Bloody Ridge: The Battle That Saved Guadalcanal

by Michael S. Smith

September 1942: American forces landed on the island of Guadalcanal, engaging the entrenched Japanese in what would be remembered as some of the worst fighting of World War II. The key to victory lay in controlling the ridge overlooking Henderson Field, a vital airfield and the prize of the Guadalcanal campaign. This was the site of a savage, three-day clash that would test the mettle of both sides. Launching a series of vicious attacks on successive nights, a vastly superior force of battle-hardened Japanese somehow lost to a mongrel battalion of Col. "Red Mike" Edson's malnourished, sickly Marines in what became known as the Battle of Bloody Ridge. The surprising victory marked the first significant Japanese defeat in the war, saved the airfield, and gave the small, under-supplied American force time to receive supplies and reinforcements.

This is the true story of that harrowing battle, when the fate of the war in the Pacific would rest with those who were tough enough to take Bloody Ridge.

INCLUDES BATTLE MAPS AND HISTORICAL PHOTOS

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

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 25, 2000

About the author

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Reviews

[John Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed examination of a battle that dictated a lot of future WWII and American history. Recommend.

[Sul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and highly informative.

[Edgar Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Richard Frank's _Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle_ is the best overall account of the air, naval, and ground battles of the campaign for Guadalcanal, Michael S. Smith's _Bloody Ridge_ which concentrates on Marine ground operations through Maj. Gen. Kiyotaki Kawaguchi's assault on the Marine perimeter on 13-14 September 1942 through the failed Marine pursuit of late September. Smith combines painstaking research in a wide variety of sources with good, clear prose. He casts a critical but, I believe, fair eye on American command decisions and finds some definitely less than optimal. Everyone made mistakes, from Maj. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift on down. The way the book ends makes me believe that he intended to write a sequal. I hope he still will. If your interest is small unit tactics, this is the book for you.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that details the most desperate battle of America's first offensive in World War Two. The place was Guadalcanal, where my own grandfather served as a Marine sergeant. After driving away the U.S. Navy, the Japanese planned a bold attack to wipe out the stranded 1st Marine Division on the island. Without the heroic sacrifices made by the Marines, Guadalcanal would surely have ended up being another Bataan. Highly recommend for any history buffs.

[Symm McCord · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author did an exceptional job of researching the battle from both the U.S. and Japanese records. He carries you through with a lead up from Wake Island, through Port Moresby and into Guadalcanal. A very well written book with documentation that can always be relied on by those who seek the history of that battle.