Iwo Jima: World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific - Hardcover

Smith, Larry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393062341 ISBN 13: 9780393062342

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

Synopsis

The men who fought and survived the deadliest battle of the Pacific come to life in this powerful oral history.

On February 19, 1945, nearly 70,000 American soldiers invaded a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific. Over the next thirty-five days, approximately 28,000 soldiers died, including nearly 22,000 Japanese and 6,821 Americans, making Iwo Jima one of the costliest battles of World War II. Best-selling oral historian Larry Smith dug deep for exclusive stories from Iwo Jima veterans, including the last surviving flag raiser on Mount Suribachi, a Navajo "Code Talker," a retired general, two Medal of Honor recipients, B-29 flyers, and other die-hard Marines who secured the island. Along the way, Smith investigates the controversy surrounding the famous photograph by Joe Rosenthal and presents the groundbreaking story of Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, rumored to have committed suicide rather than submit to capture. With dozens of photographs and maps, Iwo Jima is an unprecedented look at this pivotal battle and an inspiring study in courage, perseverance, and humanity.

About this title

About the Author:

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.

From AudioFile:

Dick Hill takes listeners back nearly 64 years to February 19, 1945, and the U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific occupied by the Japanese. Hill is more than up to the challenge of portraying the memories and varying accents of 22 survivors of one of the costliest battles of WWII, a battle that claimed nearly 22,000 Japanese and 7,000 American lives. Enhancing the listening experience even more is Hill's exacting grasp of a Japanese accent. Author Larry Smith does an exceptional job of weaving the personal memories of the heroic veterans and factual nuggets--either previously unreported or unknown--on the battle itself. This audiobook is a must for all WWII aficionados. J.P.D. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0393062341
• ISBN 13: 9780393062342
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384