Never Subdued
by Franklin Hook
...a fresh story [that makes] you care about the people involved. Sort of a "Band of Brothers" circa 1900.
-Robert Fulton, Author of Moroland
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After the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor in the spring of 1898, the United States officially declared war against Spain. Though the end of the Spanish-American War was recorded on December 10, 1898 by the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the conflict in the Philippine Islands continued. Never Subdued offers a nonfiction account of the Philippine-American War from 1898 to 1902 and the subsequent Moro Campaigns which lasted from 1902 to 1913, though some would argue have still not been resolved to this day.
Franklin Hook's chronological narrative follows several of the young men from the 1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry as they journey from the prairies of the Midwest to the jungles of the South Pacific. With the help of passages taken directly from the diary of Pvt. John Kinne and other documented records, Hook is able to relate the incredible experiences that took place during this nearly four year battle and the gallant achievements that resulted in 88 total Medals of Honor being awarded to US soldiers.
The conversations provide an accurate depiction of the ugliness of war and the resiliency of the individual spirit. Those who survived to tell their tale recall the brutality of the conditions - seasickness and death aboard the transport ships, devastating ambushes and courageous rescues, the deadly heat of the bamboo thickets and rice paddies, as well as an ill-fated love story. More about the book
Cover art
"I would Rather Die at the Front" by artist Rick Reeves, reprinted with permission.
Luzon, Philippines-September 9, 1899.
Colonel J. Franklin Bell of the US Army leads the 36th US Volunteer Infantry Regiment against enemy Filipino Army soldiers. For his efforts, Bell earned the Medal of Honor, an award presented a total of 88 times during the brutal conflict.
"Franklin Hook has done a great service in producing Never Subdued. He shines a bright light on a shadowy period of American history to tell an important story, a story of prolonged, tropical combat against a determined, elusive foe. Those who appreciate thorough research turned into very readable military history will enjoy his accomplishment. I congratulate him on a job well done."
-John Durand, author of The Boys, North Dakota Volunteers in the Philippines