales By Japanese Soldiers (Cassell Military Paperbacks) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pl/products/2257469-no-surrender-my-thirty-year-war](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/2257469-no-surrender-my-thirty-year-war) --- *Product available on Desertcart Poland* *Store origin: PL* *Last updated: 2026-05-19*