Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission

Hampton Sides (b. 1962) is an American author, journalist, and historian. Sides is best-known for his narrative history work focusing on American topics such as the US role in World War II and the westward expansion.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Sides obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University. Colorado College awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2017. Sides is a Santa Fe Institute’s 2015 Miller Distinguished Scholar. He also serves on the board of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference.

In addition to the bestseller Ghost Soldiers (2001), the author wrote Blood and Thunder (2006), Hellhound on His Trail (2010), In the Kingdom of Ice (2014), and On Desperate Ground (2018). Throughout his journalistic career, Sides has contributed to such publications as the New Yorker, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and National Geographic. 

Abraham “Abie” Abraham (1913-2012) was a World War II veteran as well as a survivor of the Bataan Death March and the Cabanatuan POW camp. Abie was also the former Guinness World Record holder for the longest tree-sitting for 121 days.

Abraham was born to Syrian immigrants in Pennsylvania. He excelled at boxing.