Steel's Treasure by Nick Auclair

Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita is known today for many heralded accomplishments during World War II. He conquered Malaya within 70 days from the British, earning him the moniker "The Tiger of Malaya". In October of 1944, when the war situation was critical for Japan, he assumed command of the Fourteenth Area Army to defend the occupied Philippines. But he is perhaps best known today for “Yamashita’s Treasure” or “Yamashita’s Gold” which is the alleged war loot stolen from Southeast Asia by Imperial Japanese forces and supposedly hidden in caves, tunnels, or underground complexes in different cities in the Philippines.

In this novel, US Air Force Captain William Steel is an intelligence officer stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1985. He’s excellent at his intel job but he’s not exactly a by-the-book officer. In his spare time, he searches for Yamashita’s treasure, utilizing his network of locals that he’s accumulated over the past three years. He’s been called a “problem officer” more than once because he has a tendency to cut corners to achieve his goals.

This novel, the first in a series, is a dynamic story of Steel’s hunt for the treasure. But it’s also much more than that. Part mystery, part historical, and part men’s action adventure, it also has a nice bit of romance. Steel is a complex character, balancing his duty to the USAF with his own personal desires and goals which lead to several conflicting choices, often landing him in hot water. A healthy cadre of supporting characters round out the story and provide a real page-turning read.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the novel is its realism. The author, himself, served as a USAF Intel officer for five years in the Philippines in the 1980s. As a retired USAF officer, myself, I can attest to the accuracy of the day-to-day activities of an overseas air base that we find here. The interactions of the Airmen, NCOs, and officers is so spot-on that it really brought back some memories for me. The lingo is perfect, not overdone like you see in the movies and on TV, but absolutely the way it is. And the setting of Clark Air Base and the surrounding territory, including Angeles City couldn’t be better.

I also enjoyed the flashback sequences showing the war effort from various points of view, including Yamashita himself. It added a nice touch of history without bogging down the plot.

Don’t go into this one expecting an over-the-top Indian Jones type of treasure hunting adventure. Sure, it has plenty of action including gun battles and a daring rescue of an American General. But there is no nuke-the-fridge kind of action here. This is a realistic, albeit dangerous approach to a treasure hunt. The author ought to know since he also spent his spare time in the Philippines searching for this same treasure.

I really enjoyed this one. Thankfully, there is a sequel out called, "Steel's Gold".