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So Sad to Fall in Battle: An Account of War Based on General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's Letters from Iwo Jima

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Freelance Japanese writer Kumiko Kakehashi has done a masterful job in describing the battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldier; more precisely, from the perspective of Lt. Gen. Tadamachi Kuribayashi, the commander of the Japanese garrison based on Iwo Jima.

Throughout the book, the author describes Kuribayashi as a caring man who was devoted not only to his family, but to his fellow soldiers as well. His deep-seeded feelings for his family's well-being are brought to life by the letters he sent to them from the front. Kuribayashi was in his 50's when he was called to lead the Japanese forces on Iwo Jima. he left a wife and three young children at home in Tokyo. Despite being given a virtual death sentence by his assignment, he still maintained contact with his family through his numerous letters.

Kuribayashi's feelings about his family are evident throughout his letters. His concern shows regarding even small, insignificant events. For example, one letter describes his concern over his family's drafty house and his regret that he was unable to fix the problem before leaving. He always told his children to obey their mother, and he told his wife to remain strong and not to worry about what others think.

As a military commander, Kuribayashi was different from other Japanese generals. He had a genuine concern for his men, and he refused to think of them as being expendable. Rather, he refused to allow them to use the banzai charge in battle. He also insisted on forgoing any special treatment his rank may have brought him. Instead, he ate the same food rations as his soldiers did, and he lived in an underground bunker. He also walked all over Iwo Jima to coordinate the building of defensive positions.

Kuribayashi was a brilliant strategist. He believed that the best defense was to construct miles and miles of underground, interlocking tunnels rather than beach defenses. When the American invasion came in February, 1945, the Americans met little resistance on the beach, but, once they began to push inland, the Japanese sprang from their concealed positions. The battle for Iwo Jima became the costliest in history for the United States Marines, and General Kuribayashi's unique style of defense was the cause.

The author also describes the hardships faced by the Japanese. Water was virtually unattainable, except what could be collected from rainstorms. Food was on short supply as well. One particular passage in the book states that the while the Japanese were forced to huddle, starving and thirsty, in their bunkers, the Americans were able to drink hot coffee and take hot showers. Despite these hardships, Kuribayashi's men fought with a tenacity never before seen in the Pacific war.

Kuribayashi met his death doing as he had wished; leading his men in a surprise attack against the American lines. Upon his death, he was given a posthumous promotion to full general. American General Holland Smith called Kuribayashi America's most feared and respected foe.

I found this to be an interesting and moving book. The general's letters showed compassion and caring. He definitely did not fit the mode of the prototypical Japanese general. Rather than being brutal and uncaring, Kuribayashi was respectful and humane. Despite these characteristics, he was still a ferocious fighter and a capable commander.

I give this book my highest recommendation. The letters give the book a personal feeling, and the reader gets a true sense of what general Kuribayashi was really like. Kuribayashi was called one of America's most worthy adversaries. Read this book and find out why he attained such praise.

Reading So Sad to Fall in Battle, one grasps that Kumiko Kakehashi is not a military historian. This however, is no weakness but rather a strength on her part as she chronicles the thoughts, feelings and ideas of the Imperial Japanese Army commander and some of his men who fought and fell on a twenty-two kilometers squared patch of hell on earth named Iwo Jima. Orders of battle and which army corps was staffed by what division appear only as necessary as it may be to tell the book's tragic story: that of a brilliant general who led an extraordinary group of soldiers in a hopelessly merciless battle that they never had a chance of winning.
Kakehashi has instead focused on one of the great unknowns of the Second World War: the thoughts and feelings of the Japanese soldiers who fought in one of the war's last apocalyptic struggles. She narrows that focus even more to shed light on a further and perhaps greater unknown, the man who was Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi.
Before Ken Watanabe's sublime portrayal of LTG Kuribayashi in Clint Eastwood's heartbreaking "Letters From Iwo Jima" (the book was an inspiration for the film), this figure was probably little known outside of history circles or the family, friends and former soldiers this man left behind. In the author's work this maverick tactician is brought back through the letters he penned to his family before the battle that claimed his life. What one learns is that besides being extremely unorthodox in his battle planning it was not just his realist military mind that set him apart from his peers, but his sense of duty and heartfelt compassion towards the men serving under him and the overflowing love he had for his wife and children. Kuribayashi himself knew that the letters he wrote from Iwo Jima would be his last. Reading the lines he wrote his wife, his son Taro and young daughter Takako in preparation for his coming death is doubly heartbreaking when woven with the larger story of the horrific battle and the decision to abandon the forlorn island decided by the Imperial Japanese hierarchy.
The battle itself is not covered in minute detail. The book's focus is on the humanity tied to the battle and the island, particularly the commanding general but also the soldiers and drafted, middle-aged conscripts serving under his command. This book may well for the first time bring to life the Japanese soldier of World War Two, and readers may discover that many of the stereotypes simply don't hold up.
LTG Kuribayashi, one cannot help but admire this "soldier's soldier" and unabashedly label him a "good man," was a commander who prepared for a brutal battle of attrition but a husband who worried about how his wife would get on after his death. The Japanese defenders of Iwo Jima were composed of a jumble of units that consisted of many draftees. Many of these men were older and well-established in careers, not the banzai fanatics of Hollywood (though that character existed too). They were men like the banker Egawa Mitsue, a loving husband and beaming father drafted as a lieutenant for the battle, who left a wife with no news of his death because his battalion was wiped out to the last man. The widows, many still alive for the author's interviews, retell the often devastating grief of the loss of their loved ones. Not all Japanese were soldiers ready to kill themselves for the Emperor, though they did understand the importance of their battle against the Americans on and in Iwo Jima.
So Sad to Fall in Battle illustrates once again that so many fighting men, despite different uniforms, customs and language often shared the same hopes and dreams. LTG Kuribayashi fulfilled his soldier's duty along with his men, and the gods did weep for them. A moving and heartrending book.

So Sad To Fall In Battle is a historical portrayal of one of the most respected adversaries who fought in the Pacific War on Iwo Jimo against the United States--General Tadamichi Kuribayashi.

Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith (Howlin' Mad Smith) considered Gen. Kuribayashi's ground organization far more superior to the one he had seen in France in WWI and observers said it excelled German ground organization in WWII.

General Smith went on to say that most Japanese commanders were just names and disappeared in anonymity. However Gen. Kuribayashi's personality was written deep in the underground defenses he devised for Iwo Jimo. The American military and other POWs regarded prisoners from the Iwo Jima conflict with a mixture of fear and respect for how fiercely they fought.

Yet none knew these valiant fighters had been abandoned by the Imperial General Headquarters to face the enemy alone. As the American invasion grew nearer to Japan, Iwo Jima was suddenly labeled worthless and all naval and air support was cut off. When Headquarters changed their overall strategy, they sacrificed General Kuribayashi and his soldiers.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's letters from Iwo Jima reveal a man who foresaw his imminent death yet encouraged his wife and children to be strong, positive and live life through all of its joys and tragedies. He went on to tell his wife Yoshii, to not worry about keeping up appearances or what other people may say about her. It was more important that she believe in herself and life her life to the fullest.

Throughout the 41 letters he sent to his family, General Kuribayashi revealed that this assignment to defend Iwo Jima was an honor because it was considered to be the most crucial territory to protect for Japan. They also revealed his agony of what would happen to them in his absence. Every letter started out with an assurance of his safety and concluded with the phrase "there's no need to worry about me." However Ms. Kumiko Kaheshshi noticed that he continued to worry about the cold draft that came up from under the kitchen, which he forgot
to fix before he left.

Ms. Kaheshshi reveals the gulf between the men who risked their lives on the front and the top brass who were responsible for the overall direction of this battle and their reluctance to apply the word "soldier" to both groups. Yet General Kuribayashi refused safety and chose instead to do his duty to defend Iwo Jima and fight shoulder to shoulder with his men in this formidable conflict against the United States of America.

When General Kuribayashi's children invited Ms. Kumiko Kaheshshi to read his letters for her book, they allowed the world to see a faithful father and husband and a man loyal to his country behind the one-dimensional personification of Japan's military and casualties of this brutal battle.

FYI: Movie Director Clint Eastwood used this book to develop the 2007 movie, "Letters From Iwo Jima."

Armchair Interviews says: Along with the words of his son and daughter, which offer unique insight into the private man, Kuribayashi's own letters cited extensively in this book paint a stirring portrait of the circumstances that shaped him.

I first read about General Kuribayashi several years ago in a book that covered the entire period of the Second World War from the Japanese perspective. I was intrigued by his being described as a "poet-General." "So Sad To Fall In Battle" was a revelation about General Kuribayashi. I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with the film Letter From Iwo Jima as the book compliments the film by further adding to the portrait of Kuribayashi presented by Clint Eastwood.

The author Kumiko Kakehashi was able to interview the surviving children of General Kuribayashi and has traveled to Iwo Jima and seen the general's headquarters. The book is nicely laid out and presents a good biography of General Kuribayashi including his background and education, his place in the Japanese military and his strategy for the defense of Iwo Jima. We also get a more intimate look at the General through the use of his letters gaining an in-depth look at his feels for his family, his duty to his country and his independent thinking as an army officer, which went unappreciated. I also found the general information about the Japanese army of interest, particularly the rivalry between the Army and Navy and that the Japanese high command tended toward one-dimensional thinking with their island defenses. General Kuribayashi "rocked the boat" with his cave defense plan for Iwo Jima, and was heavily criticized for abandoning the "traditional' beach defense. However, his method was proven to be correct since the Japanese held out for 36 days when the US forces had only given the island 5 days.

"So Sad To Fall In Battle" is written from a Japanese perspective but the author deals with the battle to capture Iwo Jima from both sides in the conflict. Ms. Kakehashi has an excellent chapter on the American invasion what is well-presented. It was interesting to see quotes from James Bradley's "Flags of Our Fathers" about the battle.

As one will discover in this book, General Kuribayashi was an independent spirit. He was a military man but had not gone to a military preparatory school and he first considered a different career before attending Japan's military academy. Then, he chose to study in the United States which was not a popular destination for Japanese army officers. The book is very well written and is illustrated with several photographs including General Kuribayasi's family, his letters and some from his time on Iwo Jima. If you saw Letters From Iwo Jima this book is a must read.

It's true as the saying goes that history is written by the victors. Oddly enough, World War II has many books written from the German perspective, but few, if any, from the Japanese side. This short but excellent book gives the American reader the view of the battle of Iwo Jima from the side of the men of the Japanese army and navy who defended that island during the American marine invasion. It was a very bloody battle, and the Japanese soldiers knew that they were not going to leave the island alive. The story is told, for the most part, through letters and diary entries, particularly those of their commander General Kuribayashi. He planned the defense of the island and encouraged his men to resist until the end, and not waste themselves in futile banzai charges. Of all the Japanese generals, this man was the most respected by the American officers, and rightly so. This book is an excellent companion read alongside "Flags of Our Fathers".

After seeing the film, I really wanted a little more insight into the General. Amazon had both 'So Sad' and 'Letters' but I knew that the latter basically just reprinted the letters while the former used some of the letters while giving you a sense of what was going on before and during the battle.

I was surprised that it was only about 200 pages and thus I burned through it on a friday night after opening the mail. A great read even if it's a little short.

Anyone that reads WWII history has heard of [....] When I decided to read this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't even sure I wanted to read it, but I am really glad I did. Kuribayashi was a 'soldier's soldier' and a 'General's General', not so much to the Japanese military establishment, but rather to his men and his adversaries. Without support from his own homeland, he lived 8 months in a place all called 'hell' and defended it up even to his death. He was rather unorthodox in his tactical decisions as well as his feelings about the war itself. You might say 'He was his own man."
This book draws a true picture of the battle of Iwo Jima from the American AND the Japanese perpective.
The outstanding theme, though, was the personal side of Kuribayashi: the father, the husband, and the friend. Thus, the title for my review, 'All Blood Runs Red" and I will now add "Even The Enemy."
What compells a man to have a heart filled with passion and love to become a killer? Might we say, "WAR?" I have always said, "Old men make wars and young men die in them."
Read this wonderful account of a man, much like many others, forced to live with a heart torn asunder.

Wellington spoke of the importance of attempting to figure out one's enemy in his famous "other side of the hill quote". In this excellent study, author Kumiko Kakehashi examines the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective. The main focus of her book is the Japanese commander, Tadamichi Kuribayashi. The main sources of her book are the many letters that Kuribayachi wrote home to his family in Japan as he prepared Iwo Jima for the American assault. The author also interviewed the general's family and people who served with him in his last battle. Many people are familiar with the general as a result of Clint Eastwood's fine film Letters from Iwo Jima. The letters that Kuribayashi wrote give a very nuanced look at a loving family man who tried to cushion his loved ones for his inevitable death.He was not a fanatic who led from the rear but he was a leader who felt for his men and who personally traveled over much of Iwo Jima by foot preparing it for attack. He had the same food and water rations as his men. He lived in gloomy , hot, caves which smelled of sulfer just as his soldiers did. He had studied in the U. S. prior to the war and he liked Americans. He also knew that Japan could not defeat the U.S., but he did love his country and so he took on his last assignment the defense of Iwo Jima. This is not really a book of tactics and strategy, this is a poignant story of humans at war. The conclusion of the book is excellent and it makes the reader think . After the horrible fighting was over, Admiral Nimitz praised the U.S. Marines(as well he should have) for their "unparalleled courage and self- sacrifice." The same could be said for the Japanese defenders. This book helps toward a deeper, more layered understanding of the battle through the eyes of a devoted family man and soldier swept up in the 20th century's most horrible war.

Perhaps, one of the best recent books on WWII to come along in years. I understand that this was Ms. Kumiko Kakehashi's first book that was originally published in Japan and shortly thereafter, made the the #1 top selling list.
After reading this book, I can understand "why" it was number one.
When reading about the Japanese military jargonaut during WWII, I was always repulsed by the terrible genocide that marched along with it's armies (ie: Nanking etc). It appears, after reading this book however, that there was at least one Japanese General who fought the war as an "Honorable Samurai."
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was left to defend the island of Iwo Jima knowing well that he had been left there with some 20,000 men to delay the American offensive as long as possible. It was, in reality, an order to die bravely, and that...he surely did!
The casualities he inflicted on U.S. Marines was mind boggling! It is estimated that 1/4 of U.S. Marine casualites in the Pacific was inflicted at "Iwo!"
Ironically, General Tadamichi once lived and studied in the United States, and then...ended up leading a major defensive action against us.

I do not think of General Tadamichi as a hero by any means. He was, afterall, our enemy. However, he was an enemy worthy of respect!

Not a lengthy book by any means, but as you emerse yourself into the events of those years, the reader will become thankful that the book is not any longer than it has to be. A good book, a thought provoking book, and...a sad book.

READ IT!

In the last two years, I have assigned my writing students the major project of writing a World War II veteran's biography. Because of this, I've been looking for good books these students could read in advance of the project. Having read Flags of Our Fathers and admired the two Clint Eastwood movies about the battle on Iwo Jima, I decided it was time to read the Japanese side of the story; thus, I orderd So Sad to Fall in Battle by Kumiko Kakehashi as well as the book which inspired her, Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief. I'm glad I did.

The book centers on Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi, the Japanese commander tasked with the defense of Iwo. In well-written prose, Kakehashi reveals a man possessed of both great courage and great heart. Basing her work on the general's own letters to his children and interviews with his contemporaries, this gifted young woman author shows readers a Japanese warrior with warmth, compassion, and a sense of humor. Intelligent and well-rounded, Kuribayashi was a brilliant military tactician who truly cared for the men under his command.

This is apparent from the opening pages of the book, as the general's tailor explains that the wealthy officer wanted him--the lowly civilian tailor--to appear in a staff photograph, something completely unheard of in the class-conscious Japanese culture of that era. When the general makes hospital calls on his wounded troops, the tailor jokingly mentions that such visits must make the soldiers nervous. As a result, Kuribayashi begins to send the tailor into the wards with small gifts for the soldiers while he, the great general, remains in the car. Later, Kuribayashi forbids his tailor from following him to Iwo Jima, knowing that he is saving the young man's life. The book is full of similar humanizing anecdotes, prompting me to I wish I could have known this great man.

As its title suggests, So Sad to Fall in Battle is a poignant read which I highly recommend, particularly to WWII buffs and those interested in Japanese culture.