Iwo jima Ww norton & co (WW Norton & Co)

On 19 February 1945, nearly 70,000 American soldiers invaded a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific. Over the next thirty-five days approximately 22,000 Japanese and 6,821 American soldiers died, making Iwo Jima one of the costliest battles of the Second World War. Oral historian Larry Smith dug deep for exclusive stories from Iwo Jima veterans, including the last surviving flag raiser on Mount Suribachi, a Navajo Code Talker, a retired general, two Medal of Honor recipients, B-29 flyers and other die-hard Marines who secured the island. Along the way, Smith investigates Joe Rosenthal's controversial photograph and presents the story of Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, rumoured to have committed suicide rather than submit to capture. An unprecedented look at this pivotal battle, "Iwo Jima" is an inspiring study in courage, perseverance and humanity.