Customer Reviews

To the Far Side of Hell: The Battle for Peleliu, 1944 (Alabama Fire Ant)

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Peleliu was a bitch. Bad intelligence, new Japanese tactics, horrible terrain, tired troops, vegetation that hid the rough terrain all combined to change the estimated three day campaign to put down a few hundred Japanese troops lasted for 71 days of truly vicious fighting by the 10,500 Japanese troops dug into the caves and hidden. It has even been argued that the invasion of Peleliu wasn't necessary as leaving it behind to wither on the vine would have done just as much good.

None the less, Peleliu was taken. One of the bloodiest battles in the the Pacific, now largely forgotten. About the only good think you can say regarding Peleliu is that it tought some valuable lessons to the Marines. These were to be well used in subsequent campaigns where the Japanese again fought with similar tactics.

Mr. Wright is becoming a well known author after publishing books on Tarawa and Iwo Jima.

The front cover is from Peleliu and has become famous as 'The Two Thousand Yard Stare."