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 Bloody Tarawa : The 2d Marine Division, November 20-23, 1943
by Eric Hammel
List Price: $29.95 Hardback: 304 Pages
Publisher: Zenith Press
Publish Date: January 1, 2006
Review by Brian Williams.
Book Description
On the morning of Saturday, November 20, 1943, the 2d Marine Division
undertook the first modern amphibious assault against a well-defended beachhead.
The objective was tiny Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, and the going was supposed to
be easy—a target already ""pounded into coral dust"" by a massive naval and air
bombardment. But what the Marines discovered was an island garrison alive and
well, the Japanese defenses intact and manned by foes who would rather die than
surrender. The battle that followed—three full days of terror during which more
than 3,000 died to ""secure"" an island half the size of New York’s Central
Park—is fully told in words and pictures in this dramatic book. Building on the
updated text of their 76 Hours: The Invasion of Tarawa, the authors use more
than 250 photos and combat drawings from the U.S. Navy and Marine archives and
private collections to reveal the graphic horror of warfare at its worst. Their
book follows every terrifying step as the Marines, failed by the invasion’s
planners, are forced to wade more than 500 yards through fire-swept, knee-deep
water, reaching land only to face what many historians agree was the best, most
concentrated defenses American troops encountered in the entire Pacific War. The
result is an immortal story of certainty shattered and courage recovered against
overwhelming odds, of victory culled from near-defeat, and its terrible cost.
-- Amazon.com
Review
This book is a Marine's book. It offers a detailed narrative and numerous photographs
of the island and battle.
My only complaint is that it is short on maps and thus, tends to get very
confusing quickly.
But, putting aside the 'confusion' issue, the book is full of spectacular battle photos.
And, since the photos are what this book is all about, it really is worth it in this aspect.
Overall, this is a good addition to your library.
Review by Brian Williams (militaryhistoryonline@hotmail.com).
* Views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily
represent those of MHO.
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