One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 336 pages
• Published by: NAL Trade; Reprint edition August 7, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0451221389
• ASIN: B0014EAX08
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 12.8 ounces

From Booklist
It may be impossible to write a really dull book about the 1943 battle of Tarawa. In the assault on the island, the Second Marine Division lost a thousand dead, the Japanese garrison was annihilated, and the marines learned valuable lessons about amphibious weaponry and tactics that aided them in future campaigns. Wukovits avoids a straight narrative in favor of seeing the development of the battle through the eyes of selected survivors, whom he has interviewed intelligently and thoroughly. They were impressed, as readers may be, by the strength of the Japanese fortifications and the tenacity of their garrisons, who kept the whole island under fire for two of the battle's three days. Wukovits adds emotional punch with accounts of marines who did not survive but whose memories families have kept alive for sixty years. A worthwhile battle monograph for any Pacific theater or marine collection. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Herman Wouk
[One Square Mile of Hell]is a worthy memorial to the Marines who fought there. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa (Hardcover) Most of us live 76 hours with little thoughts of danger, but as readers of this book will quickly find out, the 3 days the U.S. Marine 2nd Division spent on Tarawa atol, and especially Betio, was just about the most dangerous place a person could ever be. Several people have said, including the two commanding generals of this operation, that next to Iwo Jima, Betio was the most fortified war zone they had ever seen. In fact General Smith said he had never experienced anything in WWI to compare to how the Japanese had fortified the island. The commanding Japanese Admiral Shibasaki, later killed in the battle, expressed his opinion just prior to the battle that "A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years." Several thousand Marines from the 2nd Division at great cost would soon prove the Japanese admiral wrong. The U.S. Navy bombarded the island prior to the landings, but not as much as the Marine generals would have liked. However, after the battle, it would be seen that no amount of shelling would have been able to destroy the defending Japanese troops, they were just too well fortified. In the end, it took the combined efforts of the U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, and the air force to take and hold, as Robert Sherrod said, an island no larger than 1 square mile. I served with the Navy & USMC so this book immediately caught my attention, though I have two others on the subject, also. My opinion after reading this heart rending book is that it very well may be the best of recent times, and may be the best of any future books on the subject. The author has written a very readable book, whereas some books of military subjects are not; and he has built his book not only on individuals that were there, but also on their statements today, sixty plus years after the battle. And as anyone who has read this book can testify, two of the main characters in the drama: the activities of Gene Seng and Charles Montague may never be forgotten. Along with Stanley Bowen, Norman Hatch, William Hawkins, and William Chamberlin, among many others, their heroics will be forever burned into one's mind. Out of the thousands of Japanese who defended Tarawa, only 17 lived past the battle; while the American losses were 1,027 killed, 2,292 wounded, and 88 recorded as missing. On Tarawa's D-Day the losses of the Marines were close to the 30% range, out of 5000 landed, the losses were 1500. This Central Pacific island saw much hand-to-hand fighting with bayonet, KaBar knife, and close in shooting. The only way to dislodge the Japanese from their spider webs and pill boxes was with explosives and flame throwers. Snipers existed all thoughout the battle, and even after the island was considered 'secure' fatalities from snipers still occurred by the burial details. The Marines were at times very surprised to see Japanese standing well over 6 feet in height, for these Japanese were special naval landing forces much on a par with our Marines. There was no where to run, no where to hide, and for a large part of the battle we were at times close to being thrown back into the sea. It got so bad that towards the end no prisoners were taken. Much went right by training and luck, and more went wrong; with both the Navy and Marines learning from this battle. Since it differed from the earlier Guadalcanal fighting both USN/USMC were surprised at it ferocity and casualties. One of the main issues during the critical hours of the battle was logistics: supplies, especially ammo could not reach the Marines due to tides and reef. Later when such a necessary item as water made it ashore in 55 gallon drums, it was discovered that the drums, used prior for gasoline storage, were not properly cleansed so the water both tasted and smelled of gasoline. This is such a fact filled book that a reviewer could almost seemingly go on forever, but this review is long enough. I give this book a high rating where military and line of departure books are concerned. One doesn't have to have served to read this book and come away with a feeling what it was like to be on Tarawa for three days in November, 1943. And sadly the American public of that time was kept in the dark about the battle and did not find out what WWII island fighting would be like until weeks after the battle. Semper Fi. Comment | | (Report this)