Product Description

The Ultimate Battle is the full story of the last great clash of World War II as it has never before been told. With the same "grunt's-eye-view" narrative style that distinguished his Brotherhood of Heroes (on the Battle of Peleliu), Bill Sloan presents a gripping and uniquely personal saga of heroism and sacrifice in which at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides were killed, as were nearly 150,000 civilians caught in the crossfire or encouraged to commit suicide by Japanese troops.

It is a story set against a panorama of more than 1,500 American ships, nearly two thousand Japanese kamikazes sworn to sink those ships, and two huge armies locked in a no-quarter struggle to the death -- the 541,000 GIs and Marines of the U.S. Tenth Army, and Japan's 110,000-man 32nd Army. Woven into the broader narrative, in Band of Brothers style, are the personal stories of men who endured this epic battle and were interviewed by the author. In many cases, their experiences are told here in print for the first time.

A few days after Japanese defenders surprised American assault troops by allowing them to land virtually unopposed on April 1, 1945, scouts of the 96th Division stumbled onto the outerworks of formidable Japanese defenses near Kakazu Ridge, where fierce fighting erupted. It would continue without respite for nearly three months as American forces used every weapon and strategy at their disposal to break through three cunningly designed Japanese lines of defense, each anchored by commanding high ground, intricate underground installations, and massed artillery. When one line was about to be breached, the Japanese would slip away to the next one, forcing the Americans to repeat the same exhausting and deadly "corkscrew and blowtorch" assaults all over again.

Much of the action in The Ultimate Battle unfolds among men pinned down under relentless fire on disputed hillsides, in the ruins of shell-blasted villages, and inside stricken tanks and armored cars. Sloan also takes readers aboard flaming ships and into the cockpits of night-fighter aircraft to capture the horror and heroism of men and vessels besieged by kamikazes.

When the battle was over, most of the GIs, Marines, and sailors who survived it were too worn out to celebrate. More than 49,000 of their comrades had been killed or wounded, and they knew that the even more brutal invasion of Japan's home islands loomed just ahead. But as Sloan makes clear, the slaughter at Okinawa helped to convince President Truman to use the atomic bomb against Japanese cities in the hope of shortening the war and averting a far more horrific loss of life.

The Ultimate Battle is a searing and unforgettable recreation of the Okinawa campaign as it was experienced by men who were there. It is filled with fresh insights that only those men can provide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147760 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743292467
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Gripping. Authoritative. Masterfully told. I cannot praise this book highly enough." --Alex Kershaw, author of The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter

Review
"Bill Sloan has a real feel for the human side of this horrific drama. He suggests there can never be such a battle again, and by the time you've finished reading, you will pray he's right. A powerful, moving book." -- Evan Thomas, author of Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign, 1941-1945

"Bill Sloan's The Ultimate Battle is the Okinawa book I've been waiting for. You actually feel like you're with the GIs and Marines as they storm Japanese bastions, and on American ships as the kamikaze attacks are unleashed. A very harrowing, well written World War II classic." -- Douglas Brinkley, author of The Great Deluge and The Boys of Pointe du Hoc

"Memory of an epic battle that altered history has begun to fade. Yet, the fighting for Okinawa was so ferocious that it influenced America's decision to use the atomic bomb. If Japan would fight so furiously for an island outpost, what would an invasion of the mainland cost? Bill Sloan answers that question in this close-up, you-are-there account of the Pacific war's ultimate struggle. Battle reportage at its finest." -- Joseph E. Persico, author of Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day 1918

"Gripping. Authoritative. Masterfully told. I cannot praise this book highly enough." -- Alex Kershaw, author of The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter

"The Ultimate Battle is a compelling, immensely evocative story of one of the largest, most fiercely fought battles in American history. Here is that gigantic struggle, the defining battle of the Pacific War, seen primarily through the experiences of the sailors, soldiers, and airmen who suffered through it. This is a terrific work." -- Donald L. Miller, author of Masters of the Air and D-Days in the Pacific

About the Author
BILL SLOAN is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of nearly a dozen books, the most recent being Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944--The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War and Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island. During his ten years as an investigative reporter and feature writer for the Dallas Times Herald, he covered many of the major events and personalities of the second half of the twentieth century and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Customer Reviews

The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War
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.

EXCELLENT READ. VERY INFORMATIVE, VERY READABLE.
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 fought. Looking at it from a certain angle, it was probably one of the major factors in the decision to drop the atomic bomb rather than invade Japan proper. This of course can be argued long and hard, and probably will be for years to come. The only small complaint I have about the entire work is that it would have been greatly enhanced with more maps and more detailed maps. This was a minor problem though.

As with any historical work, a reader should not finish it, and only it, and feel they know everything there is to know about this particular event. There are many, many other works out there and many more will be written. These should be read for those who are interested. I do feel the reader will enjoy this work more, and learn more from it, if they read of some of the battles in the Pacific that led up to this particular one.

Overall, I do recommend The Ultimate Battle quite highly. You certainly cannot go wrong reading it.

Superb Telling of Epic Battle
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.