Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor (Paperback)

by Bill D. Ross (Author) "Pearl Harbor, in early fall of 1944, bristled with military might marshaling for the climactic battles in the conquest of Japan..." (more)
Key Phrases: second airstrip, third airstrip, bypassed positions, Iwo Jima, Fifth Division, Third Division (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Ross describes the bloody 1945 battle of Iwo Jima by concentrating on individual heroesfrom generals to privates, Navy surgeons to stretcher-bearers. "An appalling yet inspiring story of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty," PW stated.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
An hour by hour account of the largest and most brutal assault ever conducted by the Marine Corps.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition (May 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394742885
• ISBN-13: 978-0394742885
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #498,609 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valor, Sacrifice, Suffering, and Savagery, October 18, 1998

By	George R Dekle "Bob Dekle" (Lake City, FL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Over the past few months I have read many accounts of the war in the Pacific. E.B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" told of valor, sacrifice, suffering, and savagery through the eyes of one man. "Iwo Jima" gives a vast panorama of those things. We see the battle in all its horror, but we also see the good accomplished from the terrible sacrifice of so many men. The book gives a balanced, comprehensive account of a bloody page of American history.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vivid description of an unbelievably brutal fight., September 7, 1999

By	J. Rizzardi "rizzo21" (Mason, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was a great awakening to me as to what actually happened at Iwo Jima. I've always heard the island's name used as a reference to the worst of the Pacific War and now I know why. It must have been an incredible experience for any Marine on the island and Ross gets you to feel it. He was very thorough, however, I wish I could have read a little more detail about the Japanese positions and what it was that made them so concealed (the size of their openings to fire through, camaflouge, etc.) and brutally effective at taking casualties. Recommended!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue, July 8, 2003

By	Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Bill Ross has written an excellent book about the bloody battle for Iwo Jima. Iwo was sought by the Americans as an emergency airfield for the B-29 Superfortresses which were damaged over Japan, as well as an advanced fighter base for fighter escorts.

This book describes in vivid detail the American invasion and struggle to secure the island. Much to the chagrin of the Marines, they found out that the island was covered with ash which made it next to impossible to walk or move heavy equipment. As the Marines made their way inland, the Japanese, who constructed underground bunkers and pillboxes which were virtually untouched by the shore bombardment, began to attack en masse. The Marines suffered more casualties in this battle than at any other time in the war. Also, over twenty medals of honor were awarded (some postumously). Ross describes each medal of honor recipient and what they did to earn the medal. Some threw themselves on live grenades to save their comrades, while others rushed enemy pillboxes in the face of murderous fire. This was the most fascinating part of the book for me.

Ross has produced an excellent book about Iwo Jima that will undoubtedly remain a classic. His writing style flows very easily and the reader never gets bogged down. I highly recommend this work along with "Flags of our Fathers". Both do a commendable job of describing the ferocious fighting that took place on this tiny island.