Customer Reviews

Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I do believe that Robert Leckie tried to write a comprehensive history of the Battle for Okinawa, but somehow gave way to writing a superficial, grab bag story that tries to tell everything but just bounces around. We can see the history of the area, of Japan's conquest of the island and of the development of the Samurai spirit in Japan. But then what is lacking is any real investigation and substance about what it all means and the larger context for the battle.

A case in point is that we hear a great deal about the attacks of the Kamikaze plans on the American fleet at Okinawa, but just as it seems he is about to go into more detail, Leckie pulls back and goes into some background story or piece about the land battle. Similarly, he focuses extensively on regimental names and assignments but rarely does he go into the suffering that soldiers, marines and sailors experienced during the battle. If he does, it is only on a very think level.

This is a good enough book if you're interested in a superficial history of the Battle, but for people with a genuine interest in it, you're better off elsewhere.

I read this book while my husband (with his family in tow) was stationed at Butler on Okinawa. We lived on Kinser, visited the ER on Lester, shopped at Courtney, Foster & Kadena (ect.), and visited every base on the Island over the 3 years we were there.

I thought Leckies books was both powerful & noble in the telling of the Battle for Okinawa. I could actually SEE the battle as my family & I visited memorials and battle sites. Leckie's book brought it all to life for me.

Here's something of intrest for all those who read Mr. Leckie's book; The Camp Kinser Commissary is built on the site of a former temp. cemetery for those who died in the battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. There wasn't a trip for groceries at Kinser that I wasn't reminded why my Marine was on Oki.

This is the fourth book I've read on the battle fought on and around Okinawa. It is the thinnest in length and in content - packs a lot for a little book - but not quite enough for a student of military history. Unfortunately - many good books have come before - and the book just doesn't measure up in comparison.

The author sets a trap for himself if he intended a compact book with all necessary players and events that shaped this battle. He does a good job of tracing the conflicts within the US and Japanese command structures - insolence on the part of Japanese junior officers leading to poor advice/unnecessary slaughter - to outright disobediance of orders on the US side on the part of Douglas MacArthur who unnecessarily invaded inconsequential southern Philippine Islands - rather than divert his military resources to the Okinawa campaign as ordered.

All the pieces for a great read are here - except nothing was developed in enough depth to put the reader THERE. Other books, such as "The Old Breed" and even Samuel Morison's "Two Ocean War" do the battle events greater justice as although more limited in scope (USMC or US Navy centric) the reader of these books is given a more in depth understanding of the parts these entities played in the battle.

Okinawa was essentially 10 wars fought in tandem:

1. The Japanese 'Land War'
2. The Japanese 'Naval War'
3. The Japanese 'Air War'
4. The Okinawa civilians 'war refugees and victims'
5. The US Army 'Land War'
6. The US Army Logistics Effort'
7. The US 'Surface Navy War'
8. The US Navy 'Air War'
9. The US Marine Corps 'Land War'
10. The US Marine Corps 'Air War'

This is much too much data for a 200 some odd page book - no matter how compactly written and craftily edited. Uncomfortably - one admires how well one zips through the pages, until one realizes he/she just got a 'Cliffs Notes' version of some of the important and/or major events.

Major players and heros got premier treatment - valor recognized mainly for the land battle participants. Sailors were not so prominently featured - as the land battle took the lead in the book.

The amount of damage inflicted on the US Fleet turned out to be a Japanese disappointment - as the US Navy landed and supported the ground campaign throughout the entire battle. More damage to US ships was expected, and the Japanese leaders deliberately inflated their combat statistics not as not to lose face in light of their commands efforts.

The author indeed does a good job of fighting his way out of his own trap of limited space. The editing is to be admired - but the content falls short of a historical standard that does this battle justice.

This book is very well written and full of detail and emotion about one soldiers place in the 1st Marine Division during WWII. It is a very easy read, and full of great stories. This book, along with The Old Breed was used to make the HBO series (Spielberg/Tom Hanks production) 10 part mini-series, which is EXCELLENT! So, read these two books and relive their heroic adventures in the Pacific with the 1st Marines! And the cost of the boot was quite low as well, so it will not hurt your pocket book.

This is a well written history of the battle and more. Having lived on Oki more than once and flown out of Kadena AFB, I have some first hand knowledge of this island battle.

I thought the book was good, but I was looking for Robert Leckie's accounts on Okinawa. This book was a more iformational book than one Marine's time on Okinawa.

Okinawa
The Last Battle of World War II Robert Leckie

The author describes in detail the various battles using landmarks on maps. Unfortunately, the book has not a single map. If you want to read this book, get your own detailed map of Okinawa to try and follow along.

The author at the end tries to say that Truman thought the use of the a bomb was a mistake using a letter he wrote to his sister at the time saying that the decision to bomb was a terrible decision. Obviously, the decision was terrible. He knew that many thousands would die. The decision was not a mistake however, and Truman never said that it was.

As the Author points out, Okinawa was a compromise between what Adm King wanted, which was an invasion of Formosa, and Okinawa. Formosa had 3 times as many Japs defending it. King agreed, as Okinawa would also would provide a jumping off point, but to Kings chagrin, was not nearly as close to China, which King also wanted to help.
Casualty estimates to attack Formosa were 150,000 Americans, much too costly.
With Saipan taken, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were natural stepping stones to Japan. Taking Okinawa would also cut off the supply line of oil to Japan.
Okinawa was to be the jumping off point for the invasion of Japan in the fall of 1945.

The island was fortified and was made of coral. The Japs would also use the kamikaze for the first time in large numbers. The author spends a long time discussing the history and use of the kamikaze flyer. He discussed the Jap generals in charge of the defense of Okinawa. The kamikazes destroyed a bunch of Navy ships. Each is detailed by the author.
The force invading was larger than the D Day invasion force in terms of ocean going ships, Navy firepower, tonnage, and numbers of troops invading. Ike had 150,000 troops invading, Gen Buckner had 184,000 invading. Kelly Turner was the Navy man in charge of getting the troops to shore. He had a habit of trying to manage the assault force after it got ashore too, and caused a bunch of fights with the Marine officer. Turner had screwed up the Guadalcanal invasion causing a bunch of Marines to be killed, so the Marines were not happy to have him in charge again.17 carriers were used.
Okinawa was pounded for several days by the ships as they did not want to make the same mistake as at Iwo, which only 2 days bombardment by the ships left many Jap fortifications and Japs alive to kill Marines when they came ashore.
Several medals of honor were won by the Navy, Marines, and Army.
The Japs did not defend the beaches, so it was a couple of days before they came upon the enemy lines.
The largest battleship afloat, then or now, the Yamato, made a one way kamikaze trip from Japan to try and use her 18 inch guns to stop the landings, but was sunk on its way there. It was hit by sub torpedoes, as well as by bombs and torpedoes from American Navy planes. The ships escorting her were also sunk.
The death of Ernie Pyle is described.
The battle of Kakazu ridge is discussed in detail
The Japs mostly defended from fortified positions. When they came out for Banzai charges, they were slaughtered by the Americans.
Two ammunition ships were lost to kamikazes on April 6, and the loss of the ammo was felt for a long time.
Hodge made and attack and was hurled back by the Japs.
The air force and Navy both attacked the kamikaze air bases.
Army Gen Buckner, in charge of the Okinawa operation did not give the Marines a chance to make a behind the lines invasion that could have stopped the fighting a lot sooner. The Marines were not suffering the ammunition shortage the Army was, and could have done the invasion.
The Navy was getting tired of Buckner's slow progress, and they wished that Marine Gen Holland Smith was in charge. The quicker the invasion was over, the quicker the navy ships could move out of range of the kamikazes.
Adm Nimitz had loaned some of his ships to MacArthur, and wanted them back, but Mac refused, saying they were being used. Mac had invented a task for the ships so that he did not have to return them.
May 7, an attack started and continued for days. Finally the Jap lines broke and the Jap generals killed themselves.
According to the author, the capture of Okinawa finally convinced Emperor Hirohito that the Japs had lost the war. He now would help the peace group trying to find a way to stop the war.