To the Far Side of Hell: The Battle for Peleliu, 1944

Fire Ant Books

by Derrick Wright

The battle for the Pacific island of Peleliu in the autumn of 1944 is far less will known - even among US Marine Corps veterans - than Tarawa, Iwo Jima or Okinawa. Yet in the savagery of the fighting, the courage and determination displayed and the casualty rates suffered by the units of the 1st Marine Division, it can claim to stand beside them all. Peleliu was a jinxed operation. It is arguable that it need never have been mounted in the first place, since the fast-moving situation in the Central Pacific removed any pressing need to occupy the Palau Islands. When the 1st Marine Division landed they came up agains Japan's new defensive technique - a garrison determined to die where they stood in deep, complex bunker systems. The predicted "three-day quickie" turned into a bloody nightmare that lasted for 71 murderous days. Brought to life by the words of the men who fought there, the story of Peleliu is an epic of World War II.

Genres: Military Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2002

Reviews

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book filled with information about what was probably a totally unnecessary battle that resulted in the deaths and suffering over 1500 Americans and the death of around 10,000 Japanese soldiers. The book spares nothing; it has gruesome discussion of the fight itself, it examines the extremely poor leadership, and also examines the various “friendly-fire” type of mistakes that occurred. The book also includes a section of black-and-white photos.

A very well done, but very upsetting book to read.