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The Bloody Battle of Suribachi: The Amazing Story of Iwo Jima That Inspired Flags of Our Fathers
The classic first-hand WWII narrative that chronicles the Marines' savage five-day struggle to wrest Mount Suribachi from its tenacious Japanese defenders during their 35 day battle for Iwo Jima in 1945. Revised with a new introduction by the author and recently discovered photos, this book served as invaluable source material both for James Bradley's bestseller Flags of Our Fathers as well as Clint Eastwood's acclaimed film of the same name.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
71 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Richard Wheeler
27 books3 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Richard "Dick" Wheeler was an accomplished military historian and served with the United States Marine Corp (Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division) during World War II. Wheeler participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and was wounded there. He wrote seventeen military history books and served as a consultant on numerous movie and television productions. He passed away on October 21, 2008 at the age of 86.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Richard "Dick" Wheeler was an accomplished military historian and served with the United States Marine Corp (Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division) during World War II. Wheeler participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and was wounded there. He wrote seventeen military history books and served as a consultant on numerous movie and television productions. He passed away on October 21, 2008 at the age of 86.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 17, 2022
A very well written and informative read. The writer doesn't bog you down with endless battle unit reports and moves the history along in a readable fashion. An enjoyable history book. Recommended
October 1, 2012
Richard Wheeler was a United States Marine and took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima. It was his companies privilege to take Mount Suribachi. He didn't quite make it as on the final assault he was hit with shrapnel which tore open his back and legs. He was able to finish the story after talking to others who made it to the top.
These are the men who raised the first flag on Iwo Jima, and only one, John Bradley, was in the picture as they raised the second flag, the one that we are all familiar with from the photograph and the monument in Arlington Va., and at the Marine Base in Quantico.
Of his entire company, only three men came through the battle unscathed.
This book inspired the book and eventually the movie, "The Flag of Our Fathers." Wheeler tells the story of the before, Bradley tells the story of the after.
These are the men who raised the first flag on Iwo Jima, and only one, John Bradley, was in the picture as they raised the second flag, the one that we are all familiar with from the photograph and the monument in Arlington Va., and at the Marine Base in Quantico.
Of his entire company, only three men came through the battle unscathed.
This book inspired the book and eventually the movie, "The Flag of Our Fathers." Wheeler tells the story of the before, Bradley tells the story of the after.
August 15, 2021
3 stars [Memoir]
(W: 3.08, U: 2.75, T: 3.13)
Exact rating: 2.99
Writing: 3 (lexical 3, semantic 3, dynamism 3.25)
Use: 2.75 (3, minus 1/4)
Wheeler was a marine infantryman on the front lines in the invasion of Iwo Jima. His eyewitness account, first published in 1965, is of lasting value to war literature. He was neither jingoistic nor anti-war: a solid Golden Mean in war memoirs.
His decision to include a section on his friend and his stateside brothel, even though it was not descriptive, made this book less able to receive a general recommendation. Moreover, it did not rise to the level of more thoughtful history/memoirs, say, of Stephen Ambrose.
Truth: 3.13 (3.5, with two instances of 2)
The travails of an infantryman are welcome in a multitude of books, because the horror of war ought to be emphasized to every generation.
Even though Wheeler's book would have benefitted from more philosophizing, perhaps it was better he left it out. His one attempt was appalling. He conjectured that the philosophy of the Japanese must be based on courage rather than a religious fervor, as had been widely told. He was quite wrong to suppose this. Later, he doubled down and defended Japanese torture of its captives, saying they were probably just doing it as retribution for normal war action. Now that the world knows the horrific details of wartime Japanese brainwashing in a version of its Shintoist death cult, and their subsequent, correlative actions in The Rape of Nanking and atrocities against civilians in Manila, Wheeler's philosophizing is shown to be preposterous and macabre.
Japanese courage existed, and Wheeler was right to extol it later in the example of a 2-man Japanese gun crew firing in the open on the side of Suribachi. But the motives of Imperial Japan is not a subject to broach ignorantly.
(W: 3.08, U: 2.75, T: 3.13)
Exact rating: 2.99
Writing: 3 (lexical 3, semantic 3, dynamism 3.25)
Use: 2.75 (3, minus 1/4)
Wheeler was a marine infantryman on the front lines in the invasion of Iwo Jima. His eyewitness account, first published in 1965, is of lasting value to war literature. He was neither jingoistic nor anti-war: a solid Golden Mean in war memoirs.
His decision to include a section on his friend and his stateside brothel, even though it was not descriptive, made this book less able to receive a general recommendation. Moreover, it did not rise to the level of more thoughtful history/memoirs, say, of Stephen Ambrose.
Truth: 3.13 (3.5, with two instances of 2)
The travails of an infantryman are welcome in a multitude of books, because the horror of war ought to be emphasized to every generation.
Even though Wheeler's book would have benefitted from more philosophizing, perhaps it was better he left it out. His one attempt was appalling. He conjectured that the philosophy of the Japanese must be based on courage rather than a religious fervor, as had been widely told. He was quite wrong to suppose this. Later, he doubled down and defended Japanese torture of its captives, saying they were probably just doing it as retribution for normal war action. Now that the world knows the horrific details of wartime Japanese brainwashing in a version of its Shintoist death cult, and their subsequent, correlative actions in The Rape of Nanking and atrocities against civilians in Manila, Wheeler's philosophizing is shown to be preposterous and macabre.
Japanese courage existed, and Wheeler was right to extol it later in the example of a 2-man Japanese gun crew firing in the open on the side of Suribachi. But the motives of Imperial Japan is not a subject to broach ignorantly.
August 31, 2021
Richard Wheeler, the author was a marine assigned to the Marine corps' Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division. His description of the battle known to most as Iwo Jima was both touching and terrifying. There is a very famous photo from that battle of Marines struggling to raise the American flag. Those were some of the members of his company. The story is told with naked and brutal honesty. I felt as if I myself was there through the descriptive phrases and words choices the author used. This was a powerful book. Wheeler’s description of the battle did not justify or argue against war. Considering 91’% of Easy Company were killed, it was amazing to me that the book was so well balanced.
August 9, 2019
This was a short, easy history from a perspective I never have read before. I liked that it was in the first person, and I appreciated the author's candid humility and honesty with what he was thinking during the fighting.
The preface set up the book well to make me want to finish the book, and the stories brought me right into the action. His succinct character descriptions were well-worded, the pace of the book was fast, and the flow made sense.
It includes wartime profanity and topics that one might expect from a book like this, so I recommend it to my friends only with reservations.
The preface set up the book well to make me want to finish the book, and the stories brought me right into the action. His succinct character descriptions were well-worded, the pace of the book was fast, and the flow made sense.
It includes wartime profanity and topics that one might expect from a book like this, so I recommend it to my friends only with reservations.
April 24, 2018
A must read for Marines, historians and Americans through out our time,
Really well written first-hand account of Suribachi and the 3rd Platoon Easy Company. Accounts that I had read and heard often gloss over the details of the intense battle that these men took part..
Strongly Recommend
Really well written first-hand account of Suribachi and the 3rd Platoon Easy Company. Accounts that I had read and heard often gloss over the details of the intense battle that these men took part..
Strongly Recommend
January 9, 2023
A quick but good read. A great example of a “you are there” telling of the marine assault and taking of Mount Suribachi. The author recounts what he want through with his platoon from landing on the beach until the first flag is raised. Enough detail is given to allow the reader to begin to grasp what it would of been like.
June 19, 2018
World War II Story
This is a very good book about the battle of Iwo Jima. The author does a good job of describing the action and the relationships of the men. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II
This is a very good book about the battle of Iwo Jima. The author does a good job of describing the action and the relationships of the men. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II
February 20, 2021
Audible Audiobook
June 27, 2021
Astounding
Astounding first-hand account of one platoons experience on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi. Highly recommend this telling of the author's experience.
Astounding first-hand account of one platoons experience on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi. Highly recommend this telling of the author's experience.
September 27, 2021
Good book a must read for history buffs about the raiing of the flag at Suribachi
June 27, 2022
Too much blood!
December 14, 2012
While the author writes a riveting account of his own experiences in training and the early stages of the battle, he is wounded halfway through the text and before the battle for the volcano begins in earnest. Everything subsequent to this is based on secondhand accounts, though the tone of the work does not vary at all. Additionally, very little space is given to the fighting on the actual volcano or the post-flag raising clearing operations. The main emphases of this book are act of pushing across the island to isolate Suribachi from the balance of the garrison and to decry the fame of the second-flag raisers at the expense of those present at the first raising. This is an excellent personal account for the time the author actually spent in battle. The second half of the book is not as estimable, and does not elaborate much at all on what would expect from the lengthy subtitle.
May 8, 2012
This was a splendid personal account of one soldier's experience during the battle of Iwo Jima and the first flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. Wheeler explains in great detail the emotions of fear, determination, shock, and everything else that came within those historic moments. I felt that the book, while covering a horrific portion of WWII, was written with feeling and detail and in such a way that even a teenager would be able to read without being immersed in blood, guts and language, yet still get a vivid view of the human cost to take Mt. Suribachi.
October 9, 2015
An interesting, first-hand account of the fighting on Mt. Suribachi. Since Wheeler served with Easy company, 3rd platoon he was more than familiar with the the dangers involved in the taking of the extinct volcano, however, he was severely wounded on the 2nd day so was not present for either of the flag raising events. Perhaps naturally, he seemed somewhat annoyed that it is the 2nd raising which became famous, and the first is more of a footnote in history. Included are some interesting pictures which illustrate why over 6,000 Marines died.
July 23, 2014
Great book that gives you a firsthand account of the battle for Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Gives you a full description of how horrible war is in plain language. His matter of fact description of his own wounds actually made me feel sick. It is a whort read but not easy.
April 21, 2014
Good memoir of the battle of Iwo Jima focused on the early fighting around mount Suribachi. Fairly well balanced description of the desperate fight for life amongst the sands and scrubs of the island.
May 5, 2008
This is a updated version,with added pictures and comments by the author.The reality of the battle versus the fiction and the movie. Flag of our fathers.
July 15, 2015
Matter of fact writing and a fascinating insider look at the battle. Definitely recommend
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews