Customer Reviews

IWO

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As someone who reads a lot of military history, I have to say this book keeps you in the action! Written from the point of view of the Marines fighting on Iwo Jima and the Japanese defending it, you're kept in the heat of the battle. Richard Wheeler's graphic descriptions of death, life, and sometimes humor in this "10 Day operation" will amaze and shock readers into seeing why "uncommon valor was a common virtue". The book is not a grand strategic overview of all the forces in the operation. It does give the reader a look at the preparations the Japanese made, the Army Air Corps' use for the island, and the maneuvers the various Marine divisions did, or tried to do. Also contained is a complete background on the famous flag raising. The book is really the story of the individual Marines and how they lived and fought on the island. Marine's names and backgrounds abound due to the author's first-hand knowledge. For anyone that saw Saving Private Ryan this is the Pacific version. A must read for anyone interested in the Pacific campaigns of World War II, the war in general, or the Marines.

I am a USMC veteran who reads extensively about WW II. This is the best book about Iwo Jima I have ever read and have recommended it to my old buddies.

IWO is spellbinding. Written from the point of view of the Marines that fought, it tells their story and keeps the reader glued to the pages. Graphic discriptions of life and death hold the attention and provide a new insight to this battle. A must read for anyone intrested the military and war history.

written so excellent, one will hardly ever forget. Dramatic, shocking and sad book about proud not afraid to die but nevertheless doomed Japanese soldiers and desperate, brave, pushed to the limits Marines, all dying for..(?!). Books about Stalingrad and Monte Casino come to my mind and "Iwo" should be on your shelf together with them. Maybe your children will read it some day and try to ponder nature of wars decided by individuals (rulers/politicians) and resulting in tragedy for many; as
Bertrand Russell noted: "war does not determine who is right, only who is left".

"Iwo" is along with Brendan Phibbs "Our War For the World" the best WWII book I've read.
The story is told from both sides with fascinating information about the Japanese leadership on the island and the fact that an early plan to use poison gas before the invasion was cancelled.
Mr. Wheeler is a Marine and fought on Iwo Jima and was wounded.
"Iwo" was a source for Clint Eastwood's upcoming movie.

Iwo tells the tale of the battle for Iwo Jima, as a veteran of the battle, Mr. Wheeler was in an excellent position to tell us about the battle that few historians would be able to meet. Mr. Wheeler opens his book by describing the Japanese leaders and preparations for defending Iwo Jima. This is rapidly followed by the American preparations and the initial landing. The center piece is the assault and flag raising on Suribachi; concluding with the Americans taking Iwo Jima

My Likes
Mr. Wheeler tells this in a very gritty way, that of a Marine who was on the beach and tasted the sulfur in the air and dirt. When reading this book you can almost feel the shells crashing around you and know that someone is watching each move you make up the beachhead. I particularly love how Mr. Wheeler provides nice details about each of the Marines he covers; a little more than most historians would provide you. Another love is the details on E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division; his old unit. When describing his unit, Mr. Wheeler provides excellent background and feeling for the men. Particular attention is paid to the two flag raisings. Another great addition Mr. Wheeler provides is on the Japanese, their preparations and their leaders; something just starting when this book was originally written. The additional pieces about the Japanese help us to understand more about the battle.

My Dislikes
Maps. The few maps in the edition I have are of lower quality. I would have loved to have seen some nice maps included in the book that showed where the Marines were on at the end of the first day and other significant days. I also would have enjoyed having a nice breakdown of what the Japanese bunker networks looked like. This would have been great for showing readers how terrible the fields of fire were. I also wish the Navy would have been included a little more than they were (they're there, but more to take the Marines to Iwo, prep the area, and then support them). My other desirement for the book was focusing on the other Marine units as well as he did his own.

The Rating
A very solid 4 star book (going rapidly to 4.5 stars). The writing is nice and clean as it's told from the Marines perspective. There's also excellent photos. This made me lean to 5 stars, but with the lack of maps and the coverage of the other Marine units not being as good as the assault on Suribachi I'm rounding to 4 stars. That said, I seriously doubt that any book can describe the valor of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines as well as this one did. A very good book!

The author of this book, Richard Wheeler, was a veteran of the fighting on Iwo Jima and this is a somewhat personal account of the fighting there. By a personal account I mean one that features the names and actions of individual US marines, over broader tactical considerations. Wheeler's first book on the fighting on Iwo Jima, "The Bloody Battle for Suribachi", was a first person account of his fighting there and the flag raising on Mount Suribachi. While the present book is personal in tone, it is not a first person account and covers the all the fighting on Iwo Jima. The emphasis is, however, still on the opening phases of the battle and on the actions of his outfit, the 5th Marine Division. In fact, only about ¼ of the book is about the events that occurred after the flag raising, in spite of the fact that most of the fighting (actually about 85-90% in terms of the days of combat) and most of the casualties occurred after the flag raising. This last ¼ of the book seemed somewhat rushed and superficial. While I liked the book, I could only give it 4 stars because I felt that not enough attention was paid to most of the fighting. The book contains numerous photographs and a few maps (but in my opinion not enough maps, especially those showing the detailed evolution of the fighting).

The four star rating should not be taken to mean that I did not like this book. Wheeler makes the fighting on Iwo Jima come alive in the most personal of terms, but those seeking a fuller history may be a bit disappointed. While riveting, this personal style does not present an extremely detailed picture of most of the battle.

We were searching for books that would depict the true situation on Iwo Jima during WWII. We were thrilled with this selection. We found two pictures we believe to be my husband's father. We have looked for photos where my mother-in-law could see well enough to say if it was her husband. These photos were excellent.

richard wheelers book on the battle of iwo jima
is one of the best books written.it gives detailed
information that richad wheeler got from veterans
that he interevied that fought the battle. a great
book. al eutsey iwo jima survivor