D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan (Twentieth-Century Battles) [Hardcover]

Harold J. Goldberg (Author)

Book Description

Series: Twentieth-Century Battles | Publication Date: May 2, 2007

In June 1944 the attention of the nation was riveted on events unfolding in France. But in the Pacific, the Battle of Saipan was of extreme strategic importance. This is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic engagements of World War II. The conquest of Saipan and the neighboring island of Tinian was a turning point in the war in the Pacific as it made the American victory against Japan inevitable. Until this battle, the Japanese continued to believe that success in the war remained possible. While Japan had suffered serious setbacks as early as the Battle of Midway in 1942, Saipan was part of her inner defense line, so victory was essential. The American victory at Saipan forced Japan to begin considering the reality of defeat. For the Americans, the capture of Saipan meant secure air bases for the new B-29s that were now within striking distance of all Japanese cities, including Tokyo.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book's great strength is its collected recollections of U.S. participants, chiefly former Marines. This alone would commend its publication." —Spencer C. Tucker

(Spencer C. Tucker 2009)

"The bloody seizure of Saipan by US amphibious forces in 1944 spelled certain doom for Imperial Japan. Harold Goldberg's riveting story of this conflict brings the dead back to life by blending rigorous research with dramatic narratives by hundreds of survivors. He has written a superb account of a pivotal, little-known, and heart-breaking battle." —Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (ret.), author of Storm Landings: Epic Amphibious Battles in the Central Pacific

(Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (ret.), author of Storm Landings: Epic Amphibious Battles in the Central Pacific )

"[U]sing recent interviews he conducted with extant US veterans, [Goldberg] skillfully develops the soldiers' view of the battle for Saipan in an engaging, clearly written and interesting volume that should be recommended to all students studying the Pacific war." —The Journal of Military History, October 2009

(The Journal of Military History )

About the Author

Harold J. Goldberg is the David E. Underdown Distinguished Professor of History and Chair of the Asian Studies Program at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; annotated edition edition (May 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253348692
• ISBN-13: 978-0253348692
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harold J. Goldberg is Professor of History and holds the David Underdown Distinguished Chair at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. An award winning teacher, Dr. Goldberg serves as Chair of the Asian Studies Program. He visited Saipan in 2004 for the 60th commemoration of the battle. In preparing and writing D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan, he interviewed approximately 200 marine and army veterans. His recent book, Competing Voices From World War II in Europe, presents the war from various perspectives and includes American, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, and other sources. Eyewitness testimony and interviews by the author make this view of the war in Europe unique in its presentation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saipan as the Turning Point for Japan, October 7, 2007

By 

Mr. Truthteller (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan (Twentieth-Century Battles) (Hardcover)

The importance of the capture of Saipan is two-fold. First, to most Japanese military strategists, Saipan represented the outermost reaches of the defenses of the Japanese Empire itself. Thus, its loss meant that it would only be a question of time before Japan itself was invaded and all was lost. Second, to the Allies, Saipan represented air bases from which the new B-29 planes could reach and bomb Japanese cities, including, and especially, Tokyo.

"D-Day in the Pacific" is an extremely well-written account of the actions and politics leading up to the decision to invade Saipan (and Tinian, adjacent to it), including the clash of wills between Admiral King and Gen. MacArthur, the strategies and tactics of the invasions (e.g., the separate landings by the 2nd and 4th Marine divisions), the major personalities involved on both sides, and the battles on the islands, including the well-known suicidal tactics of the Japanese, as seen not only from the perspective of the commanders but the front line troops as well. Numerous photos are also included.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, well-chronicled account of Saipan battle, April 25, 2008

By 

Sonny Craven "Colonel, US Army, Ret." (The Villages, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan (Twentieth-Century Battles) (Hardcover)

As I researched the death of my Marine uncle on D-day , June 15, on Saipan Island, it became clear that Professor Goldberg's well-written and documented book would be a valuable source of information to go with all the other books I had read, including the excellent 1946 edition of the 4th Marine Division Association's historical account of the battle. In fact, in Dr. Goldberg's book, I learned of accounts from others in my uncle's company that help confirm what my family had long believed about the circumstances of his death, and a contradiction of statements of mortuary graves registration personnel at the time that were recorded in my uncle's official military personnel record I obtained.

At a recent family reunion, I obtained a copy of the unit commander's letter to my grandfather which corroborated Dr. Goldberg's account and the testimony of a member of my uncle's company contained in the book as to how he almost certainly died (despite efforts to contact this veteran from information supplied graciously by the author, I haven't gotten a response and I fear he may be one of the 1,000 WWII veterans who die each day).

Nonetheless, the book's account and the letter of my uncle's commander, written in September of 1944, match the time he went ashore and circumstances of the hostilities at the time. I was able to almost pinpoint the time of his death from the book, but most illuminating, I learned of his unit's activities during the day. His unit was part of a "feint" or diversionary tactic and was not part of the initial landing that faced murderous fire, because his unit was compensated for being part of the first wave in the assault at Namur, a previous battle. (It was traditional for combat troops seeing first combat or bearing the brunt to be made part of a reserve or backup force in the next battle)

During the reunion, I was able to give a factual account of this hero to 50 family members & descendants as we stood at his gravesite to commemorate his sacrifice at age 22.

My one lament regarding the book: I gave it away this week to my first cousin named for my uncle. Now, I have to buy another - which will make the author happy, too.

21 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on Pacific war, June 9, 2007

By 

Richard Kelly "Rick K" (Wall NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan (Twentieth-Century Battles) (Hardcover)

This book is a great overview on one of the lesser known battles of ww2. there is a lot of background information on the saipan and the events leading up to the invasion. recommended reading for anyone who would like to know more about saipan