What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow Commander: The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn—Guerrilla Leader and Special Forces Hero
The true story of the US Army legend who organized “Blackburn’s Headhunters” against Japan in WWII and went on to initiate Special Forces operations in Vietnam.The fires on Bataan burned on the evening of April 9, 1942—illuminating the white flags of surrender against the dark sky. Outnumbered and outgunned, remnants of the American-Philippine army surrendered to the forces of the Rising Sun. Yet US Army Captain Donald D. Blackburn refused to lay down his arms. With future Special Forces legend Russell Volckmann, Blackburn escaped to the jungles of North Luzon, where they raised a private army of 22,000 men against the Japanese. His organization of native tribes into guerrilla fighters would lead to the destruction of the enemy’s naval base at Aparri.But Blackburn’s amazing accomplishments would not end with the victory in the Pacific. He would go on to play a key role in initiating Army Special Forces operations in Southeast Asia, spearheading Operation White Star in Laos as commander of the 77th Special Forces Group and eventually taking command of the highly classified Studies and Observations Group (SOG), charged with performing secret missions now that main-force Communist incursions were on the rise.In the wake of the CIA’s disastrous Leaping Lena program, in 1964, Blackburn revitalized the Special Operations campaign in South Vietnam. Sending reconnaissance teams into Cambodia and North Vietnam, he discovered the clandestine networks and supply nodes of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Taking the information directly to General Westmoreland, Blackburn was authorized to conduct full-scale operations against the NVA and Viet Cong in Laos and Cambodia. In combats large and small, the Communists realized they had met a master of insurgent tactics—and he was on the US side. Following his return to the US, Blackburn was the architect of the infamous Son Tay Prison Raid, officially termed Operation Ivory Coast, the largest prisoner-of-war rescue mission—and, indeed, the largest Army Special Forces operation—of the Vietnam War.During a period when US troops in Southeast Asia faced guerrilla armies on every side, America had a superb covert commander of its own. This book follows Blackburn through both his youthful days of desperate combat and his time as a commander, imparting his lessons to the new ranks of Army Special Forces.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2011
114 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Mike Guardia
31 books120 followersMike Guardia is an internationally recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely-acclaimed "Hal Moore: A Soldier Once...and Always," the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson.
He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and is an active member of the Military Writers Society of America.
As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series "Hal Moore: Lessons in Leadership," which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. Mike Guardia has given presentations at the US Special Operations Command and the International Spy Museum. His work has been reviewed in the Washington Times, Armchair General, ARMY Magazine, DefenceWeb South Africa, and Miniature Wargames UK.
He holds a BA and MA in American History from the University of Houston. He currently lives in Texas.
He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and is an active member of the Military Writers Society of America.
As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series "Hal Moore: Lessons in Leadership," which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. Mike Guardia has given presentations at the US Special Operations Command and the International Spy Museum. His work has been reviewed in the Washington Times, Armchair General, ARMY Magazine, DefenceWeb South Africa, and Miniature Wargames UK.
He holds a BA and MA in American History from the University of Houston. He currently lives in Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 31, 2017
Brigader General Donald Blackburn commanded Filipino guerrilla forces in the Philippines during World War II. The work gives a good overview of unconventional resistance against the Japanese forces as Blackburn rose to the rank of Colonel from Captain. Following the war he held various commands and eventually trained Green Berets and conducted operations in Vietnam and Laos. This is a good read on unconventional war and the Philippines.
November 8, 2015
I received a prepublication copy of this book (November 24, 2015) through NetGalley with the understanding that I would publish are review on my blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google + pages along with NetGalley, Amazon and Goodreads. This is the e-book release of an earlier publication. It was previously released in 2012.
I requested this book because I am an avid reader about American history including the World War II. This is the first book by Mike Guardia that I have read.
This book is well researched and includes several photos from the Blackburn family collection that add to narrative. While somewhat biographical in nature, the main focus of the book is Blackburn's serving during World War II in the Philippines serving as a guerrilla forces leader and coordinator. The most interesting part of the book for me was the differences between the different Philippine tribal fighters as to their dedication and belief in what they were fighting for. The author's writing style is enough to hold your interest, but not on a part with some other biographical authors. It is a quick read.
I would recommend this book to someone who is interested learning more about the guerrilla actions in the Philippines during World War II or those who may have an interest in learning more about Blackburn himself.
I requested this book because I am an avid reader about American history including the World War II. This is the first book by Mike Guardia that I have read.
This book is well researched and includes several photos from the Blackburn family collection that add to narrative. While somewhat biographical in nature, the main focus of the book is Blackburn's serving during World War II in the Philippines serving as a guerrilla forces leader and coordinator. The most interesting part of the book for me was the differences between the different Philippine tribal fighters as to their dedication and belief in what they were fighting for. The author's writing style is enough to hold your interest, but not on a part with some other biographical authors. It is a quick read.
I would recommend this book to someone who is interested learning more about the guerrilla actions in the Philippines during World War II or those who may have an interest in learning more about Blackburn himself.
November 27, 2015
The story of Don Blackburn is an interesting story, but not told well at all. Very hard to finish this book which reads like a textbook.
August 19, 2024
Poorly written and a slog to get through, this book of 213 pages took me over 2 months to get through as I was so bored after 5 or 10 pages, I would lay it aside and not want to pick it back up.
For those of us who haven't served in the Armed Forces, this reads like a book of nonsense.
Everything has numbers and half the time I didn't know if it was guns or tanks or what that was being discussed. Not for the layman, more of a textbook passed out at bootcamp.
For those of us who haven't served in the Armed Forces, this reads like a book of nonsense.
Everything has numbers and half the time I didn't know if it was guns or tanks or what that was being discussed. Not for the layman, more of a textbook passed out at bootcamp.
April 26, 2013
This the author's second historical military biography. The author was fortunate enough to spend time with Blackburn, in his home, before the general passed away and hence was able to get firsthand accounts from the general himself. He was also given unfettered access to the general’s papers and photographs. There is precious little written about Blackburn other than “Blackburn’s Headhunters” (Harkins), written in the 50’s, which omitted much due to the settlement of issues that were still ongoing in the Philippines. This book offers a modern bridge to readers in the present and brings forth the story of Blackburn, which may otherwise have been forgotten. In addition, the author was able to research documents in the National Archives and various US Army institutions. The book is not a treatise of the various wars that Blackburn fought in, but is more about the life of a man who spent it serving in his nation's wars. The book was awarded the Bronze Medal Book Award from the Military Writers Society of America (2012). The author has BA and MA degrees in History from the University of Houston.
March 1, 2017
AN INSPIRING STORY POORLY TOLD
The career and accomplishments of General Donald Blackburn, told in “Shadow Commander”, are amazing and inspiring. He was a new soldier when the Philippines were overrun by the Japanese at the outset of WWII, who hid in the jungle and successfully organized a guerilla resistance among the natives. Unfortunately, the story is weakly told by author Guardia. The writing is pedestrian at best; the narrative is little more than a listing of names, dates and places, rather than a compelling and well told story. The maps do not always relate clearly to the narrative; the author jumps about with times and events, causing the book to be hard to follow at times. Overall, worthwhile for the history and inspiration, but not a particularly good read.
The career and accomplishments of General Donald Blackburn, told in “Shadow Commander”, are amazing and inspiring. He was a new soldier when the Philippines were overrun by the Japanese at the outset of WWII, who hid in the jungle and successfully organized a guerilla resistance among the natives. Unfortunately, the story is weakly told by author Guardia. The writing is pedestrian at best; the narrative is little more than a listing of names, dates and places, rather than a compelling and well told story. The maps do not always relate clearly to the narrative; the author jumps about with times and events, causing the book to be hard to follow at times. Overall, worthwhile for the history and inspiration, but not a particularly good read.
May 9, 2017
Great man good book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book but felt as though more detail could have made it even better. I'll bet his time during WWII was much more difficult and dangerous than was portrayed.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book but felt as though more detail could have made it even better. I'll bet his time during WWII was much more difficult and dangerous than was portrayed.
November 23, 2017
Shadow commander
A remarkable man and soldier with a distinguished military career. I enjoyed reading about the life of this American hero.
A remarkable man and soldier with a distinguished military career. I enjoyed reading about the life of this American hero.
December 30, 2023
Not sure what prompted me to pick this one up (Kindle free read maybe?) and I'm behind on my review so both things impact my review here.
It wasn't a particularly engaging read (to me anyway). I admittedly didn't know anything much about our military presence in the Philippines and feel like this didn't add to my understanding.
Donald Blackburn, stationed in the Philippines during World War 2, took to the jungle rather than surrender in the fall of Bataan. Over the next several years, he and several other soldiers joined with the native Filipinos and launched a resistance against the Japanese forces landing in the Phillippines.
There's not much on the battles or the history of those events otherwise, but this is largely understandable though, as the source material seems to be based largely on materials from Blackburn's estate (journals and the like).
If you're looking for something perhaps new re: WW2 history, this might be one to pick up.
It wasn't a particularly engaging read (to me anyway). I admittedly didn't know anything much about our military presence in the Philippines and feel like this didn't add to my understanding.
Donald Blackburn, stationed in the Philippines during World War 2, took to the jungle rather than surrender in the fall of Bataan. Over the next several years, he and several other soldiers joined with the native Filipinos and launched a resistance against the Japanese forces landing in the Phillippines.
There's not much on the battles or the history of those events otherwise, but this is largely understandable though, as the source material seems to be based largely on materials from Blackburn's estate (journals and the like).
If you're looking for something perhaps new re: WW2 history, this might be one to pick up.
May 12, 2017
Good biography of an unknown hero.
Blackburn's accomplishments during world war 2 and The Viet Nam conflict were amazing. In spite of battling the politicians and being hand cuffed with silly engagement rules, he developed incredible insurgency forces in the Philippines and Viet Nam.
Blackburn's accomplishments during world war 2 and The Viet Nam conflict were amazing. In spite of battling the politicians and being hand cuffed with silly engagement rules, he developed incredible insurgency forces in the Philippines and Viet Nam.
August 31, 2019
Good book. It sounds like General Blackburn was a hell of a soldier. I selected the book based on it's portrayal of a soldier behind the Japanese lines in World War II. I had no idea that it also contained important historical information about the Vietnam War as well. It sounds like Blackburn was a pioneer in modern Black Ops.
February 2, 2024
Special Operations Master
I enjoyed this book immensely. Donald Blackburn's escape and evasion from the Japanese was a true test of a man's ability to survive during a difficult time. I had hoped to have heard more about the encounters with the Japanese in battle which affected my rating of the book!
I enjoyed this book immensely. Donald Blackburn's escape and evasion from the Japanese was a true test of a man's ability to survive during a difficult time. I had hoped to have heard more about the encounters with the Japanese in battle which affected my rating of the book!
April 18, 2024
The book was an incredible look at the life of Donald D Blackburn. He survived the fall of Bataan and created then led the Philippine resistance against the Japanese. Blackburn later would be the man behind the tactics, and lessons that would be the start of modern day special forces units.
July 14, 2017
A true American hero,
A high recommendation. There are very few American military men with the life and career of General Blackburn. We should all hold him in awe.
A high recommendation. There are very few American military men with the life and career of General Blackburn. We should all hold him in awe.
June 10, 2019
A history of the obscure guerrilla war in the Philipines against the Japanese occupation during World War II.
December 19, 2020
A slog of a read. Blackburn was indeed a hero but this book does not appear to do him justice
July 5, 2021
Good historical accounting
A great historical accounting of General Blackburn and his career. Without this man history may have played out a bit differently.
A great historical accounting of General Blackburn and his career. Without this man history may have played out a bit differently.
April 27, 2023
For an undoubtedly compelling subject, this book was surprisingly dull and half-assed.
July 24, 2018
Great story telling...
This is a good resource, not just on WWII in the Philippines, but also where the Green Beret training started.
This is a good resource, not just on WWII in the Philippines, but also where the Green Beret training started.
August 16, 2012
Sometimes amateur histories published by small presses are a great source of information on obscure subjects that wouldn't interest the major publishing houses.
And sometimes they feel like a website about somebody's pet subject.
Shadow Commander falls into the latter category. The subject of guerrilla forces in the Philippines, both American and native, after the Japanese conquest is a fascinating subject that deserves so much more than Mike Guardia's sketchy treatment.
Donald Blackburn was an American officer who took to the hills of Luzon rather than surrender with the rest of the American forces. Over the next four years, he and several other soldiers joined with the native Filipinos and launched an insurgency against the Imperial forces to prepare the way for MacArthur's return.
However, you get surprisingly little of this campaign in the book. Most of the narrative is an itinerary of Blackburn's travels -- went here met this person, went there and met that person -- as he avoided capture and recruited partisans to his band. Only when US forces arrive in Luzon do we get a sense of his forces doing anything.
Much more interesting is what Blackburn does after the war, particularly his involvement early in the Vietnam War when he served as one of the infamous "advisers" who preceded direct US involvement in the conflict, and later when he planned the insertion of special forces into Laos. Vietnam gets little enough attention in history books, and the pre-history with the advisers less still, so it's nice to get some details of what they did, though I'd rather see an entire book devoted to the subject instead of relegating it to a subplot.
But the major problem with this book lies in Guardia's choice of sources. Or, really, source. Because 99% of the information in this book comes from Blackburn himself, either his diary, his memoir, or interviews he gave to various military study groups about his career. Where Blackburn's accounts are sketchy, Guardia doesn't supplement them with other sources, and where they're questionable, he doesn't question them. There is no interpretation, no contextualization, and no analysis. Guardia simply takes the disparate sources and synthesizes them into a single narrative. We'd be better off if he'd simply compiled the material into a source-book and let us read Blackburn's recounts directly instead of relying on his paraphrases.
Except even a decent source-book would offer counterpoints. There are numerous points in Blackburn's career that deserve questioning -- his insistence that guerrillas in the Philippines not be prosecuted for war crimes such as executing suspected collaborators -- which Guardia describes several times in approving language -- and his involvement in the failed Son Tay Raid, which Guardia assures us was a good idea gone slightly awry and shouldn't be pinned to Blackburn. There's nothing wrong with making the case for why these events shouldn't detract from Blackburn's stature, but Guardia settles for simple hagiography.
And sometimes they feel like a website about somebody's pet subject.
Shadow Commander falls into the latter category. The subject of guerrilla forces in the Philippines, both American and native, after the Japanese conquest is a fascinating subject that deserves so much more than Mike Guardia's sketchy treatment.
Donald Blackburn was an American officer who took to the hills of Luzon rather than surrender with the rest of the American forces. Over the next four years, he and several other soldiers joined with the native Filipinos and launched an insurgency against the Imperial forces to prepare the way for MacArthur's return.
However, you get surprisingly little of this campaign in the book. Most of the narrative is an itinerary of Blackburn's travels -- went here met this person, went there and met that person -- as he avoided capture and recruited partisans to his band. Only when US forces arrive in Luzon do we get a sense of his forces doing anything.
Much more interesting is what Blackburn does after the war, particularly his involvement early in the Vietnam War when he served as one of the infamous "advisers" who preceded direct US involvement in the conflict, and later when he planned the insertion of special forces into Laos. Vietnam gets little enough attention in history books, and the pre-history with the advisers less still, so it's nice to get some details of what they did, though I'd rather see an entire book devoted to the subject instead of relegating it to a subplot.
But the major problem with this book lies in Guardia's choice of sources. Or, really, source. Because 99% of the information in this book comes from Blackburn himself, either his diary, his memoir, or interviews he gave to various military study groups about his career. Where Blackburn's accounts are sketchy, Guardia doesn't supplement them with other sources, and where they're questionable, he doesn't question them. There is no interpretation, no contextualization, and no analysis. Guardia simply takes the disparate sources and synthesizes them into a single narrative. We'd be better off if he'd simply compiled the material into a source-book and let us read Blackburn's recounts directly instead of relying on his paraphrases.
Except even a decent source-book would offer counterpoints. There are numerous points in Blackburn's career that deserve questioning -- his insistence that guerrillas in the Philippines not be prosecuted for war crimes such as executing suspected collaborators -- which Guardia describes several times in approving language -- and his involvement in the failed Son Tay Raid, which Guardia assures us was a good idea gone slightly awry and shouldn't be pinned to Blackburn. There's nothing wrong with making the case for why these events shouldn't detract from Blackburn's stature, but Guardia settles for simple hagiography.
September 27, 2016
A Reluctant Hero
A stunning story of a distinguished career that follows a long arc of US history in SE Asia. Couldn't put it down.
A stunning story of a distinguished career that follows a long arc of US history in SE Asia. Couldn't put it down.
February 21, 2017
Excellent military history.
I found the story of Blackburn and how he shaped special operations after world war two as interesting as his actions during the war. A must read for anyone interested in military history.
I found the story of Blackburn and how he shaped special operations after world war two as interesting as his actions during the war. A must read for anyone interested in military history.
December 23, 2015
In his book, Shadow Commander: The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn—Guerilla Leader and Special Forces Hero, Mike Guardia traces the life and career of a man who played pivotal roles in both World War Two and the Vietnam War. Stationed in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion, Blackburn and his fellow soldiers escaped into the jungle before being captured at the fall of Bataan. Not content to remain on the defensive, this future General was able to form organized resistance against the enemy. He, his colleagues, and what remained of the Philippine army created havoc for the Japanese invaders while avoiding capture throughout the war. Blackburn’s distinguished career would continue in Vietnam and culminate in the Sontay P.O.W. raid.
Shadow Commander is a well-written account and relies heavily on Blackburn’s own diary entries during his time in the Philippines. It is a concise, accessible volume which details the personal struggles of this military hero. A fast-paced read with a narrow focus, Shadow Commander does not have a broad view of World War Two as a whole, so it is helpful to have some prior knowledge of the subject matter. An occasional map would aid the reader regarding Blackburn’s movements. This does not take away from the narrow escapes and the heart-pounding raids that are seen throughout the book.
Shadow Commander is the fascinating story of an American hero whose military exploits deserve to be told.
I was given a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review
Shadow Commander is a well-written account and relies heavily on Blackburn’s own diary entries during his time in the Philippines. It is a concise, accessible volume which details the personal struggles of this military hero. A fast-paced read with a narrow focus, Shadow Commander does not have a broad view of World War Two as a whole, so it is helpful to have some prior knowledge of the subject matter. An occasional map would aid the reader regarding Blackburn’s movements. This does not take away from the narrow escapes and the heart-pounding raids that are seen throughout the book.
Shadow Commander is the fascinating story of an American hero whose military exploits deserve to be told.
I was given a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review
February 1, 2016
This book is about Army Captain Donald Blackburn, who with future SF Legend Russell Volkmann escaped Bataan and fled to the jungles to raise an army to fight the Japanese. A good portion of the book talks about his time during the jungle and the difficulties they had at first. Also overcoming sickness, and different diseases. He also goes into losing other Americans either by death or being captured. How he had to go farther into the mountains and by doing so he came across different tribes that after he gained there trust he was able to lead them. They eventually became to be known as Blackburn’s Head Hunters. They fought against the Japanese 14th Army gaining victory over them and destroying a naval base. They also made other raids, gaining intelligence, supplies, etc… He stayed active after the war and by 58 was back in Special Forces and in Asia, Vietnam. He played a role in in many operations and creating the training and the way they insert themselves into an area to become one with a village, for example the Green Berets. He goes into his role as commander of SOG, yes it is real. He was also the planer of the Son Tay prison raid. The author used diary and other papers as research for the book, and though I would have liked more detail about SOG and Son Tay, I have other books about those. It would have been nice to have a few comments of men that were under him, but that is just me. Overall a good book about a man that should not be forgotten, but thought of more. I got this book from net galley. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
April 17, 2020
The author made this book very easy to read. At the back of book, it has some of his cited material. I will have to get these books.
I would have gave it a 5 star but: though the book was great, some items were explained at a mile high view. I wish the chapters expanded a little bit more.
Super easy read, Blackburn was a beast.
I would have gave it a 5 star but: though the book was great, some items were explained at a mile high view. I wish the chapters expanded a little bit more.
Super easy read, Blackburn was a beast.
July 19, 2016
Another unsung hero revealed
This is a truly remarkable story of a soldiers will to fight on even after the army surrendered. His courage and dedication led him to a remarkable career
This is a truly remarkable story of a soldiers will to fight on even after the army surrendered. His courage and dedication led him to a remarkable career
October 19, 2015
a very candid book about a military hero from the USA. I found it interesting and I felt that I got a look at countries I may never see
February 4, 2019
Short, and superficial account of Blackburn’s life. Still very interesting...
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews