The Pacific island of Iwo Jima was the most expensive piece of real estate America has ever purchased. Lying halfway between U.S. air bases in the Mariana Islands and downtown Tokyo, the Japanese island was a threat to American aviation operations during the last phases of the war in the Pacific theater. So the United States took Iwo Jima, and in the process lost over 6,800 fighting men in some of the most brutal and bloody fighting of the war. Once the tables were turned, Iwo Jima offered valuable advantages to its conquerors. The island became a massive, unsinkable aircraft carrier," close enough to Japan to furnish fighter escorts for big bombers, a hub for air sea rescue efforts, and an emergency landing field for hundreds of crippled American bombers. This book examines all aspects of the aviation activities surrounding Iwo Jima during the last year of World War II with exciting and informative first-hand accounts and hundreds of color and black-and-white images many of which have never been published before.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
International Plastic Modelers Society Journal, August 2006
"To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. This has got to be one of the top 5 books about air warfare from WWII that I have ever read. I have not been a big fan of the battles of the Pacific in the past but after reading this book, I will be looking for more."
"To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. This has got to be one of the top 5 books about air warfare from WWII that I have ever read. I have not been a big fan of the battles of the Pacific in the past but after reading this book, I will be looking for more."
Hobby Merchandiser, July 2006
"In author Cory Graff's, Strike and Return: American Air Power and the Fight for Iwo Jima, readers receive a rare, inside perspective on what happened during this period of World War II. This book focuses on the aviation activities, with rare and fantastic photos of the aircraft that assisted in taking Iwo Jima."
"In author Cory Graff's, Strike and Return: American Air Power and the Fight for Iwo Jima, readers receive a rare, inside perspective on what happened during this period of World War II. This book focuses on the aviation activities, with rare and fantastic photos of the aircraft that assisted in taking Iwo Jima."
Modeling Madness, May 2006, reviewed by Scott Van Aken
"The quality of the photographs (some in color), many from private collections and never before published, as well as a superbly written text makes this a must have book."
--Modeling Madness, May 2006, reviewed by Scott Van Aken
"The quality of the photographs (some in color), many from private collections and never before published, as well as a superbly written text makes this a must have book."
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive History of Iwo Jima Air War!,
By
This review is from: Strike and Return: American Air Power and the Fight for Iwo Jima (Hardcover)
Though there have been many books on Iwo Jima, Cory Graff's book offers a unique, all-encompassing look at the various air actions related to Iwo that took place before, during and after the first Americans waded ashore on 19 February 1945. The American effort to invade Iwo and develop it as a major base for raids on Japan was truly a multi-service effort involving Navy, Air Force, Marine and Army units and aircraft as diverse as P-51s, Hellcats, PBYs, P-61s and even Sikorsky helicopters. Graff does a marvelous job of describing the roles played by each service in this well-written and well-illustrated book from Specialty Press.
To illustrate the complexities of the Iwo effort, consider the following: Iwo missions began in June 1944 with Navy carrier strikes; USAAF photo-recce missions starting the next month. August '44 saw the first Air Force bombing attacks (B-24s) with B-29s hitting the island in November. Air cover for the invasion force along with close air support was initially handled by carrier-based Hellcats, Avengers and Helldivers. Development of Iwo airfields in March '45 saw Air Force P-47s, -51s, -61s, artillery-spotting light aircraft, C-47s and PBYs along with Marine Corps Avengers and Mitchells setting up shop. Graff gives each segment of this complex aviation mosaic its due. The book has it all: dogfights, CAS missions, banzai attacks on Air Force units on Iwo, B-29/P-51 VLR missions against Japan, night kills by P-61s, patrol plane missions against Japanese shipping, rescue of downed crews by Air Force PBYs, and so on. Some of this history can be found in other books but Graff gives the reader the whole picture. And in only 160 pages! Likewise the book is brimming with over 320 black & white and color photographs, maps and diagrams. Though many photographs have appeared elsewhere, Graff's book draws them all together along with new shots. In my estimation, STRIKE AND RETURN would be a candidate for six stars. It's a fresh perspective on a familiar topic, an adroit summary of a hugely complex subject and an entertaining read to boot!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
American Air War 1944-45 in Pacific for Iwo Jima,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Strike and Return: American Air Power and the Fight for Iwo Jima (Hardcover)
Intertesting write up of various Allied Planes usde in the fight for Iwo Jima, and the final bombing of Japan from the Marianas Islands by B-29s to force trhe Surrender of Japan. The escort p-51s and P-38s are covered. The use of B-24s and other planes in the ivnvasion are a new subject to me.
The very frequent landings of B-29s on Iwo Jima, returning from Japan was of interest because the Island saved my life for sure once and was used by our second crew to insure safe arrival back to Tinian island in the Marianas. Because the book contains a picture I did not know existed of the destroyed engine on aur plane I have purchased or ordered six books for family members. and one for an interested friend. Jim Hays, Col, USAF, RET. ****
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
