Synopses & Reviews
On the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, a new edition of the landmark text on the greatest land battle of the Pacific War—with a new afterword by the author
More people perished during the battle of Okinawa than in the ensuing atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The Battle of Okinawa is a stunning account of the last major campaign of World War II and the largest land-sea-air engagement in history. Superbly researched and extraordinarily detailed, this masterpiece of military history is told at the level of the participants themselves, soldiers and civilians alike. This gripping read examines the disastrous collision of three disparate cultures—American, Japanese, and Okinawan—and paints an unforgettable picture of men at war while providing the context for understanding one of the most ominous events of the past century: the decision to drop the atomic bomb.
Review
"A skillful narrative of combat history . . . exceedingly vivid." --
New York Times Book Review "Deeply moving . . . Unless we know of Okinawa and its beleaguered people, we know precious little of World War II." --Studs Terkel "A classic . . . a meticulously researched account." --Robert Massie "[A] great book. Feifer's account of the three sides and their experiences far surpasses most books about war. His work is a credit to journalism, history and the United States." --Stephen E. Ambrose "More than a military history, [this book] is also a supremely important, heartrending chronicle of the human condition." --
San Francisco Chronicle "Short of having been there, Feifer's book is as close as we are likely to come to experiencing those terrible three months in the spring of 1945." --
Newsday "Brilliantly told . . . an uncompromising look at the inhumanity on both sides of the Pacific war." --Houston Chronicle
Synopsis
More people perished during the battle of Okinawa than in the ensuing bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The Battle of Okinawa offers a stunning account of the last major campaign of World War II and the largest land-sea-air engagement in history. Superbly researched and extraordinarily detailed, this masterpiece of military history is told at the level of the participants themselves, soldiers and civilians alike. In examining the disastrous collision of three disparate cultures--American, Japanese, and Okinawan--this book provides an unforgettable picture of men at war and also the context for understanding one of the most ominous events of this century: the decision to drop the atomic bomb.
Synopsis
This book provides an unforgettable picture of men at war and also the context for understanding one of the most ominous events of this century: the decision to drop the atomic bomb.
About the Author
George Feifer is the author of many successful books, including The Battle of Okinawa, originally published as Tennozan: The Battle of Okinawa and the Atomic Bomb and a New York Times Notable Book; Moscow Farewell, a Book of the Month Club Main Selection; and The Girl from Petrovka, the basis of a Hollywood film. He has written for the New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Harpers, and the Saturday Evening Post.