Flags of Our Fathers (Mass Market Paperback) by James Bradley

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01/10/08

Adrienne rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in February, 2008

Flags of Our Fathers tells the amazing true story of Iwo Jima and The Photograph, by creating a fairly complete picture of the six boys/men in the photo. It recounts basic ideas of their childhoods and their training as Marines, the battle itself, and the lives of those who survived (including Bradley's father) after the war.

These men, who wanted nothing else but to be left alone, were thrust into the spotlight because of a lucky picture at a not-so-heroic moment in time. The pict...more Flags of Our Fathers tells the amazing true story of Iwo Jima and The Photograph, by creating a fairly complete picture of the six boys/men in the photo. It recounts basic ideas of their childhoods and their training as Marines, the battle itself, and the lives of those who survived (including Bradley's father) after the war.

These men, who wanted nothing else but to be left alone, were thrust into the spotlight because of a lucky picture at a not-so-heroic moment in time. The picture became a sensation, the most reproduced photo, and the boys became heroes. They were very much heroes, not because of the flagraising, but for having done the same thing every other soldier had done on Sulfur Island--risking their lives for their country and their friends.

My basic assessment of the book is "Content: excellent. Execution: mediocre."

The middle of the book, which gives the details of the actual battle, was very compelling; I didn't want to put it down. However, the beginning and the end seemed redundant.

The problems with the book do not come from the unbelievable story or its scope, but they come in the structure. In the beginning, I was very frustrated by the sentence fluency, but after talking to a friend about the book (and reading further) I realized it was the organization that was lacking.

Bradley repeats the same ideas over and over. Really, the book could have been a lot shorter--a couple hundred pages shorter (my version was the short, fat one). I do wonder if the YA version would be less redundant without losing the great details. Also, he obviously has a bit of a bias, but it's to be expected, and I don't think it gets too in the way of the important details.

But through all of this, I am very glad that I read it. The information surprised/shocked me a little, but I don't know much about the Japan side of WWII. It's always good to be reminded of the horrors of war and to empathize with those who have been, who are going, and who have sent their loved ones. The story made me surprisingly more emotional than I would have thought.(less)

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03/09/08

sean rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

bookshelves: world-war-ii-non-fiction

I read the book before the movie. The movie, directed by Clint Eastwood is almost entirely dedicated to the book's last chapters where the author describes the after-war lives of the heroes - and yes, despite what Bradley and Eastwood believe, these men ARE heroes regardless of the father Bradley's protests.

After describing the battle and events of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi, the author describes how the men's lives turned sour as the US War Machine exploited them for the 7...more

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08/02/07

Leah rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: everyone

I don't often read historical nonfiction, but this book was superb; I was very moved by the countless acts of sacrifice made by the men who fought at Iwo Jima.

This is a riveting narrative about the six young American flag raisers in the famed picture. Author James Bradley is the son of corpsman John Bradley (one of the men in the photo) and it was only after his father's death when he began to piece together culminating events, as his father never talked about the war but for: "...more

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07/26/08

Trisha rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in August, 2008

This was a good book, the intent of the author was good, but I didn't like so many personal comments from him. I don't care that he stared at the picture that this book is based around for hours at a time in a daze, or any other comments he made like that. I think that the fact that he added those into the book took away from honoring those he was writing about. It seemed selfish and cocky of him. His personal comments seemed more like a tribute to himself and his intellect than to those who...more

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01/29/09

Andrew Backs rated it:

(review of isbn 055338029X)

bookshelves: alex-awards, kent-ya-class

5Q 2P A/YA

James Bradley's book is a masterpiece of historical writing that will not wear down readers with heavy language or intimidate with hundreds of pages. This is a biography written about the five men who raised the United States flag on Mount Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during the second World War. Bradley's father along with two other men Ira Hayes and Rene Gagnon survived the attack on the island and were sent home on orders from the United States governme...more 5Q 2P A/YA

James Bradley's book is a masterpiece of historical writing that will not wear down readers with heavy language or intimidate with hundreds of pages. This is a biography written about the five men who raised the United States flag on Mount Suribachi on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during the second World War. Bradley's father along with two other men Ira Hayes and Rene Gagnon survived the attack on the island and were sent home on orders from the United States government after a photograph of the scene had been sent home. The unforgettable picture became a national phenomena and would forever change the lives of the three surviving soldiers.

This book is a fascinating read as the author recreates the oral stories of these men from either direct conversation or other sources related to them. It will please any young reader who has interest in World War II or an American history enthusiast. The battle scenes described in this book allows the reader to become emotionally invested in the lives of these heroic men. The author holds nothing back when it comes to describing the horrors of pain and death in the battlefields.

Perhaps more impressive and unique is the author's ability to describe the home lives of the three men as they come back from fighting. Each man carries the burden of his trials in their own way. Again the author does not sugarcoat any of the domestic struggles these men went through. These honest accounts makes the reader reflect upon the misconceptions of glamourizing war, decorated home lives, and the invincible image of heroes. While not taking away from their courage and heroics on the battlefield, the author keeps these men humbled and human by not hiding anything. For example, one man Ira Hayes must deal with the fact that he is a Native American living in a white man's world. Without his uniform, he is nothing but another Indian drunk in the eyes of the public.

This book would not appeal to most young adult readers because of the content inside. Those looking for a John Wayne war story will want to look elsewhere. The imagery is very intense and graphic. The description of the domestic struggles of the three men is also not a pretty picture either, which might turn off some readers looking for a feel good story. Readers interested in the subject will definitely get into this title with no problem, but other than that it would likely take a lot of convincing to find other young adults to pick this one up.(less)

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11/22/08

David rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in May, 2007

Like most people, I had no idea what the real context was for the famous photograph of soldiers raising the US flag at Iwo Jima. Nor did I understand the military significance of that campaign, or the cost in lives it required (over 8000 US soldiers killed and almost 20,000 wounded; and over 20,000 Japanese killed). This book is presented as the story of the 6 men who appear in the photo. The first section gives their backgrounds and life stories, and dragged a bit, but made the rest much more p...more

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06/15/08

Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

bookshelves: non-fiction

Read in July, 2007

Easily one of the most moving and memorable books I have ever read. I know that I've said that I don't get emotional over the books that I read, but Flags of Our Fathers is a definite exception. The author has a personal connection to the subject, and his own emotion over the true story of his father comes through wonderfully. It's as much about history as it is about family.

On a sour note, do not ever watch the movie. EVER! It's as awful as the book is wonderful.

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02/14/09

Dustin rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in February, 2009

This is quite possibly the saddest thing I've ever read but it's so good and I just can't stop. It often made me think of my favorite series of all time "Band of Brothers" even though the battles were completely different. The author, as you can expect, is very proud of his father (one of the few flag raisers who survived) and sometimes paints his picture a little too close to perfection of his fathers character and life. It's also a very big eye opener to the differences in the batt...more

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04/18/09

Amy B rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

bookshelves: kent-ya-class

Read in April, 2009

Flags of Our Fathers is a non-fiction best book. Flags of Our Fathers is the result of the son of James Bradley, one of the soldiers in the famous photo of the Americans putting up the flag on Hiwojima, doing a ton of gut wrenching research. This was really well done. There are photos and timelines as well as all of the sources he used. I was able to listen to this as well as look at the book. High school boys love this book. James Bradley's heart was so fully into this research that ...more Flags of Our Fathers is a non-fiction best book. Flags of Our Fathers is the result of the son of James Bradley, one of the soldiers in the famous photo of the Americans putting up the flag on Hiwojima, doing a ton of gut wrenching research. This was really well done. There are photos and timelines as well as all of the sources he used. I was able to listen to this as well as look at the book. High school boys love this book. James Bradley's heart was so fully into this research that he allowed it to take over his life for a time. The result was this record that we wouldn't have if he hadn't. I learned a great many things about WWII that I wouldn't have known or remembered otherwise. Some of the reality of war was not what I was taught in school at all. As a history major in college, I felt I had been lied to about some things. I took three quarters of Japanese history and still didn't quite grasp what the Japanese were really about at that time until I listened to Mr. Bradley explain what was going on. We do our kids a disservice trying to candy coat so many things. I can understand up to a certain age not telling the whole truth. But at the age of eighteen, we need to know the real story about history. James Bradley digs deep into the story behind the lives of each one ot the six boys who was there that day. He follows them from they were born as best he can until that day. He makes the reader feel connected in a personal way to each one of the soldiers that helped raise that flag. The soldiers were so young. They had each come from very different backrounds. Each prepared in there own way and with each other for what they had to face. Only two would make it back alive. Only one would live to old age. James Bradley would go on to have eight children and never talk about the war. His eldest son was ferociously interested and tried to no avail. After his dad died, he felt compelled to do this research. He was even able to approve a special visit to the site of the flag for his mother and brothers. For teens this would be a very eye opening book. I think it would take a special teen to read or listen to this though. It is not something that is attractive or has an entertaining sound. The teen would need to be someone intelligent and interested in history. Quality a 5. Popularity a 5. This has now been made into a film.(less)

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06/16/09

Janet Wilcox rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in April, 2007

This book confirms the quote that "War is Hell." It was very graphic in its depection of the battle of Iwo Jima, and the two postings of the U.S flag on that famous prometory.
I loved reading of the process of how this story came to be, and the research involved, as James Bradley, step by step discovers the history of men in the famous photograph and sculpture, one of whom was his father.
The book also reaffirms my conviction of, and commitment in doing interviews wit...more

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01/23/08

Rob Keller added it (review of isbn 0553384155)

Has a copy to sell/swap

this book is really good and i hope anyone who reads this book ikes it to because the book is really informational and yet there till some action in the book so pick the book of the shelve and start a readin

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03/11/09

fbuser1056078987 rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

An incredible account of the lives of the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. James Bradley explores the lives of these men as they grew up before the war, how they came to be together during the war, and how they dealt with life after the war. This book had tremendous impact on me and drove even deeper into my heart a love for this country and for the men who made it possible. Clint Eastwood's movie by the same title does not do justice to the author of the book nor to the men portrayed in it....more

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06/09/09

Susan Kingsley rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in June, 2009

Flags of Our Fathers is the true account of six US Marines from childhood accounts to death who just happened to raise a flag. I could barley put this book down. I cried and felt great pride as I read. The historical account of why Japan attacked the USA, their build up to the was and their uncommon excesses during the war left me empty and sad to think such a thing could happen to such a cultured people. I recommend this book to EVERY ONE! Why are our schools not using this account to teac...more

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12/22/08

Cecily rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: autobiography-or-biography, historical-interest, nonfiction

Read in February, 2009

recommends it for: World War II buffs, American History buffs, anyone interested in history

I have read a lot of *war epic* books. This book does not follow the "traditional" format of a *war epic*. This book is about World War II -- specifically about the battle of Iwo Jima and the famous "flag-raising" photograph -- but it definitely has the "feel" of a book written about war in a post-Vietnam era. The author ( James Bradley)is the son of one of the men featured in the infamous WWII photograph of the Iwo Jima flag-raising, Navy corpsman John Bradley (

...more

I have read a lot of *war epic* books. This book does not follow the "traditional" format of a *war epic*. This book is about World War II -- specifically about the battle of Iwo Jima and the famous "flag-raising" photograph -- but it definitely has the "feel" of a book written about war in a post-Vietnam era. The author ( James Bradley)is the son of one of the men featured in the infamous WWII photograph of the Iwo Jima flag-raising, Navy corpsman John Bradley (Bradley is the one who is clearly in the front and center of the photograph, the only one whose face and profile are visible).

The perspective of the book provides an interesting tension against the mythology and popular sentiment about the photograph. The truth about the photograph is very different than what people made of it then, and would even surprise some now (as history books use the iconic image to represent valor, where the truth about the photograph is something very different: an insignificant act that happened to become an iconic image). James Bradley takes the perspective of his father John Bradley: that "heros" are a made-up idea. The undercurrent of the book seeks to prove that the flag-raisers were not the fictionalized epic "heros" the media made them out to be -- the men who gave their lives in the most brutal battle of WWII were the real heros (and the truth is that everyone was just doing what they needed to do to stay alive and support their buddies...even awards of "heroism" are subject to question, because everyone is a hero). These were "normal" guys -- "the boy next door" -- who came from many different places, from many different backgrounds, and who had different dreams and aspirations for their lives. It chronicles each of their lives -- from boyhood until death -- and reflects on how the photograph impacted their lives and the lives of their families. In two cases, there were families whose lives were impacted due to misidentification of the crouching figure at the base of the pole in the lower right-had corner of the photograph.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys extremely detailed, extremely technical accounts of battles from as many diverse technical perspectives as possible, this is not the book for you. This is not a book that seeks to tell all details about all things. The purpose of this book is to uncover and expose the truth and perspective about the history of the photograph. This book is a woven odyssey of lives, it is not the diagram of a WWII chess game. Enough information is given to give you a feel for what the battle and conditions were like, but it is what historians would call a "secondary source" -- written by one who was not there, but by one who carefully studied the technical information and interviewed participants. The "distance" from the events is actually a strength for the book -- there is less prejudice and nationalism than a more contemporary account might give due to the historical perspective gleaned from fifty-four years.

This book is a thoughtful account, and an enlightening look at a history that most people do not know. This book is an important book to read -- the interviews and the chronicles of the lives of the participants (and of the families and friends the fallen left behind) provides an interesting commentary as to the effect war can have on the life of a young person. I was actually chilled to the bone when I saw the film (prior to reading the book), because there is a scene in the film and in the book that exactly replicates a story told to me by a decorated disabled Vietnam Veteran I once knew -- about seeing his best friend's head blown clean off as he is right beside you. Knowing the personal stories of the shattered lives of many in various American wars (people I have known personally) gave me pause to think on our modern service men and women who are presently being impacted by global conflicts, especially in the Middle East. Though there will be many "John Bradleys" in our day -- men impacted who can ultimately face (and live) their lives in some peace, I fear there will also be many "Ira Hayes" as well (men shattered and destroyed by the experience from the inside out).

A thoughtful book, a compelling book that "reads well," Flags of Our Fathers is well worth the time to read (and the film is also good, but do read the book first -- there is a lot of things you will "miss" in the movie if you don't read the book first).

(less)

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11/16/08

J. rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

I read With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge a few years ago, after my dad's passing. Dad had served on Okinawa, but after he'd gotten out of the service, married, and I came along, he was mum about his eight years in the service.

Here, in Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley, son of John Bradley, who served on Iwo Jima as a corpsman and who was awarded the Navy Cross for his service, recounts a story not so unlike my own, and many other sons born of this generation of leathernecks.
...more I read With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge a few years ago, after my dad's passing. Dad had served on Okinawa, but after he'd gotten out of the service, married, and I came along, he was mum about his eight years in the service.

Here, in Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley, son of John Bradley, who served on Iwo Jima as a corpsman and who was awarded the Navy Cross for his service, recounts a story not so unlike my own, and many other sons born of this generation of leathernecks.

Unlike With the Old Breed, which was told by one of the surviving Marines of Okinawa, Flags is the result of James Bradley's research and interviews with many survivors of the battle for Iwo Jima, after his father's own passing. At times Flags reads like an action thriller, its battle sequences, authentic not only in their depiction of all the clichés Hollywood made famous in the 1950s, but in its realism of the true horrors of war, and the impact it had on the survivors. But Flags is more.

Flags follows the lives of six boys, providing a brief bio of each prior to enlisting in the service - five in the Marine Corps, one in the Navy, through their service years, including their participation in the flag-raising on Iwo, the war bond tour in which three of them participated - the other three were killed on Iwo - up to the death of each one, the first, a Pima Indian from Arizona who's drinking likely contributed to his death at the age of 31, the second, an east coast lad who always lamented the celebrity status that being a flag-raiser promised but never quite delivered, who died of a heart attack in his mid 50s, and John Bradley, the only one who managed to create a life of normalcy, although for years, like my own father and many others who served in the South Pacific campaign, he suffered nightmares.

The Photograph, which is how James Bradley refers to it, of the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima taken by Joe Rosenthal is today one of the most recognizable photographs ever taken, and it has become an icon of America's determination, valor and dogma. Yet to the three boys who raised it, it was merely a task, one of the many they performed in the line of duty, perhaps the easiest, and none of them could ever quite come to terms with what the government, the media and the marketing people conspired to create from it. As Ira, the doomed Pima Indian said: "It's funny what a picture can do."

Told with great love and admiration, and a fitting tribute to his father and all those from the "Greatest Generation" who served, Flags is a must read for all generations, to understand that there is no glory in war, despite the propaganda the government and admen feed us. There is duty and there is love, but when the bullets fly, no boy fights for their country. They fight for survival and they fight for their brothers. No one should have to ever endure what these kids endured in the South Pacific, or in any war, which is why no one man, with the flourish of his signature, should ever be granted the responsibility of sending young men and women into harm's way, especially if that man has never walked into hell and back.

Flags is also a motion picture, directed by Clint Eastwood, one which I hope yet to see. I'm sure Mr. Eastwood's treatment will be true to Bradley's text, but I'm equally sure that a motion picture will be unable to capture all of what the book relates. (less)

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09/19/08

E rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

bookshelves: biography, nonfiction

Read in October, 2006

Hoping to learn something about what my father might have experienced in the Pacific Theater of WWII, I read this book with much interest and appreciation. Bradlely's personal search for an understanding of his own father's past and his part in the war lends a poignancy to the unfolding stories of the men depicted in the famous photo and later statue of the 2nd flag raising at Iwo Jima. While the stories and Bradley's own search personalize the war greatly, there is much background here on the P...more

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09/14/08

Billy rated it:

Read in October, 2008

The story of the iconic flag raising on Mt. Suribachi during the Iwo Jima invasion as told by the son of one of the flag raisers. An interesting story ruined by glaring factual errors and a hysteric tone better suited for tabloid newspaper reporting.

As an example of the factual inaccuracies, the author tells us that the battle of Guadacanal was the first time the Japanese were stopped during World War 2. I guess that's true if one doesn't consider halting the Port Moresby invasion ...more

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09/08/08

Calvin rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

My adopted grandfather fought at Iwo Jima. I really connected with this book on so many levels because of that.

My parents came to America when they were in their 20's. They were "adopted" by an American couple. My mom lived with them and they helped her get accustomed to American life as my mom went to college. My grandfather's name is Calvin, and that is why I was named Calvin. When I got older, I learned that he had fought on Iwo Jima. He never boasted about his acco...more

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07/11/08

Jay Richardson rated it:

(review of isbn 0553384155)

Read in July, 2008

I read this over July 4th - learning about humanity, our capacity to love and serve, and am thankful we had boys/men that took care of this, but I can' imagine if they did not.

Read it, but let it get rolling before you judge it's pace.

I wept, I had to take breaks, I respect a lot of people that I can't now thank for their efforts and am sickened by how twisted and de-humanized man becomes if ego, logic, and xenophobia are evoked with bad intent. It happens a lot too.
...more

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05/13/08

Meghan rated it:

(review of isbn 0712667628)

The fourth book I read is called Flags of Our Fathers, written by James Bradley and adapted for young people by Michael French. The son of one of the flag-raisers tells the narrator of this story. During World War two, six young marines are sent to Iwo Jima (which is an island were the Japanese battled the Americans). These men had to survive the difficulties of land battle and live long enough to raise the American flag on top of the mountain in Iwo Jima. Although the battle carried on a while ...more

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