|
|
| |
Book ReviewsFlags of Our Fathers (Wheeler Large Print Book Series (Cloth)) |
|
|
Book: Flags of Our Fathers (Wheeler Large Print Book Series (Cloth))
Written by: James Bradley Ron Powers |
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5
|
|
Good subject and story, but poorly written...
Rating:
3 / 5
Liked the content and the story, but the writing, chalk full of cheap hyperbole, read like a USA Today.
A book with an impact
Rating:
5 / 5
I picked up this book for my book club because of the 5 star rating on Amazon.com. When I first handed it out to the women, we all had reservations about reading a "war story". Some of us took a while to open it and begin reading. But once we did... WOW! Each one of us devoured the story of these men of our father's generation. The diversity of the characters and the progression of events were incredible. The feel of the nation during the war, the respect for the marines, the distaste for american idolization, the amazing stories of the family's of the men all had a lasting impact on us even months after reading this book. This book is a bargan and will not sit on your bookshelf after reading it because you will want all your friends and family to read it too.
An Interesting Angle
Rating:
5 / 5
The invasion of Iwo Jima was a terrifying event for Americans and Japanese alike, and it created many heroes -- too many to count. It was the last stepping stone toward the end of World War II and was the U.S. Marines' finest hour. (if the ordeal can possibly be minimized in that regard)
Numerous books have been written about the invasion, as one would guess. James Bradley takes a interesting approach in covering the Iwo effort by focusing on the famous "flag raisers", one being his own father. He takes us through their journey from boyhood through enlistment, training, and service.
These were real battlefield heroes. And then one day they raised a flag. "A flag", not "the flag" (Forrestal wanted "the flag" so these guys threw up a "replacement"), and by virtue of a lucky photo were swept up in a wave of propaganda. That is, at least the ones who ultimately survived the invasion, which was not over at the time when "a flag" was raised.
Imagine going through an intense multi-week firefight costing tens of thousands of lives and surviving after enduring things that the average American cannot begin to imagine, and then being brought home and paraded about as heroes -- because you raised a flag. These guys, for the most part, couldn't buy that, and their lives were changed partly because of that alone.
That is the story. That is James Bradley's unique angle. I would not recommend this book for those simply wishing to understand the Iwo Jima invasion, because there are others that contain much more detail. Rather, read the book to find out about a few interesting humans involved. It is a gripping tale, and your understanding of events at that time will certainly be enriched by it.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|