The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific

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The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific (World War II: 1939-1945 #4)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 852 ratings · 140 reviews

The Final Storm opens a new front in Jeff Shaara’s gripping chronicle of World War II as soldiers, sailors, and marines sacrifice all for one final push toward decisive victory in the fierce maelstrom of the Pacific theater.

As the war in Europe winds down in the wake of the Normandy invasion, the United States has turned its vast military resources toward an all-out effort...more The Final Storm opens a new front in Jeff Shaara’s gripping chronicle of World War II as soldiers, sailors, and marines sacrifice all for one final push toward decisive victory in the fierce maelstrom of the Pacific theater.

As the war in Europe winds down in the wake of the Normandy invasion, the United States has turned its vast military resources toward an all-out effort against the Japanese. In the spring of 1945, Japan’s empire has been pressed slowly back toward its home islands, and the Americans mount a furious assault on the last great stepping-stone to Japan itself—the heavily fortified island of Okinawa. The three-month battle will feature some of the most vicious combat of the entire war, as American troops confront an enemy that would rather be slaughtered than experience the shame of surrender.

With a narrative dexterity befitting his status as a master storyteller, Shaara relates the story of the struggle for Okinawa through the eyes of combatants on both sides: Private Clay Adams, a young marine whose brother Jesse has already earned his share of glory as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne in Europe; Admiral Chester Nimitz, who must unite rival army and marine commanders into a cooperative effort; General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., the American ground commander trying to live up to the legacy of his father, who led Confederate troops during the Civil War; and General Mitsura Ushijima, the Japanese general in charge of defending the island, who understands what Tokyo will not believe: that his own fight to the death will only delay the inevitable—as the Americans continue their advance toward the home islands and ultimate victory.

With the fights raging across the Pacific, a different kind of campaign is being waged in extraordinary secrecy: the development of a weapon so powerful, not even the scientists who build it know just what they are about to unleash. Colonel Paul Tibbets, one of the finest bomber pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps, is selected to lead the mission to drop the horrific new weapon on a Japanese city. As the new president, Harry S Truman, mulls his options, and a Japanese physician named Okiro Hamishita cares for patients at a clinic near the city of Hiroshima, citizens on the home front await the day of reckoning that everyone knows is coming.

A fitting conclusion to one of the most riveting sagas in military fiction, The Final Storm illuminates the heroism and sacrifice that defined the war in the Pacific, bringing the conflict to life as only Jeff Shaara can.(less)

Hardcover, 480 pages

Published May 17th 2011 by Ballantine Books

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Jan 07, 2012 Steven Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jeff Shaara has added another powerful work to his oeuvre. He (and his father) have developed an approach to historical fiction that is quite effective. They juxtapose the actions and thoughts of key characters in an unfolding drama.

This work focuses on the battle for Okinawa. It adopts the perspectives, in a fictional framework, of various characters in the fight for this island. The actors include "grunt," foot soldiers, generals (including the Japanese commander Mitsuru Ushijima), and other k...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Francis Gahren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, military

My Take
Once again I am left in awe of the one of the greatest generations of America to ever live – my parent’s generation. The sacrifices made by the Marines, soldiers, and Navy men are vividly described in this novel by one of my favorite authors, Jeff Shaara.

This is now my favorite Jeff Shaara book (that’s saying a lot) – lots of character development (both with admirals/generals and privates) combined with the massive research that I’ve come to appreciate that he does for each of his books....more

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Apr 07, 2013 Roland rated it 5 of 5 stars

I never thought anything would beat the quality of the writing in Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels," Jeff Shaara's father's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel about the Battle of Gettysburg.

After Michael Shaara's death of a heart attack in 1988, his son Jeff took up the family business, writing novels in the same genre and with much the same style. He wrote a prequel to The Killer Angels, titled Gods and Generals, as well as a sequel, The Last Full Measure. He has since gone on to write books set i...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Joel Margolese rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a bit of a misfit from the other three books in the series, yet in many ways its the best one. With only one book to work with, and some sort of trouble with his publisher, Shaara focuses mostly on the brutal battle for Okinawa and with a brief foray in the dropping of the atomic bomb. But the battle scenes are among the best I've read. We get a compelling view of Adams' war. (The actual brother of Jesse Adams profiled in the Europe books). Along with the dread of anticipation and t...more This book is a bit of a misfit from the other three books in the series, yet in many ways its the best one. With only one book to work with, and some sort of trouble with his publisher, Shaara focuses mostly on the brutal battle for Okinawa and with a brief foray in the dropping of the atomic bomb. But the battle scenes are among the best I've read. We get a compelling view of Adams' war. (The actual brother of Jesse Adams profiled in the Europe books). Along with the dread of anticipation and the horror of battle, I really got the sense of soldiers (in the general sense, Adams was actually a Marine), being cogs in the machinery of war. They never knew what was going on beyond what they could see. They were kept ignorant of strategy, the enemy's position and more. (I believe that has changed dramatically with the US military's use of information technology). The incredible effort and casualties that were required to take the island were astonishing. Even more so when it's so obvious to everyone on both sides that the outcome is inevitable. We also saw the battle from the Japanese local commander's point of view. And the Japanese culture of death with honor is still foreign. In the end, the battle need never have taken place, the Japanese only fought to inflict casualties, not with any hope of ever winning.

The book concludes with a brief version of Paul Tibbit's dropping of the atomic bomb. I never realized that he was part of the plan for a long time and commanded a special group charged with dropping the bomb. I had thought he was just a "lucky" pilot picked to fly that day. His part could have had a book all for his story.

While its too bad that the pacific war gets short shrift in this series, in some sense it's ok. We missed the great navel battles (possibly the last of their kind in history) but I feel as a reader that I got a deep sense of the island hopping warfare that characterized this theatre.

All in all, a fitting conclusion to the series, that brings Shara full circle into the company of his father with a book as compelling as the Killer Angels. (Btw, if you haven't read that one, do so now)(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Lorin Cary rated it 3 of 5 stars

The final volume in his trilogy about WWII, The Final Storm focuses initially on the battle for Okinawa. There are several protagonists, if you can call them that. Marine Private Clayton Adams provides the eyes as we view the battle, and Shaara vividly portrays it from this ground-level perspective. For me this was the best portion of the book. The horror of the war, the reality of it, came alive here in deadening detail. On occasion we see the campaign though the eyes of Admiral Nimitz and othe...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, world-war-ii

We should all be thankful that Jeff Shaara can succumb to a bit of pressure from his readers.

In a brief introductory note to "The Final Storm," Shaara writes that he didn't really intend to write a novel about America's war in the Pacific, but in large part due to the letters from indignant WWII vets who fought there he and his publisher relented. We're lucky he did.

Picking up where Shaara's European WWII trilogy left off, America's war against Japan rages on even as Germany and Italy surrender....more We should all be thankful that Jeff Shaara can succumb to a bit of pressure from his readers.

In a brief introductory note to "The Final Storm," Shaara writes that he didn't really intend to write a novel about America's war in the Pacific, but in large part due to the letters from indignant WWII vets who fought there he and his publisher relented. We're lucky he did.

Picking up where Shaara's European WWII trilogy left off, America's war against Japan rages on even as Germany and Italy surrender. The Marines and the Navy have turned back the Japanese offensive but face stiffening resistance as they island-hop toward the Japanese homeland. Iwo Jima has fallen , and the Marines (bolstered by Army infantry and the Navy) have turned their sights to the massive Japanese force on Okinawa. Shaara, true to form, tells this story through the eyes of a specific character for each chapter, and we see the vast majority of the Okinawa fight through the eyes of Marine Private Clay Adams, whose successes in the unit boxing matches has not erased the shame brought on by his long stretch in a hospital and cushy recovery duty following a vicious infection.

Adams wants to fight, and heads into one of the biggest nightmares ever faced by a soldier.

The Japanese side of the battle for Okinawa comes from General Ushijima, the Japanese commander on Okinawa. A true soldier, Ushijima suffers no illusions about his ability to defeat the Americans with their mighty fleet, commanding air superiority, and limitless war materiel. But Ushijima is samurai, and he will die doing his duty. A brilliant tactician, Ushijima combines a masterful defensive network with the fanatical devotion of his soldiers to create a nightmare for the invading U.S. troops. The battle scenes - from the fighting for inches on Sugar Loaf Hill to the kamikaze strikes at the American Navy - are shattering.

The final section of the book focuses on Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan and the work of pilot Paul Tibbets and his crew as they prepare for their infamous mission. Shaara acknowledges that the decision to drop the bomb may be the most notorious decision ever made by the United States, but Shaara's position is clear: a) an American invasion of Japan would have been exponentially worse than Okinawa, and b) the fight on Okinawa inflicted horrifying losses on the soldiers and citizens, including the survivors. By throwing us into the maelstrom of war, far from the world of armchair quarterbacking, Shaara advocates Patton's belief that the atomic bomb was merely an extension of the original tools of war, no more or less barbaric than a javelin or a rock.

After witnessing the inhuman toll Clay and his fellow combatants - including the Japanese - endured on Okinawa, it's pretty hard to argue against that position.

This is among Shaara's best books - moving, expansive, and riveting. (less)

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Jul 21, 2012 Dale rated it 3 of 5 stars

A bit disappointing.

Jeff Shaara's European Theater World War II trilogy covered America's participation in that theater completely - from before the invasion of North Africa to the occupation of Germany. He did a great job of discussing the grand strategies and showing the view from the trenches.

I really was hoping for the same treatment here. Shaara alludes to problems with his publisher in an introduction, but the reader is left with a truncated version of the war in the Pacific Theater. Shaar...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Quentin Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jeff Shaara's The Final Storm, looks at the one theater of World War II that has received little notice from writers. It is a far flung war and it is difficult because of the place names are difficult and because the politicians of the time turned our nation's attention to the war in Europe making the winning of that theater the primary goal of the military. By concentrating on the final island battle in the Pacific, Okinawa, Shaara shows his reader the no surrender attitude of the Japanese sold...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Troy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good, but not as engaging as most of Shaara's stuff. Could be that I've recently read enough about the Pacific War that it just seemed (to me) to be a repeat of recent reads. But really, I think it's because of the focus on JUST Okinawa and the atomic bomb - in what actually was a very disjointed way (somewhat justified by the newness of Truman's involvement). It read as an attempt to quickly summarize the final events of the war, lacked some of the character development and insight into players...more

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Aug 03, 2011 James Korsmo added it

This novel, The Final Storm, is a follow-up volume to Shaara's very good trilogy focusing on World War 2 as it developed in Africa and in Europe. Once the victory occurred there, the Allies shifted their full attention to the Pacific, and Shaara does likewise. He doesn't tell the whole story of the Pacific, but instead picks up the story in mid-stream, focusing on the final months of the conflict and the lead-up to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Like the earlier tril...more This novel, The Final Storm, is a follow-up volume to Shaara's very good trilogy focusing on World War 2 as it developed in Africa and in Europe. Once the victory occurred there, the Allies shifted their full attention to the Pacific, and Shaara does likewise. He doesn't tell the whole story of the Pacific, but instead picks up the story in mid-stream, focusing on the final months of the conflict and the lead-up to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Like the earlier trilogy, this book is full of quality writing and thick characters, from President Harry Truman to Marine private Clay Adams to Chester Nimitz to Japanese General Ushijima (though the Japanese side of the narrative was weaker than I would have liked). He also uses vivid portrayals of the sights, smells, sounds, and experiences of battle, with all its brutality and horror. The middle section of the book (pages 70-330) focuses pretty tightly on the battle for Okinawa, a brutal battle that was more-or-less last in a chain of island battles fought by the Allies as they made their way toward Japan. And here is one of the weaknesses of this book that sets it apart from the earlier trilogy that I loved so much: in those books, it really felt like you got the story, from both sides, of how the war was developing, the big picture interspersed with on-the-ground experiences about what it was like to live through the various developments. But in this book, the battle for Okinawa seemed to overwhelm the larger narrative, and the book bogged down in the brutality of the slow advance around the island. The lead-up to Okinawa and the final part of the book focused on the decisions and preparation to drop the atomic bomb both picked up the tempo and broadened the perspective, and I enjoyed both of them immensely. And I grant that the battle for Okinawa helps put the decision to drop the horrific bomb on Japan in perspective of what a battle on Japanese soil might have been like for both sides, but it still bogged down the book. In all, I'd say this was a good book that could have been great.(less)

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Apr 29, 2011 Ronald Roseborough rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: war, historical-novel

This story of the last two years of the war in the Pacific is embodied in the brutal struggle for Okinawa and the fateful use of the two atomic bombs to end the war with Japan. The voices in this historical novel are representative of those who were there. The commanders on both sides as well as the average fighting men are represented by major characters in the book. The strongest story follows Marine Private Clay Adams through the horrific fighting on Okinawa. As in any book of history, it is...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Randall rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been led to expect little from Jeff Shaara, especially in comparison with his father's masterful "the Killer Angels". Having said that, I have read nearly all of his books because his approach to history is so accessible and it's a nice break from "real" history. I read Eugene Sledge's book and have some relatives who fought in the Pacific theater of WWII and so have some familiarity with that foul conflict. This book does the reality of the conflict great justice as it portrays a young M...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, i-own

As per usual, a generally well-written, well-thought out book about an American war from Mr. Shaara. While I disagree with his assertion at the beginning of the book that he is not trying to promote any point of view or political position, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't see his book as promoting the view that the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Japan was an abhorrent necessity that avoided hundreds of thousands of American casualties, and millions of Japanese (a viewp...more As per usual, a generally well-written, well-thought out book about an American war from Mr. Shaara. While I disagree with his assertion at the beginning of the book that he is not trying to promote any point of view or political position, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't see his book as promoting the view that the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Japan was an abhorrent necessity that avoided hundreds of thousands of American casualties, and millions of Japanese (a viewpoint that I personally agree with). Otherwise, I greatly enjoyed the final installment in the author's quadrilogy of World War II (though, while I understand his reasons for not doing so, I am disappointed that he did not complete a full separate trilogy chronicling the war in the Pacific). From my memories of the previous novels, I believe that he focuses in on fewer view points than before, though there are no complaints here. I greatly enjoyed the increased intimacy this created with the few men Shaara did follow. And though I greatly enjoyed the detail that Shaara lavished on the Battle of Okinawa (though, at times, the sequencing felt a bit jumpy), I was disappointed that it was focus of almost the entirety of the novel (as I said before, very sad that there wasn't a full trilogy of the Pacific). I also wish he'd spent more time detailing the experiences at Hiroshima, and that he had maybe done a little on Nagasaki--as in most every other history, it becomes relegated to "When the Japanese didn't surrender after Hiroshima, they also dropped a bomb on Nagasaki." In the same regard, I think some portrayal of the massive bombing campaign of the Japanese mainland was also in order--it was one of the most important parts of the American role in the Pacific theatre in 1945, and it gets only cursory mentions in the text (through the very appropriate visage of Curtis LeMay). Viewpoints of both bomber pilots and Japanese civilians would have been nice (though I don't know if maybe Shaara was restricted by his sources in this case).

Everything aside, I was still very pleased with this book, though I don't think it quite lives up to most of his other novels.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

While the world celebrated it's liberation of Nazi controlled Europe the war rages onward in the Pacific. Although he says it was not his intent, Shaara sets the tone that explains the case for the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese just as sick as Germany with their own agenda of world conquest have continued the massacre of soldiers as well as citizens both Japanes and of other Asian nations. Using their own innocent civilians...women and children as decoys, employing the gue...more While the world celebrated it's liberation of Nazi controlled Europe the war rages onward in the Pacific. Although he says it was not his intent, Shaara sets the tone that explains the case for the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese just as sick as Germany with their own agenda of world conquest have continued the massacre of soldiers as well as citizens both Japanes and of other Asian nations. Using their own innocent civilians...women and children as decoys, employing the guerilla tactics in the caves of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Japanese create un-imaginable terrors of war in the Pacific theater. And when none of that worked the last resort was likely the kamikaze dive. The high command of Japan, including the Emporer disbursing nothing but good news while in actuality the Japanes forces are losing ground slowly and painfully through attricion. The Japanese Emporer going so far as to indicate the people of Japan are to lay their own bodies as shields before his in the event of an invasion of the Allied Forces.

Truman's decision to utilize the new technology of mass destruction not only saved American lives, but it finally brought an end to the war. Unfortunately it opens up an entnirely new, slightly more passive but still nightmarish war front, it brought an end to the killing and terror of WWII. The alternative being perhaps a ground invasion into Japanese controlled territories, Tokyo, Guam, China, Phillipenes. After bringing down the Nazis, pacifying Russia (kind of), Pearl Harbor, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, that alternative was something nobody was anywhere near in the mood for.

Shaara in the beginning indicates that if the Japanese continued with their conquest uninhibited that perhaps the empire would reach as far as Australia, then India. Entirely possible, but I think unlikely. Assuming the kamikaze, suicide type strategies would have remained in effect, Japan would first run out of weapons, aircraft, supplies, and soldiers. I discounted this suggestion of what could have been, it however is a frightening indication of what the decision makers must have considered in those days. (less)

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Aug 01, 2011 B.j. Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: war, historical-fiction, purchase

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war stories. This is the fourth and final book in a riveting series. This story began in book one (The Rising Tide) with an extremely accurate & engaging story of how the Allies began to work together in their fight against Hitler and his star general, Rommel, in Africa.

I particularly like the way these books are written, with the viewpoint changing from tank drivers, to parachute soldiers, to country leaders, to submarine captains...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, war

Jeff Shaara's "The Final Storm" takes history that many of us know well, whether from living it (my dad);studying it (me); or watching films and series about World War II (the younger generations). What makes his book so astounding is the level of personal detail he adds, so that a worldwide catastrophe hits the reader in the gut with the connection to his characters.

He moves from the top brass of the Navy, Army, and Marines, to the grunts in the trenches. The assault on Okinawa looked from the...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Harry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, military-fiction, ok

Jeff Shaara's recent novel The Final Storm (A Novel of the War in The Pacific) is more then just an Historical Novel, it is a Novel of History. A Novel of History being a story that centers around a real event that might include real life characters. While I haven't read the first three books of this series of World War II, I found this the final book in the series, to provide an immersing understanding of these world changing events. This book tells the story of the taking of Okinawa and the dr...more

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May 17, 2011 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

"The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific" by Jeff Shaara is a historical fiction novel which focuses on America's war in the Pacific instead of Europe. Mr. Shaara points out that he didn't intend to write this book but got many letters for fans and WWII veterans who fought there.
Good for us!

The book follows the battle of Okinawa through the eyes of the grunts on the ground and the commanders of both the American and Japanese forces.
The last part of the book follows the...more "The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific" by Jeff Shaara is a historical fiction novel which focuses on America's war in the Pacific instead of Europe. Mr. Shaara points out that he didn't intend to write this book but got many letters for fans and WWII veterans who fought there.
Good for us!

The book follows the battle of Okinawa through the eyes of the grunts on the ground and the commanders of both the American and Japanese forces.
The last part of the book follows the days leading to dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima mostly through the eyes of President Truman and pilot Paul Tibbets.

"The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific" by Jeff Shaara picks up where his World War II trilogy ended. The war in Europe is all but over; however Japan is stubborn as ever despite massive loses.

True to form, each chapter in the book introduces the war from a perspective of a historical figure. Most of the story is told through the eyes of Marine private Clay Adams and his fight on Okinawa. The battle is also told through the eyes of Japanese general Mitsuru Ushijima, commander of the forces on Okinawa. Both men are true soldiers who will do their duty or die trying to.

The last section of the book focuses on the atomic bomb, mostly seen through the eyes of President Truman and pilot Paul Tibbets. Mr. Shaara tries to bring in a few opposing points of view to the bomb, however he makes his position perfectly clear: the bomb helped save American lives, Japanese lives and ended World War II.

By contrasting the horrors of facing the soldiers on Okinawa and making sure the reader understands that the American soldiers will face these same horrors in every hamlet in Japan.

This is a moving and riveting book - one of Shaara's best (and I thought most of them were very good). Mr. Shaara manages to show how otherwise decent people sometimes descended to atrocious acts when faced with the horrors of war.
A lesson we are still learning today.

As is done in all his books, the "Afterward" section is interesting and enlightening, letting the reader know what happened with those individuals they just read about after the war. It is important to remember that Mr. Shaara uses real people, even those we have never heard about, however are the backbone of our country.

For more book reviews and bookish posts please go to: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com (less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, world-war-ii

"Ushijima knew that the American commanders would be agonizing over their lack of progress, that surely no American general had the stomach for such a high casualty rate. Unlike the Japanese, who fed their people only what the Imperial High Command chose to reveal, he knew that the American newspapers were sure to announce openly the kinds of losses their soldiers were suffering. It is astounding, he thought, that they believe such openness is a positive thing. War is not about truth. it is ab...more "Ushijima knew that the American commanders would be agonizing over their lack of progress, that surely no American general had the stomach for such a high casualty rate. Unlike the Japanese, who fed their people only what the Imperial High Command chose to reveal, he knew that the American newspapers were sure to announce openly the kinds of losses their soldiers were suffering. It is astounding, he thought, that they believe such openness is a positive thing. War is not about truth. it is about morale and spirit and what officers can drive their men to do."

In the closing novel of Jeff Shaara's World War II series, we are at the final stages of the war against Japan. The string that connects these novels (apart from the war itself), is Private Clay Adams, brother to Jesse Adams whom we had become familiar with in Shaara's previous books.

It appears that the theme of this work is the moral dilemma presented by the use of the atomic bomb. Shaara sets up the argument by showing throughout the first two parts of the book how the Japanese culture differs from our own. The military can be brutal and cruel and so can the U.S. forces. However, the Japanese people cannot give up without dishonor, and that is so embedded in their history and their being, that the American commanders quickly realize that victory will only come with enormous loss of human life. As U.S. troops prepare for a massive invasion of Japan, President Truman approves the bombing of Hiroshima. The devastation wreaked on the city stunned the Japanese. They tried political means to avoid the terms of the Potsdam treaty by asking the Soviets to intercede. 9 days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. It was over and the Japanese knew they had no alternative but to accept defeat.

Shaara is a master at portraying his country at war. It is well researched, thoughtful and very entertaining. My only disappointment was that this book is not enough to close out Jeff Shaara's series on World War II. This was just a small snapshot of a short period of time. As the author himself said, the United States basically fought two wars - one in Europe and one in the Pacific. There's much more to tell of the latter and I sincerely hope Jeff Shaara does just that.(less)

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Apr 14, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Devastating doesn't begin to describe this story of the terror, filth, gore and brutality faced by the Marines attempting to secure the Japanese-held island of Okinawa at the close of World War Two. Jeff Shaara uses several points of view to illustrate the Herculean task the American forces faced fighting the Japanese island by island in the Pacific theater: Admiral Nimitz, General Ushijima, the Japanese commander on Okinawa, and most powerfully for me, Clay Adams, a young Marine. In the final p...more Devastating doesn't begin to describe this story of the terror, filth, gore and brutality faced by the Marines attempting to secure the Japanese-held island of Okinawa at the close of World War Two. Jeff Shaara uses several points of view to illustrate the Herculean task the American forces faced fighting the Japanese island by island in the Pacific theater: Admiral Nimitz, General Ushijima, the Japanese commander on Okinawa, and most powerfully for me, Clay Adams, a young Marine. In the final part of the book we experience the last days of the war and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima through the characters of Harry Truman, Paul Tibbets and a Japanese doctor in that city.

Shaara convincingly illustrates why an invasion of Japan, the only alternative to using the bombs, would have protracted the war indefinitely and caused catastrophic loss of life on both sides. The reader is reminded of the devastating losses America suffered in the grinding campaigns to take Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima and now Okinawa; Truman muses over the differences between the wars in Europe and the Pacific, and how "the astounding viciousness of the Japanese seemed to pervade their entire military culture, a culture that Truman knew was nothing the Americans had ever faced before."

General Ushijima on Okinawa mulls over the same thing, disgusted with the over-the-top patriotism and bravura of his second-in-command, General Cho, one of the architects of the horrendous brutality of the Japanese campaign in Manchuria. Ushijima gradually comes to grips with the appalling cost of the war and the Imperial High Command's inability to send him any support or relief, only mindless exhortations to honorable victory and the Divine Wind, or kamikaze, to attack the massive American armada of ships surrounding the island. The reader comes to realize, as did the American president and commanders, that the Japanese people would never surrender, indeed had no idea of the extent of their losses; they were being told only that "the cost of waging war is honorable death" and would try to take as many Americans with them as possible. Through the eyes of Adams, the young Marine, we see the horror instilled by countless suicide attacks by the desperate Japanese soldiers; surrender isn't even an option, as their own snipers will pick off Japanese soldiers "dishonorable" enough to attempt it. This is a vicious enemy that becomes "less than human" to the American Marines as they attempt to take Sugar Loaf Hill and other landmarks on the island.

A lot of books, movies, and documentaries have covered this ground in the last several years as various World War Two commemorative anniversaries have come and gone, and many of the brave men and women who fought and served have died as well. Other reviewers may have found this familiar ground, but I had not read any in-depth history of the brutal, seemingly hopeless conditions our soldiers and Marines faced fighting the Japanese. I had to stop and put the book down a few times, as gripping as it was; I was deeply moved, but needed to step away and digest what I had read, what these very real characters not much older than my own son had endured. I found this a very affecting and honest chronicle of what our troops went through in the Pacific, and a fitting tribute I would recommend to any reader interested in great historical fiction based on actual history.(less)

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Apr 14, 2011 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, holocaust-wwii

This is a terrific look into the lives of American servicemen, strategists, and President during THE FINAL STORM of the Pacific which lead to the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II.

Jeff Shaara's is a storyteller, and a good one at presenting the horrific conditions the military faced in these final battles for the Philippines, Mariana and Peleliu Islands where more than 6000 Marines lost their lives. We are witness to the strategic divisions of General MacArthur, Admiral Nimitz, and...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Casey Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was able to review this book over a month in advance of publication by winning a drawing through Goodreads, so I need to (and want to) thank them and Ballantine, the publisher, for allowing me to receive an advance copy of the book. Jeff Shaara is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and this third novel of his that I've now read is no exception.

Historical fiction has always been kind of a weird genre to me; how accurate can it really be if it's fictionalized? But the best authors of t...more I was able to review this book over a month in advance of publication by winning a drawing through Goodreads, so I need to (and want to) thank them and Ballantine, the publisher, for allowing me to receive an advance copy of the book. Jeff Shaara is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and this third novel of his that I've now read is no exception.

Historical fiction has always been kind of a weird genre to me; how accurate can it really be if it's fictionalized? But the best authors of these kinds of works do a bunch of research and can actually give us a better view of the incidents depicted because now we're brought inside the people's lives who went through the event, saving the reader the difficulties of reading the memoirs of everyone involved. Shaara obviously has an affinity for doing this kind of research, as the product of this research is so gripping.

Having completed a trilogy about World War II that focused on the war in Europe, Shaara says he was approached by a number of veterans and family members of soldiers who fought the war in the Pacific wanting equal time. Therefore, we follow a few people through the Battle of Okinawa and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and get to experience those events through the eyes of those who participated.

The details are haunting, and don't shy away from the brutality of the war. I think they're related masterfully by Shaara, being accurate, but not lingering on them. It's a difficult read, but it was a a difficult war. Shaara also does a great job of relating the events through the eyes of the Japanese, which show just how differently they viewed the war they were fighting. It's truly an enlightening experience to go through this novel, which reads surprisingly quickly.

It's clear that Shaara's talent is on great display here, and it was truly a privilege for me to be able to read this, his latest work, so soon. I can only hope that the book garners the same kind of praise and attention I believe it deserves.(less)

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May 19, 2011 Rebecca Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone!

Recommended to Rebecca by: The author

LOVED this book! I am a huge World War II buff anyway, and I found myself learning something new as I was reading through the book.The view from the soldiers perspective and those involved was riveting. I couldnt put the book down once I started reading! I am looking forward to reading this again, as well as recommending it to my students! His use of history and narrative is amazing! This puts the Okinawa thrust into an entirely different picture, and actually gives you the feeling as though you...more

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Apr 15, 2013 David Felder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting historical fiction about the war in the Pacific. Covers roughly the period in WW2 from the invasion of Okinawa through the Japanese surrender.

Jeff Shaara does a fine job of humanizing the characters in this narrative. Reading historical fiction is strange in that you have to keep reminding yourself that this is just the author's impression of what the characters are thinking, it's not necessarily the truth. Not being a student of history, I don't know how much of the characterization...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Linda Munro rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have watched many war movies and never cried like I did while reading this book. For the first time in my life, I think I undestand why my father did not discuss the war and why we could not watch a war movie while my father was present.

This book covered the assault on Okinawa and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It dealt with the fact that the Japenese would rather die than be captured. It dealt with the fear, the death and destruction that met every moment of our soldier's (and Marin...more

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Sep 11, 2011 jeffrey rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've always thought that while the author's father(?) Michael Shaara's prose (Killer Angels, e.g.,) was sparkling and brilliant, Jeff's prose, in contrast tends to the dull and plodding. Unfortunately, the same holds true again in this well-meaning but badly flawed work. The problem again is that the ideas are good, but the execution kills it, so to speak. The dialog is so, so cliched, draggy, overly solemn, and banal. I gathered that the author considers a few well-placed 'damns' or 'hells' as...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Almeda Riley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone who has any interest in learning more about World War II should read this book! It presents the assault on Okinawa and the dropping of the atomic bomb through the eyes of several participants, both American and Japanese. It may be fiction, but Shaara must have interviewed people who were really there to get what he depicted, both in observations and personal recollections. The violence, and inurement to violence brought about by war, are both amazing to those of us who have never seen the...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think that Jeff Shaara's books help us to understand history. Today, before I finished this book, I saw the movie "Captain America". While I enjoyed the movie, I couldn't help but think about this book and the stories of the people who fought in the Pacific theater of WWII. This book is not an uplifting tale, it is a sobering reminder of the realities of war and it is handled in a way that will make you, at times, weep. It is an easy read. You will be drawn in by the characters and find you ha...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

A sensational tale of the lesser talked about arena of WWII, the Pacific Conflict. Shaara lays out his excellent research in a fictional account of actual events, using real people, in real situations.

If you have never read Shaara before, you will soon be right there on the front lines, fighting with the soldiers, eating their rations, and feeling as rough as they do in the trenches. Shaara brings life to the important wars and expands on some of the lesser known parts of historically important...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Peter Fortune rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: military

Final Storm: A Novel of War in the Pacific – Jeff Shaara – 2011

This is an outstanding mix of fact and fiction centering on the battle for Okinawa in the summer of 1945—so centered on facts that it is almost not a novel Told from vantage of the top commanders (Admiral Nimitz, General LeMay on our side, General Ushijima on the defender’s side) and the grunts dying in the mud, it weaves a story of brutality and violence into a tale of two cultures (the shinto-bushido of Japan and the dogged perserv...more

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About Jeff Shaara

Jeff Shaara, a descendant of Italian immigrants, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey ("Shaara" was originally spelled "Sciarra"). He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Criminology. From age 16, Jeff operated a rare coin business, first out of his home, then in a retail store. After moving to Tampa, Jeff became one of the most widely know...more Jeff Shaara, a descendant of Italian immigrants, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey ("Shaara" was originally spelled "Sciarra"). He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Criminology. From age 16, Jeff operated a rare coin business, first out of his home, then in a retail store. After moving to Tampa, Jeff became one of the most widely known coin and precious-metals dealers in Florida. In 1988, Jeff's father, Michael Shaara, died, and Jeff made the decision to sell his business, and take over the management of his father's estate.

Onboard the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Mustin in the Persian Gulf.

In 1993, the motion picture "Gettysburg" was released, which was based on his father's classic novel, The Killer Angels. After the critical and commercial success of the film, Jeff was approached about the possibility of continuing the story, finding someone to write a prequel and sequel to The Killer Angels. After some considerable soul-searching, Jeff decided to try to tackle the project himself. The decision was difficult in many ways, but most challenging because Jeff had no previous experience as a writer.

In 1996, Ballantine Books published Jeff's first novel, Gods and Generals, the prequel to his father's great work. Gods and Generals leapt onto the New York Times Bestseller List, and remained there for fifteen weeks. Critics nationwide praised the book and Jeff's writing ability, and the book was awarded the American Library Association's Prestigious "Boyd Award". No one was more surprised than Jeff himself. In 1998, the sequel, The Last Full Measure, was published, with the same result: thirteen weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, and universal praise from critics and fans nationwide. Two years later, Jeff published his third novel, Gone For Soldiers, which followed many familiar Civil War characters back to their experiences in the Mexican-American War of the 1840's. Received with much critical acclaim, the book became Jeff's third bestseller.(less)

More about Jeff Shaara...

Books by Jeff Shaara

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The Rising Tide: A Novel of World War II (World War II: 1939-1945 #1)

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The Final Storm: A Novel of the War in the Pacific (World War II: 1939-1945 #4)

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