Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Normally I tell my thoughts on a book in my reviews. Not this time.
JUST BUY AND READ THIS BOOK.
- If you ever wondered why Truman dropped the bomb, READ THIS BOOK.
- If you ever wondered what happened in the Pacific in WWII, READ THIS BOOK.
- If you want to see a glimpse of why we should be aggressive in the war on terror, READ THIS BOOK.
The times were different, but this amazing story will change your perspective forever on WWII, how an entire country (like Japan then) or an entire culture (like the Muslim Extremists of today) can HATE Americans and will make you realize why Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation is indeed the seminal work on a generation of American's that were not Red State / Blue State, but patriots all.
Rating:
Summary: MONUMENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HISTORY
Review: On Parris Island I was made to memorize the words of Admiral C.P. Nimitz in reference to the Marines on Iwo Jima...."Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue". Having served in the Marine Corps I have visited and stood in awe of the Iwo Jima memorial. Having worked in and around Johnstown Pennsylvania for four years, I drove past the boyhood home of Seargent Mike Strank at least twice a weak and heard his name in reference to the historic flag raising. Having read this book I will never see them or think of them the same way again.James Bradley tells the tale of his father, Navy Corpsman John Bradley and the five Marines that helped him raise the flag during the battle for a slab of volcanic rock and sand during the island hopping campaign in the second World War. With integrity mixed with a flair for story telling, Bradley details the lives of these six men before, during, and after this historic event. He shows the ordinary men they were and the warriors they became. What's more impressive is that he chronicles how America made them heroes and simultaneously how the surviving men in large avoided the spotlight. He shows the humility that exists in all great men. Bradley's in depth research brings the battle alive and even manages to stir emotion 55 years after the event. The book is brilliantly written. Its historical value is only outmatched by the tales of humanity that accompany it. It passes along a moment of American pride to generations that had yet to been born. It enthralled me from the moment I picked it up and did what I once thought to be impossible. It made me even prouder to have served with The United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Angle
Review: The invasion of Iwo Jima was a terrifying event for Americans and Japanese alike, and it created many heroes -- too many to count. It was the last stepping stone toward the end of World War II and was the U.S. Marines' finest hour. (if the ordeal can possibly be minimized in that regard)
Numerous books have been written about the invasion, as one would guess. James Bradley takes a interesting approach in covering the Iwo effort by focusing on the famous "flag raisers", one being his own father. He takes us through their journey from boyhood through enlistment, training, and service.
These were real battlefield heroes. And then one day they raised a flag. "A flag", not "the flag" (Forrestal wanted "the flag" so these guys threw up a "replacement"), and by virtue of a lucky photo were swept up in a wave of propaganda. That is, at least the ones who ultimately survived the invasion, which was not over at the time when "a flag" was raised.
Imagine going through an intense multi-week firefight costing tens of thousands of lives and surviving after enduring things that the average American cannot begin to imagine, and then being brought home and paraded about as heroes -- because you raised a flag. These guys, for the most part, couldn't buy that, and their lives were changed partly because of that alone.
That is the story. That is James Bradley's unique angle. I would not recommend this book for those simply wishing to understand the Iwo Jima invasion, because there are others that contain much more detail. Rather, read the book to find out about a few interesting humans involved. It is a gripping tale, and your understanding of events at that time will certainly be enriched by it.
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Summary: A book that is written as if you were there in the war
Review: This book is the best world war 2 book i have ever read to date. This book takes you at an in depth look and the whole history behind the actual picture that was taken that will always be a piece of american history. The details of the battle scenes in the book can make you sick to your stomach at certain point, and even make your eyes water from reading it. This book has everything, emotion, action, and a overall great read.
Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Tribute
Review: This is a book that you will read, reflect and then recommend to everyone you can. Powerful and poignant - yes, but that doesn't truly capture the essence of this book. The pretext of Flags of Our Fathers is interesting. James Bradley is the son of Doc Bradley, a reserved individual who becomes a reluctant icon immortalized in 1/400th of a second when a photographer captures him and five other Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi. Though a bona-fide war hero, Doc Bradley never speaks about his war experiences or that famous photo - not to his family, his friends or to the news services that continually call. Upon Doc Bradley's death James Bradley discovers some war memorabilia that his father secretly kept. This discovery peaks James Bradley's interests and he thus sets out to chronicle what brought Doc Bradley and the five other Marines to that famous moment in time. That part of the book is fascinating. But to understand why Doc Bradley never spoke about that experience one has to understand the battle on Iwo Jima itself. And that is the part where the book really takes off. James Bradley not only captures the truly horrific nature of that battle but also captures the incredible valor of the Marines who fought it. If, like me, you never knew anything about that battle of Iwo Jima other than the flag raising then you need to read this book. If you want to read a book that will truly inspire and emotionally move you then you must read this book. And you will also recommend Flags of Our Fathers to others because I can't recommend it highly enough to you.
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Summary: Classic WWII Photo Comes to Life in Powerful History Book
Review: This is an unexpectedly stunning book. Having read his similarly themed "Flyboys" recently, I was anxious to read this tome and am happy to report that it is even more powerful and poignant. What the two books share inextricably is author James Bradley's unerring ability to depict the American wartime mindset during World War II. This time, he focuses on the Marines who landed on Iwo Jima, a strategic maneuver that has been frozen in our collective memory through the famous photograph and subsequent statue in Arlington National Cemetery of the American flag being raised on Iwo Jima. But the book is far from a flag-waving remembrance of obviously heroic acts in the face of an undeterred suicidal enemy. Instead, Bradley accurately views them as acts as common valor by soldiers who were on that isolated atoll simply because they had to and knew full well that they counted on each other to survive the battle. Bradley should know since his father was the last surviving GI in that photograph, a Navy corpsman who was assigned with the Marines that fateful day of the assault. It is a testament to his father that the author only uncovered facts about his father's heroic acts after his death.
The first chapter reminds me quite a bit of Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" in particular, with Bradley's vivid descriptions of the fire and devastation of the assault on Iwo Jima. Over a month's time, a staggering 26,000 Americans and 22,000 Japanese gave their lives in the island takeover. From there, with the aid of co-author Ron Powers, Bradley writes in detail about the six flag raisers, who represented a diverse American portrait. Old film buffs may recall one of them, a Pima Indian named Ira Hayes, as portrayed by a miscast Tony Curtis in 1961's "The Outsider". Bradley also gives a thorough history of the American Marines, as well as telling snapshots of the enemy. In fact, Bradley finds his way to Japan and spends time relishing the Japanese culture, which in turn, gives him valuable insights into the history of a military-controlled country which trained generations of their men to perform atrocious acts in the name of their emperor. This gives Bradley a much fuller perspective of the reasons behind the fierce fighting that took place and why the enemy fought to such a bitter end. As he concluded in "Flyboys", the key difference was that Americans had a will to live and that the Japanese, true kamikazes in their souls, had a will to die. The Japanese leaders bent their soldiers to their monomaniacal will and sent them off on a course that would ensure its fulfillment. This is among the most thoughtful and emotionally affecting examinations of the human element in World War II.
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Summary: Dramatic Instant in Time
Review: This remarkable book was written by perhaps the only person that could- a son of one of the soldiers that raised the flag on Iwo Jima. This book starts with the pre-war lives of the marines in the famous photograph but then converges to the battle on Iwo Jima and to the 1/400th a second represented in the photo. It then diverges again to show how their lives were affected by the war and the image of the flag raising.
By being a son of one of the marines that refused to talk about the event, the author's passion and dedication to revealing the moment and the men involved is startling. The book reveals life in American during WWII and the horrible yet heroic battle of Iwo Jima. It is impossible to forget the images portrayed- both good and bad.
Rating: 
Summary: Great background, but did I really enjoy it?
Review: When shown an image of the raising of the flag, i bet all of the people you ask would recognize the picture. But, would they capture the meaning. How many would be able to tell you when, where, and how it happened? How many would be aware of the background of this famous event?
This book gives the most detailed background on this event. James Bradley describes the merging of the ordinary men who took part in the raising. He recounts his fathers importance, and the importance of the other brave men in the picture. He reveals the hell of the event, and how this event really took place.
It was interesting to realize who raised it, when, and where. However, the documentary-like format led to many skimmed lines and skipped pages. While i caught myself ineterested, I also felt as though I was trying to stay awake through a documentary.
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