Flags of Our Fathers

Rating:
Summary: It's About a Generation, Not Just Iwo Jima
Review: A great read. Bradley's work is thoughtful, demonstrating a son's love, respect, and admiration of his father, and of his father's generation. My father too was involved in a pivotal battle in WWII: D-Day in Normandy. Like Doc Bradley, for years my father did not want to talk about what he saw or experienced as a 19 year-old on Omaha Beach, for he was just doing his duty and was "not a hero." As we stood over his friend's grave (also a Navy corpsman, killed on June 6, 1944) above the beach some 55 years later, his emotions finally came out. Now he talks freely about his role in the event.

I liked that Bradley concentrated on the lives of the flag raisers before, during, and after Iwo Jima, holding nothing back about how the "Photo" shaped the men, and influenced those around them. What happend to all of them (dying young, the nightmares, alcoholism, manipulation) was tragic in varying degrees.

The work is not without flaws, however. Bradley idolizes his father, which in itself is not wrong, but does so while feeling the constant need to place the valor and bravery of the Marines above others who fought in WWII, and to elevate Iwo Jima in comparison to other significant battles that affected the outcome of the war (Guadalcanal, Normandy). Were it not for this, it would have been a 5-star book.

Rating:
Summary: A good gift for history lovers
Review: I must read for history lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Flags of Our Fathers
Review: The picture of the six men raising the American flag always made me wonder why I see the photo all over places. Then after reading this book, I finally realized why I was seeing the picture of the six men raising the American flag. It was 6 men, 6 soldiers, 6 heroes who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi, the islands commanding high point.
The battle of Iwo Jima started off in the winter of 1945 fought on a rocky island south of Japan. 22,000 Japanese would die defending a patch of ground that was one third the size of Manhattan Island and almost 26,000 Americans fell trying to take it. This book, Flags of Our Fathers, tells the stories of the 6 soldiers who raised the flag. It happens to be that one of the soldiers that raised the flag is the authors' father. His fathers name was John Bradley who besides raising the flag also received the Navy Cross which is an award second to Medal of Honor. He received this award was because he braved enemy mortar and he machine-gun fired to administer first aid to a wounded Marine and then drag him to safety. But just days after the flag rising, 3 were killed in combat and the remaining led to different lives. John Bradley died in 1994. He never mentioned anything about Iwo Jima to his family members, no photos, no nothing. The only thing that he mentions about was this "The true heroes of Iwo Jima, are the ones that didn't come back." After the death of John Bradley, his son James Bradley begins to piece back like a puzzle his fathers' heroism. The family discover closed boxes of letters and photos, and from then on James slowly retrace the lives of his father and the 5 other flag raisers. Following the paths of these men back to Iwo Jima, James writes about the battle Iwo Jima that took place on an island full with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 overzealous defenders who would fight to the last man.
Being in a war, is already courageous, but for administering first aid to a wounded marine takes alot of bravery and courage. John Bradley had it. He I think should be considered as one of the brave, the courageous, and the true heroe of the 20th Century. My grandfather was a General, a 2 star General long ago here in Taiwan. It was during the time that Japanese were taking over Taiwan. He use to tell me stories of the war and mentioned alot of killing japanese. He even showed me his sword that he used to slay enemies with. ...

Rating:
Summary: Every American should read this book!
Review: This is an inspiring story of the marines who fought and died
at Imo Jimo. Despite the fact that I love and read a great deal
of history, my education was sorely lacking. I had no idea about
the horrible massacers commited by the Japenese and the losses
our marines suffered in taking back this island. The willingness
of these men to fight and die to preserve our freedom, and the suffering of these men, makes me feel honored to be an American. It makes me aware of what we owe to these men, youths, who died for us.

The book was easy to read, interesting, and inspiring. Every
American high school student should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: The love of a son for his father.
Review: From the opening lines, I was hooked on this fascinating account of not only a very significant moment in American history, but also about the loves James Bradley has to his father Jack.

I learned so much about the battle on Iwo Jima that I never new. I'd always seen the historic photo, but never thought much about it. But now when I see that photo not only will I know what it symbolized to a nation, but how it impacted the lives of the three men who survived the battle as well as the families of those other three who did not.

James Bradley should be very proud of this work. You can just tell how much pride and love he has for his father. What a wonderful tribute he has put together, not only with the finished product, but in the research and interviews with those brave men who knew the six flag raisers at some point during their lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history and the American spirit, but to me sons and daughters should read it to further appreciate their fathers.

Rating:
Summary: Right there in front of us...
Review: Right there in front of us, all around us are heroes. Genuine heroes. They wore their country's uniform when called to do so, and with great fear and trepidation they launched into battle. Quite literally, they saved the world. Who were these guys? They are deserving of praise, riches, adoration. But they were average men, my neighbors, my uncles, my friends' fathers. In the end, all they wanted was to forget the horror of war and lead a normal life. Many of them succeeded.

James Bradley tells the story of these men from a unique perspective. Seems his father was one of the six men immortalized in the famous photograph of the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima. His father never really spoke of it. In fact, neither he nor any of his siblings even knew that his father was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in that battle. Only after his father died did he undertake the task of learning the stories of the men in that photograph. This book is about them and the story is compelling.

The result of Bradley's efforts is an incredible snapshot of 6 ordinary men who just happen to be heroes, not for raising the flag, but for saving the world. Other excellent works of a similar nature exist, such as Ambrose's Band of Brothers. But this one stands out precisely because it is so personal.

Who were these guys, these heroes who saved the world? Turns out they were ordinary men; men I know, men we all know, men we've all taken for granted for far too long.

Read this book. Remember these men. Then honor those who are doing the same thing for us all again today.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read Book for Every Japanese
Review: The same literary work is read and interpreted differently in different culture with different history. Take for example, in gGone with the Windh, European readers may find the American spirit while Japanese are more likely to find something universal but favorable to own nation; destruction and the unyielding spirit of re-building.
So in gFlags of Our Fathersh, we, Japanese may find something different from American readers. After all, there is no Japanese war hero of W.W.II. If any, those heroes have been left in oblivion in the Japanese history. At Pearl Harbor, we were the attacker; you were the attacked. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you were the destroyer; we were the destroyed. The winner and the loser. As a Japanese who have been taught the misery of common people during the war, I had only one thing to say after finished reading the book; gAmericans, you too suffered a lot!h
The second chapter of the book is filled with serene sceneries of the six flagraisersf boyhood that overlap the scenes of the gissen-gorin (=2 cent, the cost of drafting a soldier in Japan during W.W.II)h post cards delivered over rice fields everywhere in Japan, and there are many more descriptions of the horrendous infliction endured commonly by both Americans and Japanese during the war in later chapters. A third of the Manhattan island in size, Iwo Jima (literally means gsulfur islandh) does not seem to have much significance in the whole scheme of the military campaigns. To tdier in Japan during W.W.II)h post cards delivered over rice fields everywhere in Japan, and there are many more descriptions of the horrendous infliction endured commonly by both Americans and Japanese during the war in later chapters. A third of the Manhattan island in size, Iwo Jima (literally means gsulfur islandh) does not seem to have much significance in the whole scheme of the military campaigns. speak out, and if what the experience teaches us is gnever do it again!h, the real heroes in the event of Iwo Jima in February 1945 must be, as the authorfs father stated, gthe guys who didnft come backh, or the soldiers who dedicated their lives to the history of mankind.

Rating:
Summary: Information so desperately needed back in schools
Review: I'm only 24 years old and remember very little about my US History course in high school. As far as what I learned about the World Wars, well it wasn't much. Basically all we got was information about when they started and some briefly explained causes. Nothing in that class had any impact. Sadly, the only thing I truly remember was a class about Communism. Let me just put it this way, at the end of the class, one student asked the question, "So what's so bad about Communism?" We all left that class not knowing anything about why Communism and Freedom don't go together. Thinking back on it now, I'm not only disgusted but very disturbed. I would hate to think what garbage high school kids are being fed in the school systems today.
A book like this should be mandatory for all high school kids. They need to desperately know that there was a time in this country that young men not much older than themselves did the unimaginable and sacrificed their lives for a freedom we enjoy and in my opinion take advantage of today.
More emphasis needs to be put on why this country is so great. Kids need to learn about its history and what was done to pay the cost of their freedom. What ever happened to the value :Love of Country! Fly your AMERICAN flag and remember those who gave you the freedom to do so. Great subject. Highly recommended to those who still love their country. Can you tell it fired me up?

Rating:
Summary: Important Look at the Sacrifices Veterans Make - Excellent
Review: There are books which are better at explaining the strategy, tactics and experience of combat in the Pacific, such as Eric Bergerud's excellent "Touched By Fire". There are better writers than James Bradley (although his writing is solid). What makes this book great is Bradley's look at what America and her veterans were like before the war and how they were transformed by it. Bradley demythologizes the flag raisers, showing that they were not gods, but young boys from a simple world. By doing so he illustrates how great veterans' sacrifices and achievements were, and how shattering the experience of combat was to everyone who experienced it. Bradley writes with unabashed love and admiration for the 6 boys who raised a flag on a God-forsaken island, and by the end of the book you will love them and every other American who fought in WWII. This book is from the heart. It's important, and it's great.

[Also, Bradley does a service to history by exposing the systematic viciousness which the Japanese visited upon every civilian population and enemy combatant they encountered. This book should be given to every kid in college being told by his lefty professor that dropping the bomb was wrong, and that the U.S. was the "real" bad guy in that conflict.]

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: I felt ashamed while reading this book that I actually knew so little about what our grandfathers had done for us to ensure we continue to live in freedom. However, I felt educated when I was finished. I swear whoever reads this book will be greatly humbled, awed, and have great reverence for any of the men and women who fight for our country. We are so lucky to be Americans. Thank you to the men and women who serve our country.