Iwo Jima: United States Marines in the Pacific
By Eric Hammel, Published by Zenith Press 2006
Review by Sgt. Mel Lopez, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington
Eric Hammel tells a complete story of the American invasion in his latest book, Iwo Jima: United States Marines in the Pacific.
Hammel is an author of 30 military-oriented history books and former contributing editor for Leatherneck.
If you’re anything like me, you probably shy away from history books because they just aren’t very appealing or they take forever to read. But, from the very first page I couldn’t let go. You will notice Iwo Jima is filled with large, detailed, eye-catching photographs, which make you feel like you were actually on the front lines.
Each of the 500+ photographs portrays just about every single event of the battle from air attacks to the smoke breaks taken by Marines. Furthermore, they have just enough text to tell the story of the 34-day battle.
Hammel starts off by telling us why Iwo Jima was so important to invade, and why the Japanese were protecting it. There are illustrated photos and maps of the island, commanders describing plans on how to invade and Marines getting briefed by their immediate platoon leaders.
Hammel makes every detail of the battle come to life, including the lines of Leathernecks on the beaches and their march slowly toward the summit of Mount Suribachi. You can feel the tension of the Japanese as they observe the Americans move in. Immediately thereafter, the firefight begins and you almost feel the pain and agony of the injured. Readers also have the opportunity to check out the biographies of those who performed heroic actions to save the lives of their fellow Marine.
And, of course, view the memorable image that defined the war; the raising of the American flag over Mount Suribachi.
Overall, this is a very informative and easy read. I enjoyed the photography most of all and I am positive readers will feel the same.
Even if you feel you know everything about the battle of Iwo Jima, you still don’t know enough until you flip through this book. I’d recommend it to the most “hard corps” of Marines and historians. This book is as close to the battle as you can get without being on the island.
