Customer Reviews

Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians (Classic Reprint Series)

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"The Thousand Mile War" is an old and cherished friend, and tells the story of the Aleutian Island Campaign against the Japanese in 1942-43. I settled in comfortably with the first edition in 1969 on my way to another war, and became thoroughly captivated by it. I'm delighted to see it reprinted in softcover.

There are so many strong points to the book, and too many exciting tales to capture easily in a short review. It seems to me, though, that one of Brian Garfield's greatest strengths is his ability to unravel and relate accurately the joint and combined nature of allied operations in the Aleutians. The air, sea and ground operations, which the book richly details, sometimes occured in isolation, but more often were part of a concerted effort to oust the Japanese from the islands of Attu and Kiska. Although the fighting was borne primarily by U.S. forces, there were significant contributions by Canadian allies.

Then there is the weather. The Aleutians, a chain of rugged islands stretching from Dutch Harbor to Attu in the west, cover about 1,000 miles, and are subject to some of the worst, most inhospitable weather conditions on the planet. As much of Garfield's story is about fighting the elements as it is about fighting the enemy. Having grown up in Alaska, I can easily identify with the harshness of wind and storm, of cold and snow and freezing ocean spray.

To sum up, in Garfield's words: "The campaign in the grey and windy Aleutians was the United States' first offensive campaign of World War II -- the first to begin, the first to be won. Its major events had included the first extensive aerial bombing campaign in American history; the first mass military airlift ever executed; the longest and last classic daylight surface battle in naval history; the first land-based American bomber attacks on the Japanese homeland; and, in the Battle of Attu, the U.S. Infantry's first amphibious island assault landings and the second most costly infantry battle of the Pacific war (in ratio to the size of the forces engaged)."

Garfield is as quantitative as he is qualitative, something that helps give perspective to his gut-level reporting of events. His footnotes are well organized by chapter and are in themselves worth reading.

The only criticism I've ever heard was from a fellow who served in the Aleutians as an engineer sergeant. He was on Engineer Hill on Attu when Col. Yasuyo Yamasaki led his surviving soldiers in a banzai charge against the American position. Yamasaki attacked up the fog-covered Chichagof Valley with 600 men, all that was left of his force of 2,600. The surprise attack almost succeeded, but "Within minutes the Engineers and service troops had sprung to arms. Cooks, litter bearers, roadbuilders, and staff officers took shoulder-to-shoulder positions at the crest. General Arnold borrowed an M-1 rifle and crawled to a high point from which he could see the Japanese charging up the hill toward him. With calm, precise hand signals he directed the hand-grenade throws of his hidden troops as if he were calling artillery targets. The grenades blew gaps in the Japanese line but the charge did not falter." The attacking Japanese were within rock throwing distance when they were finally thrown back by a "withering point-blank concentration of bullets and grenades from the hasty, improvised American line."

In this battle the former engineer sergeant does not recall General Arnold's actions the same way that Garfield relates them. Whichever is the case, it would not be the first time an American GI disparaged in retrospect the behavior of a senior officer.

"The Thousand Mile War" is excellent history and a terrific read. I've enjoyed it more than once and have used it as a source for lecture notes and other research. You won't be disappointed.

Having spent three years in peace-time on various Aleutian Islands I was keenly aware of the many relics of war (old quonset huts, hangars, runways, etc.) scattered throughout the chain. What I was not aware of at the time was that actual battles had been fought there. Brian Garfield's "The Thousand Mile War" brought to life the tremendous effort required to remove the enemy from American soil. Having experienced this unique area, it was not hard to match Garfield's descriptions with what I knew of the area. The book is clearly based on considerable research and benefits from interviews with military personnel from both sides of the war. I have collected quite a few books on the Aleutians; this one is by far the best written, most comprehensive and accurate portrayal of events related to the Aleutian Campaign.

Though little remembered in the public consciousness today, the Aleutian islands campaign was an epic struggle that featured some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II. Garfield's account shows how the American efforts there were hampered because military strategests were slow to recognize the strategic importance of Alaska. The Japanese invasion was belatedly countered by an intense American effort to save Alaska from becoming a Japanese base for operations against the mainland. The ensuing struggle was fought in perhaps the worst weather conditions of any campaign in the entire war. Garfield is an excellent writer and this book has the page turning quality of a suspense novel. This is yet another moving tribute to the "Greatest Generation" in action.

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. I picked it up in Alaska on a trip several years ago. It reads like a novel. I couldn't put it down. I'm not a history or a military buff.

The descriptions are immersive. I really got the feeling of being there, slogging it out in the mud and the rain and the snow and the ice.

It is put together very well, explaining both what it was like for the grunt on the ground and also the political and strategic factors.

(Note: it looks like the author gave it no stars either accidentally or to avoid increasing its rating. Otherwise it would be 100% five stars.)

The Aleutian Islands Campaign, perhaps the most onerous of World War II, is one of the least known. Fighting in "the worst weather in the world", the isolated Americans battled not only the hard-bitten Japanese but also more debilitating enemies: monotony, neglect, and blundering leadership. Author Garfield, a novelist and screenwriter, has brought his story-telling skills to bear: his account of the Battle of Attu is as clear and gripping as a novel, The men of the Aleutians have deserved a first class telling of their story. This is it. .

I read this book several years ago when I began discovering some of the interesting and little known facts about Alaska's involvement in the WW II Pacific theater. It was written in a style that captured my attention fully.

So few people realize to this day that some Aleutian Islands were actually occupied by the Japanese. The author clearly described the events, both large and small, which lead up to the final battles.

He left me realizing that the Americans recaptured the island in spite of their ignorance and inter-service rivalries. The book leaves you amazed at the blundering ways of both the American and Japanese militaries.

Everything I've since seen in the book rings out to be true and factual. From the bombing of Dutch Harbor to the final charge by the remaining Japanese on Attu, this book keeps you fascinated.

The book portrays many brave men on both sides that were ill-prepared for the harsh climate of the Aleutians but still pulled off some magnificent feats. The critical part that the heavy fog and weather played was described very well.

I strongly recommend this book as a primer on the war in the Aleutians.

Came across this book in the museum in Ankorage and discovered an entire theater of WWII. This book is extremely well written. It keeps your interest like a novel, but provides information with references. It describes the people (on both sides of the battle) and their backgrounds, and interrelationships. The political and military significance of a relatively unknow part of WWII. The effect on Alaska becoming a state. The effect of the pressure on strategic resource allocations and the ripple effect on the rest of the war in the Pacific. After reading this book, I am ordering books referenced in it to learn more.

Brian Garfield's "The Thousand-Mile War", first published in 1969 and periodically reissued since, may be the definitive popular history of a largely forgotten theater of the Second World War. In a highly readable narrative account, Garfield describes the savage struggle between the United States and the Empire of Japan for control of the Aleutian Islands and the territory of Alaska.

Alaska was still a sparsely-populated territory when the Second World War broke out. General Siomon Buckner, commander of U.S. Army and Air Forces in Alaska, immediately grasped the importance of Alaska's proximity to Japan, Russia, and the U.S. West Coast. Buckner began a single-minded campaign to build military bases, airfields, and railroads in preparation for a Japanese invasion. That invasion arrived in June 1942, simultaneously with the Battle of Midway. The Japanese Navy bombed the U.S. Base at Dutch Harbor and landed troops at Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. It would take fifteen months for U.S. forces to dig them out of their strongholds.

The campaign in the Aleutians was unique in the annals of the Second World War. The United States and Japan were fighting at the extreme limit of their respective supply lines, in an area where extreme weather conditions were a third combant in the struggle. Garfield vividly describes the appalling weather conditions under which the U.S. Army Air Corps conducted thousand mile bombing raids, first against the Japanese garrisons on Attu and Kiska, then against the Japanese home islands. U.S. and Japanese ground forces suffered more casualties to the windy, cold, wet conditions than to their respective opponents. U.S. and Japanese naval forces groped for their opponents in fog-bound Aleutian waters; decisive results were rare.

Garfield's account highlights the strong personalities of leaders on both sides of the fighting, who were forced by the harsh weather and austere supply situation to be innovative in providing the means of war and in motivating their soldiers, sailors, and airmen. That military planning was often as confused as in any other conflict should come as no surprise; that U.S. forces overcame so many obstacles to be successful should be a source of inspiration, thanks to Garfield's account.

This book is highly recommended to students of the Second World War seeking an account of the fighting in Alaska, and to students of the history of Alaska seeking to understand how the Second World War changed Alaska.

The Japanese plan for the Battle of Midway in 1942 was in four parts. Often forgotten was their diversionary attack to seize US territory - 2 of the Aleutian islands. Fortunately, the US code breakers knew this was a diversion. It took a long time, and a lot of resources, but we finally did recapture Attu and Kiska. Both sides lost more to the cold, wind, rain, fog and the mud than to combat.

Nothing about this campaigned turned out well for the Japanese. They lost one of their Zero fighter planes and we captured that virtually intact (see also a very good book called Koga's Zero). That was a very important intelligence gain for our side and helped lead to the development of the Hellcat fighter. They lost ships, planes and soldiers they could ill afford. Eventually, our build up in the Aleutians allowed us to bomb the northern most of the Japanese islands tying down more enemy forces.

This book is and excellent source of information covering the fighting that went on in Alaska during WW2. The logistics and distances alone boggle the mind. The will to fight in these climates is amazing. The book could use more maps, but it does have very helpful B&W photos to show some of the conditions, weapons and people involved.

I highly recommend this book to any interested in WW2 history. It reads like a novel, it gives both a high level and individual perspective of what went on, who did what, mistakes that were made by both sides. Author Brian Garfield uses personal diaries, War Department records and many other sources to document this book. The section on notes for each chapter are very detailed and an excellent bibliography.

It is unfortunate that facts/ knowledge of The Thousand Mile War had to be learned outside the class room. What is even more sad, is the fact that this book was never checked out since 2003 (at least), from the University of Alaska (Juneau), of all places.