Get Free eBook Sample
Larry Smith is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Few and the Proud and Beyond Glory. The latter was adapted into a major Broadway play by Stephen Lang. Smith lives in South Norwalk, Connecticut.
Iwo Jima: World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific
by Larry Smith
eBook
$13.99
$23.95
| Save 42%
-
ISBN-13:
9780393285635
- Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
- Publication date: 05/18/2009
- Sold by: Barnes & Noble
- Format: eBook
- Pages: 384
- Sales rank: 306,908
- File size: 7 MB
What People are Saying About This
Available on NOOK devices and apps
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
13.99
In Stock
“A vivid and compelling account by a true master of oral history.” —General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.), Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
On February 19, 1945, nearly 70,000 American marines invaded a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific. Over the next thirty-five days, approximately 28,000 combatants died, including nearly 22,000 Japanese and 6,821 Americans, making Iwo Jima one of the costliest battles of World War II. Bestselling author Larry Smith lets twenty-two veterans tell the story of this epic clash in their own words; the result is a “superb and fascinating work by one of our nation’s leading oral historians” (Jay Winik, author of April 1865). Iwo Jima includes accounts from the last surviving flag raiser on Mount Suribachi, a Navajo code talker, a retired general, two Medal of Honor recipients, and B-29 flyers. With numerous photographs and maps, Iwo Jima is a stunning history of an emblematic battle and a powerful, personal history of this greatest generation of marines.Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
-
- Last Man Standing: The 1st…
- by Dick Camp
-
- Stalin
- by Ian Grey
-
- D-Days in the Pacific
- by Donald L. Miller
-
- The Silent Service in World…
- by Michael GreenEdward Monroe-Jones
-
- The Deadly Brotherhood: The…
- by John McManus
-
- Supreme Commander:…
- by Seymour Morris Jr.
-
- The Germans in Normandy
- by Richard Hargreaves
-
- Battle of Surigao Strait
- by Anthony P. Tully
-
- Omaha Beach and Beyond: The…
- by John Robert SlaughterAlex Kershaw
-
- The Few and the Proud: Marine…
- by Larry Smith
-
- Grey Wolf, Grey Sea: Aboard…
- by E. B. GasawayKarl Dönitz
-
- The Lions of Iwo Jima: The…
- by Fred Haynes USMC-RETJames A. Warren
-
- Into the Rising Sun: In Their…
- by Patrick K. O'Donnell
-
- Eastern Front Combat: The…
- by Hans Wijers
Recently Viewed
Library Journal
The story of the Battle of Iwo Jima is well known, especially with the attention it received on its 60th anniversary in 2005 and the publication then of several fine studies (e.g., James Bradley and Ron Powers's Flags of Our Fathers), not to mention Clint Eastwood's two recent films. Now best-selling author Smith (Beyond Glory) has amassed a superb collection of 22 oral histories from Iwo Jima veterans, including two Medal of Honor winners, a Navajo "Code-Talker," the last surviving flag raiser from the first flag raising on Mount Suribachi, a war correspondent, and an African American marine who served in an ammo company. These veterans make for a good mix of officers and enlisted men. In his introductions and follow-ups to their memories, Smith discusses the controversy surrounding the flag raisings (whether posed or genuine, etc.), the fate of Japanese commander Kuribayashi, and the ultimate fate of the island itself, among other topics. In spite of the extensive literature on Iwo Jima, this is a unique and compelling book; strongly recommended for all collections. (Photos not seen.)—David Lee Poremba
Kirkus Reviews
Veterans tell personal stories of the iconic 1945 island battle. In his third oral-history collection, veteran journalist Smith (The Few and the Proud: Marine Corps Drill Instructors in Their Own Words, 2006) interviewed 22 retired soldiers, all over the age of 80. Readers accustomed to today's wars, in which a single American death makes headlines, may recoil at the mass slaughter these men witnessed. Several marine flamethrowers relate the gruesome mechanics of their specialty. A surviving medic (nearly 200 died) reveals the equally horrific duties that won him a Medal of Honor. A sailor who participated in minesweeping before his ship's landing recalls how, despite never touching shore, dozens of his shipmates died. An operations officer describes the weeks during which almost all his fellow officers and friends fell. Perhaps the most moving subject is Samuel Tso, a Navajo from a poor family who never saw them during four years at a government high school in which officials forced students to speak only English. Drafted into the legendary code-talkers, he and his fellow tribesmen used the formerly forbidden Navajo language as a secure method of communication between units during battle. Several crewmen describe missions during which an emergency landing on Iwo saved their lives. Since each veteran summarizes his life history, readers will learn what it was like to grow up in Depression-era America, when nearly everyone struggled. Thankfully, all of the stories contained here have happy endings. Exemplary oral history.
From the Publisher
"This audiobook is a must for all WWII aficionados." —AudioFile