The Ultimate Battle: Okinawa, 1945: The Last Epic Struggle of World War II

A person sort of hates to compare authors and their works, but you almost have to with this one. Bill Sloan, as far as writing ability, compares rather favorably with Stephen Ambrose. As has been pointed out, Ambrose died before he delved into the war in the Pacific, but Sloan seems to have taken up the torch rather well. It should also be noted here, that no one book can cover a battle of this magnitude. There are bound to be some units, some aspect of the battle that was either short changed, or, regrettably, left out completely. A good point was made by another reviewer here in mentioning the 77th Infantry Division. To be quite frank, that Division alone probably rates at least three volumes of this size. But, as I said, no book can cover it all. This 402 page book does do a pretty good job of giving the overall feeling of the battle, who participated, who did what and when. Okinawa was the last major battle in the Pacific during World War II. In it, at least 115,000 soldiers, airmen and sailors were killed. In addition and estimated 150,000 civilians were either killed or committed suicide, in one of the most tragic episodes of the war. We probably never will know the exact number of human beings who lost their lives during this struggle. This of course does not even count the thousands that were left homeless. It is quite difficult for us to understand the hardship and suffering the soldiers, sailors and airmen went through during this battle. It was fought under the most trying condition imaginable. The author has done as good a job as any in conveying these points. Bill Sloan has written a very readable account of this final battle, using many sources and many personal stories/narratives from individuals who took part. He has drawn quite heavily from Eugene Sledge's wonderful work "With the Old Breed," a great book for those who are interested. What the men went through, both American and Japanese during this battle simply cannot be described using words. I have been fortunate in having the honor of talking to several individuals who survived not only this battle, but also Peleliu. These were (and are) all very old men when I knew them and they were and are still being haunted by their experiences, and will until the day they die. The author has done as well as anyone though in attempting to get the feeling across, difficult as that is. This work does not only cover the ground campaign, but also the sea and air aspects of the battle. It also gives some insight to the Japanese point of view and their rationale of doing what they did and when. The author has also addressed the reasoning behind some of the tactics used by the American leaders during the battle, which is probably the weakest portion of his work, but then this book is really not about tactics, so there is not a great loss here. The ramifications of the outcome of this battle have been discussed, and indeed, the ramifications had the battle not been

An excellent book. It is personal snapshots of the events of one of the bloodiest battles for America in WW II. This is the most detailed examination of this battle I've ever read. It reviews the Japanese preparations and strategies, tactics, and errors. General Ushijima lead an excellent delaying defensive action attriting the American forces to the point of condemning Hiroshima and Nagasaki to nuclear strikes to end the war. This battle started on April Fool's Day, and for the first week was nearly a lark as the Americans moved inland taking objectives the didn't expect to take for several days including Kadena and Yontan air bases. Once the Americans encountered the Japanese defenses the discovered how well armed and deeply the Japanese were dug were they still didn't understand how difficult the coming fight would be. Both sides made tactical errors that increased the carnage. On the Japanese side it involved Ushijima listening to his second and launching a counter offensive from the Shuri line losing several thousand men that could have reinforced and held the Shuri line for several more days or even weeks. The error by General Buckner is a little more debatable. When the Americans drive stalled in front of the Shuri line several subordinates pressed for an amphibious end around assault on the Japanese from the south end of the island. If the Americans had the resources available this could have pressed the Japanese from both sides and prevented the Japanese from withdrawing to the southern end of the island and extending the fight for another month. The personal stories (exclusively American) reveal how vicious the individual engagements were. The fight for the small hill called "Sugarloaf" was especially bad. The Americans took this lump nearly a dozen times before they kept it. The hill was little more than 50' high and maybe 250 yards long but was one of three points southwest of the Shuri Castle that controlled the area. The hill isn't much to look at but like nearly every other strong point on the island was honeycombed with caves and strong points. Having been on Okinawa it's hard to imagine the visuals this book generates. I've been to Mabuni Hill, Shuri Castle, the Naval underground headquarters, and been a stones throw from Sugarloaf (to many UXOs around to approach). I've been up on Kakazu ridge and looked down on the invasion beaches. Looking down from Kakazu is a sobeing sight visualizing what the Japanese saw those opening days waiting for the Americans to come to them. Not having read the Band of Brothers but seeing the series I'd favorably compare this book to that one.

The peerless popular historian Stephen Ambrose passed away before he could write his intimate histories of the Pacific War. In Bill Sloan, a new writer has emerged to chronicle the Pacific campaigns' horrors and heroism in the up-close-and-personal, Ambrose style. "The Ultimate Battle" is Sloan's third World War II book; this account of Okinawa is every bit as powerful as his earlier works on Wake Island and Peleliu. Like Ambrose, Sloan tells the WW II stories through the eyes and words of surviving veterans, and their recollections make for sober, poignant and enthralling reading. If you liked Ambrose, you'll definitely like Sloan.

In keeping with the style of his previous books "Given Up For Dead" and "Brotherhood of Heroes", author Bill Sloan tells a gripping story of the last and bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Loaded with personal accounts from survivors of the battle, this excellent book throws the reader into the front lines of the greatest amphibious assault of the war. On April 1, 1945, American Army and Marine forces stormed the beaches on Okinawa. Accompanying the troops was a massive naval armada of over 1,500 ships of all types, from LSTs to fast carriers and battleships. The Americans were expecting massive resistance from the Japanese but, to their surprise, the landings were almost completely unopposed. Many felt that the Japanese had either abandoned the island, or that their force was so small as to prove not much of a threat. The Americans were wrong on both counts. After about 4 days of virtually no contact with the enemy, the Americans stumbled across one of the three highly-defended zones set up by the Japanese. For the next 2 1/2 months, the Americans and Japanese became engaged in an epic struggle that would cost the lives of thousands of men on both sides. Sloan describes in vivid and horrifying detail how the battle unfolded. From the relentless banzai charges and artillery barrages to the dreaded kamikaze attacks on American ships, this book covers every aspect of the battle. Besides the thousands of Japanese and Americans who were killed in the fighting, Sloan also devotes a chapter to the plight of the Okinawan civilians. Over 100,000 civilians perished in the battle; some at the hands of the Japanese, some accidentally killed by the Americans, but most died at their own hand after believing the propaganda the Japanese told them about what the Americans would do to them. I've read several books about the battle for Okinawa. but this book is by far the best I've read on the battle. It is loaded with action, and the personal narratives from the soldiers and marines who actually fought there adds a human element to the story. I give this book my highest recommendation. Okinawa was the most costly battle of the war for both the Americans and Japanese, and Bill Sloan delivers a powerful and honest assessment of the battle. This book is a must for World War II history fans.

This is an excellent telling of the Battle of Okinawa. From the buildup of forces for the invasion (code-named "Operation Iceberg"), to "Love Day" (when the Japanese Imperial Army purposely allowed the invading troops to land unmolested), to the savage, unremitting assaults on Sugar Loaf, to the bitter end (after over 12,000 American and 100,000 Japanese soldiers had died), it is all here. Several notable books on this battle were published on or around its 50th anniversary (e.g., Col. Yahara's "The Battle for Okinawa") in 1995. This book, however, may end up being the best of the lot as it masterfully weaves together the stories of the "grunts" and others who witnessed first-hand the bloodletting and suicidal attacks that characterized this campaign with overall strategies of both sides. Highly recommended and must reading for anyone interested in World War II, especially the war in the Pacific.