- 400 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
The Ultimate Battle is the full story of the last great clash of World War II as it has never before been told.
With the same “grunt's-eye-view” narrative style that distinguished his Brotherhood of Heroes, Bill Sloan presents a gripping and uniquely personal saga of heroism and sacrifice in which at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides were killed, as were nearly 150,000 civilians caught in the crossfire or encouraged to commit suicide by Japanese troops.
It is a story set against a panorama of more than 1,500 American ships, nearly two thousand Japanese kamikazes sworn to sink those ships, and two huge armies locked in a no-quarter struggle to the death—the 541,000 GIs and Marines of the U.S. Tenth Army, and Japan's 110,000-man 32nd Army. Woven into the broader narrative are the personal stories of men who endured this epic battle and were interviewed by the author. In many cases, their experiences are told here in print for the first time.
Much of the action in The Ultimate Battle unfolds among men pinned down under relentless fire on disputed hillsides, in the ruins of shell-blasted villages, and inside stricken tanks and armored cars. Sloan also takes readers aboard flaming ships and into the cockpits of night-fighter aircraft to capture the horror and heroism of men and vessels besieged by kamikazes.
The Ultimate Battle is a searing and unforgettable recreation of the Okinawa campaign as it was experienced by men who were there. It is filled with fresh insights that only those men can provide.
With the same “grunt's-eye-view” narrative style that distinguished his Brotherhood of Heroes, Bill Sloan presents a gripping and uniquely personal saga of heroism and sacrifice in which at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides were killed, as were nearly 150,000 civilians caught in the crossfire or encouraged to commit suicide by Japanese troops.
It is a story set against a panorama of more than 1,500 American ships, nearly two thousand Japanese kamikazes sworn to sink those ships, and two huge armies locked in a no-quarter struggle to the death—the 541,000 GIs and Marines of the U.S. Tenth Army, and Japan's 110,000-man 32nd Army. Woven into the broader narrative are the personal stories of men who endured this epic battle and were interviewed by the author. In many cases, their experiences are told here in print for the first time.
Much of the action in The Ultimate Battle unfolds among men pinned down under relentless fire on disputed hillsides, in the ruins of shell-blasted villages, and inside stricken tanks and armored cars. Sloan also takes readers aboard flaming ships and into the cockpits of night-fighter aircraft to capture the horror and heroism of men and vessels besieged by kamikazes.
The Ultimate Battle is a searing and unforgettable recreation of the Okinawa campaign as it was experienced by men who were there. It is filled with fresh insights that only those men can provide.
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Yes, you can access The Ultimate Battle by Bill Sloan in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Colophon
- ALSO BYBILLSLOAN
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps
- Prologue: June 10, 1945
- 1. Ā Building an āIcebergā
- 2. Ā āLike a Stroll in the Parkā
- 3. Ā Kidsā Games, Pony Rides, and Barbecue
- 4. Ā A Nasty Surprise on the Way South
- 5. Ā A Divine and Deadly Wind
- 6. Ā Death in the Hills, Death at Home
- 7. Ā A Wall of Stone and Flame
- 8. Ā Mud, Blood, and May-hem
- 9. Ā Bitter Toll at Sugar Loaf
- 10. Ā The Limits of Human Endurance
- 11. Ā Divine WindāPart II
- 12. Ā The Crowded, Angry Skies
- 13. Ā Collapse of the Shuri Line
- 14. Ā The End of an Army
- 15. Ā A Civilian Catastrophe
- 16. Ā A Somber Victory
- 17. Ā The Atomic Bombāand Reprieve
- Epilogue: Love Day Plus Sixty-two Years
- Sources
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- Illustration Credits
- Photographic Inserts