Typhoon of Steel: The Battle for Okinawa

by James H. Belote, William M. Belote

The first comprehensive history of the last military campaign of WW II ever written for the general reader. It is based on interviews in Japan and Okinawa with military and civilian survivors, with numerous Americans who fought in the campaign, and on many months of research in the official American and Japanese reports.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Steve]

Listed as the first comprehensive book on the Okinawa campaign for the general reader, it covers the build up, the battle and kamikaze attacks, and the eventual outcome of the battle. It is highlighted with quotes from the soldiers and sailors from both sides that fought there. It is a pretty straight forward account of the action of the army and marine units, but also includes the naval action and kamikaze attacks that were occurring at the same time around Okinawa and the shores of Japan. Since the publication of this book in 1970, other historians have questioned the high casualty rates and military tactics of the leaders and even the need to invade the island. Given that it took two atomic bombs and the entry of Russia into the war to get Japan to surrender, it is apparent that Okinawa was needed as a forward base for the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands.

[patrick Lorelli]

This was one of those old Bantam paperback books that I came across and have never read anything about Okinawa. This book goes into the planning of the battle from the Navy to the land attack. What I do find interesting now over the years is that this is really an overview really. Now there are more books that have come out that really go into the background from training to the reason why this island was so important. To the Japanese using Kamikaze on the Navy. Though you get a sense of some of the battle for the time this book came out it is nothing like any of the books that were to come out after this one.

[Jack]

lots of first person accounts