Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154571 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
World War II, October 2006 “Without the right words even the most powerful pictures can lie. Witness the iconic flag raising photograph and its tangled trail of misrepresentations…Eric Hammel understands that, so this is far more than just a picture book—although it’s magnificent as that too.   “Built around 500 incredible photos, including stills from motion picture footage, the elegantly designed coffee table tome takes us from shipboard to beaches and into tangled lines of engagement. The shots of Marines under fire, wounded and dead are particularly evocative, especially following the sobering pictures of hardened Japanese defensive positions. Just as important: Hammel’s straightforward essay and his revealing captions, which filigree detail around the pictures, deepening their visceral resonance yet anchoring them in research. With detailed maps of every stage of engagement and topography and boxed-off reproductions of Medal of Honor citations, the book is beautiful, powerful and stuffed with information."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Purple Heart Magazine, December 2006
“The most complete photographic history of this iconic battle ever published, Iwo Jima contains photos and text woven together by acclaimed military historian Eric Hammel…The heroics that led to victory for the Americans are not only captured through the author’s text and photos from the depths of Marine historical archives, but in the descriptive details of extraordinary heroism contained in the included citations for the 27 Medals of Honor that were awarded to Marines and Navy Corpsmen for service in the bloody battle…Poignantly written and illustrated, readers and military historians will not be disappointed with this work…one of the finest pictorials of World War II.”
 


Army/Marine Corps/Navy/Air Force Times, October 2006 “…Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle is a valuable addition to the catalog of books devoted to the bloodiest battle of the Pacific island-hopping campaign, one that features more than 500 photographs—including many never before published.   “Where most Iwo examinations begin with the Feb. 19, 1945, amphibious assault and give the reader only a cursory glance at the bombing campaign that preceded the ground fight, Hammel examines the air interdiction effort that began in June 1944. Military history buffs will also appreciate his close look at the Japanese buildup on Iwo.    “With hundreds of photos that bear close examination and essays that will satisfy those who already know the battle well, Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle is a welcome addition to any military history buff’s library.”
                                                                                                                                                                     Leatherneck Magazine, December 2006 "Jam-packed with vividly crisp black-and-white images that so dramatically and brutally portray war, hundreds upon hundreds of graphic photos pop out at the reader in this high-quality, state-of-the-art, coffee-table visual history. No muddied photos allowed; all are as clear and as sharps as a ship's bell!...Iwo Jima is a book worthy of any Marine's coffee table, or that of fanatics of things that are simply Marine. Even those who don't bother with all of the text will still 'get it' from reading the captions accompanying the rich array of photos...One viewing of Hammel's book is worth a thousand of anyone's tellings."

WWII History Magazine, January 2006 “...a visually stunning work.”  

Naval History, April 2007
"Iwo Jima is well-produced, printed on high-quality paper that renders superior imagery … The pictures, probably the largest collection of Iwo photos to appear in a single volume, provide substantial detail on the battle. The old standbys are there, but so are many photos not seen before, the result no doubt of extensive research in military archives. Hammel’s captions are excellent. They are not mere descriptions of the obvious action, but provide information that embellished the basic text.
 
“Hammel has done his homework. His text, enhanced by several pages of maps, sets the stage for the battle and records its progress in considerable detail … Iwo Jima provides a single source for much detail – text and pictures – of that faraway conflict and should be included in the library of anyone interested in what has become a memorable time in the American experience.”

About the Author
Eric Hammel is a well respected military historian and the author of thirty works of military history, including the critically acclaimed Pacific Warriors: The U.S. Marines in World War II: A Pictorial Tribute; Chosin; a multivolume history of Guadalcanal; The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17; and, with John E. Lane, Bloody Tarawa: The 2d Marine Division, November 20-23, 1943, also from Zenith Press. For Iwo Jima, Mr. Hammel sorted through hundreds of photos in Marine Corps archives to select the images needed to convey the battle to readers today. He lives in Northern California.

Customer Reviews

Iwo Jima
I purchased this book to give to my brother-in-law who fought in the battle on Iwo Jima. He is suffering with Parkinsons and over the past couple of years has discussed his experiences on Iwo Jima more than ever. This book is filled with photographs taken mostly by the Marine Corps and has brought many memories to him, both good and bad. I sat with him for two hours and he explained so many things to me. This book is wonderful for Iwo Jima vets and/or their families. I can't wait to go back for another visit and be able to share more of his experiences.

Battle portrait
Simply put---one of the best battle depictions I have read anywhere.Stunning pictures.Day-by-day breakdown of gains and losses make you feel like you are right there.This book made an impression on me that has not abated.Definitely at the very top of the military battles that I have read.

Stark, spare, haunting, beautiful
Hammel's text is spare but precise, and tightly interwoven with the photographs. It is difficult to exaggerate the quality of the photographs in this volume, which is beautifully produced and bound. The large format and glossy paper do justice to the photos. The extreme resolution and fine detail of the black & white photographs are breathtaking and haunting; use of a magnifying glass reveals the faces and expressions of men wholly consumed in, and being consumed by, their fearsome tasks. This is a work of beauty and awesome respect.