Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II [Paperback]

Robert Leckie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1996

Marine and Pacific war veteran Robert Leckie retells the epic story of the battle of Okinawa from both sides. Strikingly intimate portraits of the Japanese generals, the American soldiers, and their commanding officers brilliantly illuminate those individuals who fought in this bloody confrontation. of photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Military historian Leckie covers the fierce battle between American and Japanese troops for the island of Okinawa throughout the spring of 1945.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

On this 50th anniversary of the battle of Okinawa (April to June 1945), we can expect an avalanche of titles about this last major battle of World War II. Okinawa was an epic amphibious-air-sea-land battle the likes of which may never be seen again. The conflict raged for 83 days; 13,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese perished. Kamikazes sank 34 and damaged 361 U.S. vessels. Both Astor and Leckie are experienced military historians who tell their stories in the words of participants. Astor interviewed numerous veterans and compiled a masterful account of the battle as seen through the eyes of both American and Japanese survivors. He explores the history, training, and morale of the army and marine divisions and demonstrates why each was bound to succeed or fail. On the other hand, Leckie has written a "Monarch Notes" version of the battle that tells us nothing new. For the best history of the Okinawa campaign, readers should consider James and William Belote's Typhoon of Steel: The Battle for Okinawa (1970).?Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140173897
• ISBN-13: 978-0140173895
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Thin treatment of a fascinating story, January 26, 1999

By 

Wayne A. Smith (Newark, DE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II (Paperback)

I had always wanted to read a solid analysis and telling of the Okinawa campaign. Unfortunately, the author's book disappoints.

First, there are no maps. This is a fatal error for a battle whose places are unfamiliar and whose units are unknown -- particularly the Japanese. Reference maps of the island and the progress of the campaign would have helped orient the reader and clarified some of the story.

The author highlighted various parts of the battle but left others under explored. While the facets he focused on are satisfactory, I came away wishing that the parts had been tied together to form a more coherent whole. Overall, not bad, but could have been better

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'VE READ BETTER - BUT THIS WAS A EASY READ, October 31, 2005

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II (Paperback)

I was just a bit disappointed with this particular work. The only words I can use, off the top of my head are "thin" and "shallow." Fortunately, this was a fast and very easy read and was worth the small effort it took to read. As pointed out by other reviewers, there were no maps! It is difficult, if not impossible to glean helpful information in reference to battle with out them. There were many, many aspects of this particular battle which were briefly touched upon, but nothing in depth. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this work is the fact that while I can complain about lack of information, etc. which is not really all that important, the true wonderful men who fought this battle, I feel, are quite short changed here. They, the men, deserve better. I suppose I can recommend this one if you want a brief overview, but other works should certainly be read and pondered.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A summary history of the Battle for Okinawa., January 30, 2004

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II (Paperback)

I have many of Leckie's books about American history. His books are average reads generally. In this book, Leckie details the last battle of World War II and why Okinawa was picked as an island to be invaded by the Marines and U.S. Army. At a little over two hundred pages, it is an easy read and one can understand the ferocious fight that developed between the Americans and Japanese.
Five chapters of this book deal with the kamikazes and the effects on the U.S. Navy. Only four pages deal with the attack on the Yamato, which I believe was a significant event of the battle for the island. The rest of the book concerns the desperate struggle for the island and the death or capture of the Japanese forces. As a previous reviewer has noted, some of battles for the island have been shorted or left out in this summary history. Leckie does include some interesting details, such as the fact 10,000 Japanese soldiers surrendered rather than commit suicide.
This is an average read about a great battle. Leckie provides a lot of upfront history prior to explaining the great battle over the island, and this might lessen the interest of those who want to read about the subject of the book. Operation Iceberg is a more detailed book about this battle.