Island Victory: The Battle of Kwajalein Atoll (World War II) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joseph G. Dawson III (Introduction)
Key Phrases: lagoon shore, mortar section, satchel charge, Captain White, Kwajalein Island, Chance Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Written accounts of war simply do not get any closer to the actions and feelings of those [who] were there. Island Victory is a highly recommended, ''must read'' book."-The Midwest Book Review (The Midwest Book Review )

"Island Victory presents Marshall at his best, unobtrusively weaving together the testimonies of several hundred infantrymen of the 7th Division during the battle for Kwajalein Atoll. . . . The Kwajalein victors interviewed so painstakingly by Sam Marshall provide a priceless candor and authenticity, the emotional testimonies of young men still flushed with adrenalin, guilt, and relief."-Joseph H. Alexander, Journal of Military History (Joseph H. Alexander Journal of Military History )

Product Description

An on-the-spot history of a fight in the Pacific during World War II, Island Victory was the first battle history written by then–Lieutenant Colonel S. L. A. Marshall, a veteran of World War I who would serve in Korea and Vietnam and become a brigadier general in the process. After the Seventh Infantry Division drove across Kwajalein Atoll in the first days of February 1944, successfully wresting control of the strategic southern tip from the Japanese, Marshall was charged with producing an accurate and comprehensive account of the fight. His solution: bring the front-line soldiers together at once and interview them as a group, tapping the collective memory of a platoon fresh from battle.

 

In this book, readers get a rare, firsthand sense of all the emotions that soldiers in combat experience. Numerous maps and photographs help us visualize precisely what took place. A compelling work of military history, and the first book of its kind, Island Victory is itself an important chapter in the history of how military exploits are described and recorded.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803282729
• ISBN-13: 978-0803282728
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #816,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare primary historical source, April 12, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Island Victory: The Battle Of Kwajalein Atoll by Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall (1900-1977) is a rare primary historical source, written by at-the-time Lieutenant Colonel S. L. A. Marshall at the time of the deadly Pacific fight in World War II. Marshall was a veteran of WW I who would later serve in Korea and Vietnam and become a brigadier general. When the Seventh Infantry Division battled the Japanese across Kwajalein Atoll in February 1944, Marshall was given the official task of creating a written record of the battle. In order to be as accurate as possible, he brought front-line soldiers to a group interview and taped their conversations in order to get as clear an idea as possible. Written accounts of war simply do not get any closer to the actions and feelings of those were there. Island Victory is a highly recommended, "must-read" book for those who study eye-witness WW II accounts, and a core title contribution to World War II studies academic reference collections.

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe a fine book in its time, but, September 26, 2009

By	Chris A. Paul "Voracious Reader" (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Not worth reading unless you have a real deep interest in military history at the most detailed level.