About the Book

"The Massacre at Atêate tells the story of the courageous people of the idyllic southern village of Malesso', who liberated themselves from the violent occupation of their village by Japanese forces during World War II. After scores of their relatives were killed in two massacres, a group of Chamoru men rose up in a little-known place called Atêate, where they fought and massacred the Japanese to protect their families. The book includes an introduction by Robert A. Underwood and an afterword by Michael Lujan Bevacqua"--

Book Synopsis

Torres' story of courage, endurance and heroism in 'The Massacre at Atåte'

The Massacre at Atåte tells the story of the courageous people of the idyllic southern village of Malesso' in Guam, who liberated themselves from the violent occupation of their village by Japanese forces during World War II. After scores of their relatives were killed in two massacres, a group of CHamoru men rose up in a littleknown place called Atåte, where they fought and massacred the Japanese to protect their families. The book includes an introduction by Guam's former Representative to U.S. Congress Dr. Robert A. Underwood, and an afterword by Guam Historian Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua.

Review Quotes

"Historians sometimes discount firsthand accounts, while anthropologists focus upon them. [The Massacre at Atåte, 2nd ed.] balances the two viewpoints of history and includes Historical Notes among the chapters. These provide excellent anchors to other events in Guam's war experience ... The historical notes clarify the place of the Torres story in the war's chronology and lure the reader to continue. Unlike current history books, Torres identifies the men who accomplish the uprising and the liberation of Malesso' ... The Massacre at Atåte may appeal to anyone who likes to read about war, but it is also an interesting and powerful story of courage, endurance and heroism.""--Paulette M. Coulter "Pacific Daily News"

About the Author

Born and raised in Malesso', Jose M. Torres (1926-2015) graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. He later joined a National Institutes of Health research team that was studying the island's high incidence of two neurological diseases: Parkinsonism-dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease. In 1995, he started hosting "Classical Concert," a twice weekly, two-hour program of classical music on Guam's public radio.