Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley, Ron Powers
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Book Reviews of Flags of Our Fathers
Book Review: A New View on the War
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read almost 40 books on World War II but most of these concerned the European theater and not the Pacific. However, I have gotten more into the Pacific theater recently so I picked up this book.
This is a wonderful story - both sorrowful and tragic but at the same time it shows the love that men in battle have for each other. This is a theme that I have read over and over in other books.
This is the story of the six soldiers that raised the second flag on Iwo of which the photo is so famous. It is astonishing that 1/400th of a second can make such an impact. If you view the film of the flag raising you can barely make out when the picture was taken because it happens so fast.
Iwo Jima was a horrific battle for all involved. The Japanese, in the Pacific, fought to the last man even though they knew they were going to die. The point of doing so was to make the cost to Americans so high that Americans would sue for peace. Does this sound familiar? It should because America's enemies are using the same tactic. The six who raised the flag became famous. Of course, only three survived the battle - Gagnon, Hayes and Bradley. Block, Franklin and Strank were killed during the battle. Each of the three that surivied handled the situation differently. And this is the point of the book. It is not that Bradley was a great man for what he did after the war, it is that he handled it differently than the other two. Ira Hayes could not handle what he had been through and died in a terrible way. Rene Gagnon wanted to make the most of his new found fame, along with this wife, but this was not meant to be. He could not handle that and died as a janitor.
The battle story is wonderful in that it brings in many other soldiers that the six knew. It brings out the worst in war and the best in war. It always surprises me what men can do to other men but it also always surprises me what war can bring out in men - love, self sacrifice, and brotherhood. This comes through in the story loud and clear.
This is not a military book where you will learn about the battle of Iwo Jima and the strategic significance of the battle or the tactics used to win the battle. It is about the experiences of the six who raised the flag and of their comrades that they knew.
This is a fast and very good read. I recommend it to anyone that has an interest in the Pacific theater of WWII.
Book Review: "Must read" for every American
Summary: 5 Stars
John Bradley, known to his buddies as "Doc" (because he served as a corpsman) and to his home town friends as "Jack," never talked to his family about his World War II experiences. Jim, one of Jack Bradley's eight children, grew up vaguely aware that his father was one of the men depicted by that war's most famous photograph: the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi. Whenever a reporter or the contact person for a veterans' group called the Bradley household or Jack's busy funeral parlor, his family and employees were all trained to say: "Mr. Bradley is on vacation, fishing, in Canada." When grade school student Jim's class came to The Photograph in their social studies textbook, and Jim's teacher asked that he get his father to visit the class and make a speech, Jack told his son that he couldn't do that because he'd forgotten everything.
That deliberate forgetting allowed Jack Bradley to do what none of the other surviving flag raisers (there were only three left after Iwo Jima's incredible casualty rate took its toll) accomplished. He lived a full, normal life in his home town, building a successful business and raising a family within a loving and stable marriage. Only after his father's death did Jim Bradley begin contacting Jack's service buddies, and researching what happened to Jack and everyone else who fought on Iwo Jima. What he learned became this book. It's a "must read" for every American, in my opinion; but especially so for those of us whose fathers also fought in World War II's Pacific Theater, and for the next generation to whom those men were (or still are) known only as grandfathers.
I wish James Bradley had partnered again with Ron Powers in writing his next World War II book, Flyboys. Flags of Our Fathers is well paced, well structured, and polished. It's a wonderful piece of work, entirely worthy of its material. Yet I picked it up wondering whether or not I'd find it readable, having made the mistake of reading Flyboys first. That's sad.
But with that said, I repeat: Every American should read Flags of Our Fathers. The story behind The Photograph, and the Marine Corps Memorial that was sculpted from its image, is a part of our history few of us who grew up in the post-war years truly understand.
--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle
Book Review: A Story Necessary to Be Told
Summary: 5 Stars
To simply dismiss Flags of Our Fathers as a "war story" is to completely undermine the immense strides made by this book. Though the book relays many of the gory and bloody details of the Battle of Iwo Jima, unlike most diatribes of this genre, the epic and one of the most famous battles of World War II takes a back seat to the stories of six men who raised a flag atop Mount Surabachi.
Written by James Bradley, the son of one of the flag raisers, the book is Bradley's attempt in getting to know his father after his death. Though Bradley could have easily made the book solely about his father's contributions in Iwo Jima and the impact it had on his life, the author, in the spirit of the Marine Corps, identifies the flag raisers as group, inseparable in history.
What I enjoyed about this book was that it was evident that thorough research was conducted by Bradley in his search for information about the flag raisers. Bradley does his best to give equal credit and accurate information to each flag raiser as he identifies the character of each. By reading the book one gets the sense that Bradley has depicted each man for what he truly was; for instance, it is evident that he doesn't play favoritism with his father's character by identifying him as a "good man" when he cites his entire hometown as a reference. Another high point of this book is that it dispels the rumor surrounding Rosenthal's famous photograph. Bradley dedicates at least two lengthy chapter to defining the rumor (that the flag was raised in the midst of battle; it wasn't, it was a replacement flag and the Japanese were not shelling the Marines) and expelling it.
The only pitfall of this book is that it borders on repetitive; it is impossible to numerate the amount of times an individual or Bradley himself refers to Mike Strank as a "good guy", a "Marine's Marine" or that Rene Gagnon was apathetic and was pushed constantly by the women in his life. Though these points are crucial to the understanding of each man's character, it is not necessary to reiterate them every chapter.
All in all, Flags of Our Fathers is an interesting, thought provoking, and educational read that speaks to the inhumanity of war and the American public, as well as to the great character of the men who were immortalized in 1/400th of second photograph.
Book Review: An epic of nonfiction
Summary: 5 Stars
Many a time in life we come upon pieces of literature that astound our psyche in an array of ways. Aspect's that were once hard to unveil become as lucid as crystal ice. War grime and blistering shrapnel barely nick the surface of what Mr. Bradley accomplished. Upon the many thresholds of human ethnic and moral values, war is a domineering officer in many fictional sections of the bookstore. Readers are fascinated by the drama and blood curdling cries from soldiers as battle plays out its malevolent course. The compassion and pure drive that is instilled in James Bradley is awe inspiring. Not only did he find the determination to unlock the secrets of the past, but he sought in a certain manner to reinvent the subject of nonfiction writing. By making his tale that of complete truth, he made reading a historical reference less of a trek through fountains of facts. From the very beginning he sought to capture Doc's, Harlon's, and all the other's stories, to make them become memorials of themselves, documenting their achievements for generations to come. Of course in order to make the drama as close to realism as possible, the story included the gory undertakings of Marines, and the ill fated stench of real time warfare. Nevertheless, I respect the format that was adopted by the author, allowing the book multiple dimensions of expression. Yet one's like Suribachi were an expression all of their own. The crusted volcanic Mt. was the cornerstone of the Japanese entrenchments, and carried passion for the opposing side. When the serpents head was severed the mountain in a sense transferred its energy to the American boys. In another sense I admire how the book also concentrated on pre-ware and post-battle scenarios, sculpturing a storyline of near perfection. What else that is left to say will be found within the pages of this phenomenal epic. To me it was truly the author's triumph, no matter what the critics may report. May the soldiers of Iwo Jima have a legacy that lives for all time, and may we not disdain their efforts on any occasion. Thanks Mr. James Bradley.Book Review: An Exceptional Tribute
Summary: 5 Stars
James Bradley's "Flags of Our Fathers" deftly captures the human drama of six (6) Marines' battle up Mount Suribachi, and the aftermath of their participation in raising a flag on Iwo Jima February 23, 1945.
Bradley writes very well and has the perspective of a son trying to uncover an emotional and historical understating of his father. This personal investment allows Bradley to concentrate on "who" his fathers was years before he started a family, instead of merely focusing on the "what" of the event and its subsequent results. The result is a moving portrait of these six boys and their participation in the battle for Iwo Jima and the battle for peace of mind years later.
The book brings the reader full circle through these boys' lives, giving glimpses into adolescence that lays the foundation for understanding the men they will become all too early. From enlistment, training, D-Day and post war assimilation back into society, Bradley brings these boys to life creating a strong emotional connection.
Not surprisingly, Bradley concentrates less on the strategic planning of the invasion and more on the disposition of the men. There are strong themes throughout the book of heroes, community and brotherhood. There is no way to finish this book and not be awe inspired by the bravery, selfishness and sense of loyalty the men on Iwo shared, and the way the United States needed to use these traits to keep the war running.
The misinformation by the press and government starting with the ascent of Mount Suribachi through the Memorial unveiling in 1954 is unsettling, but Bradley does a good job showing that the United States needed this glorified and enhanced version of the story when the country needed a rallying cry and money. The emotional pain this misinformation caused both the flag raisers and other Marines almost seems offset by the good it did for the country.
Great stuff that brings an important piece of history to life.