Rating: 
Summary: A son discovers the uncommon valor on Iwo Jima
Review: James Bradley is the son of Navy Corpsman Jack "Doc" Bradley. On February 19, 1945 Doc stormed the beach of Iwo Jima with the U.S. Marines amphibious landing units. Shortly thereafter, Doc Bradley was frozen in time by "The Photograph" taken by John Rosenthal of the Associated Press. "The Photograph," of course is of the six gung ho men who raised the replacement flag on Mount Suribachi. "Flags of Our Fathers," is about the Marines bloody battle for Iwo Jima where uncommon valor was common. This book is also about the six men who raised the flag...how only three survived the battle...and how the others survived after the war was won. All in all, the American victory at Iwo Jima hastened the end of the war in the Pacific. But the price was horrific. American soldiers killed about 21,000 Japanese on Iwo Jima but suffered more than 26,000 casualties doing so. Making it the only battle in the Pacific where the invaders suffered higher casualties than the defenders. The author does extensive research and interviews. To this end, this book captures the tremendous bravery of the young men who fought in the battle for Iwo Jima. In the process, the author discovers after his father's death that "Doc" was awarded the "Navy Cross" but modestly never mentioned it to his family. The six flagraisers: Mike Strank, Marlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Jack Bradley and Franklin Sousley are given special attention. Author James Bradley retraces the lives of his father and the other five flagraisers in great detail. The result is a sensitive and fascinating narrative. This is a special book that properly documents that the generation of men and women who united to win the war in the Pacific were indeed the best we have ever seen. The author also graciously adds to the legendary glory of the U.S. Marine Corps. Recommended. Bert Ruiz
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.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Account of the Famous Picture
Review: Having recently studied World War II in my American History class, this book helped to bring the facts down to a personal level. Until opening this book, the famous Iwo Jima picture was just that- famous. I had never heard any of the names of the men in the picture. I simply had memorized all of the necessary information needed to pass the Pacific theater test. This book put a face behind the facts. I learned how passionate these men were about their country. Men (or actually children, I guess) were lying about their age so they could be sent overseas to fight for their country! Boys younger than I were giving up their life for their country. That's insane! I guess I simply cannot understand the feeling. This book helped me to begin to understand. The pain and suffering that these men felt, and continue to feel is unimaginable. No wonder they didn't want to talk. No wonder many of them came home and just wanted to get on with life.
An issue that was touched upon several times throughout the book was the concept of being a hero. These men are heroes. No matter what anyone says and no matter how many times each of the flag raisers denied it, I believe that they are heroes. But these six aren't the only heroes. Every American that risked their life for freedom is a hero. And until I read this book, I didn't understand the price of freedom.
Rating:
Summary: A son discovers the uncommon valor on Iwo Jima
Review: James Bradley is the son of Navy Corpsman Jack "Doc" Bradley. On February 19, 1945 Doc stormed the beach of Iwo Jima with the U.S. Marines amphibious landing units. Shortly thereafter, Doc Bradley was frozen in time by "The Photograph" taken by John Rosenthal of the Associated Press. "The Photograph," of course is of the six gung ho men who raised the replacement flag on Mount Suribachi. "Flags of Our Fathers," is about the Marines bloody battle for Iwo Jima where uncommon valor was common. This book is also about the six men who raised the flag...how only three survived the battle...and how the others survived after the war was won. All in all, the American victory at Iwo Jima hastened the end of the war in the Pacific. But the price was horrific. American soldiers killed about 21,000 Japanese on Iwo Jima but suffered more than 26,000 casualties doing so. Making it the only battle in the Pacific where the invaders suffered higher casualties than the defenders. The author does extensive research and interviews. To this end, this book captures the tremendous bravery of the young men who fought in the battle for Iwo Jima. In the process, the author discovers after his father's death that "Doc" was awarded the "Navy Cross" but modestly never mentioned it to his family. The six flagraisers: Mike Strank, Marlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Jack Bradley and Franklin Sousley are given special attention. Author James Bradley retraces the lives of his father and the other five flagraisers in great detail. The result is a sensitive and fascinating narrative. This is a special book that properly documents that the generation of men and women who united to win the war in the Pacific were indeed the best we have ever seen. The author also graciously adds to the legendary glory of the U.S. Marine Corps. Recommended. Bert Ruiz
Rating:
Summary: Uncommon story from war's "common" soldier
Review: Every American should read this book. Iwo Jima's flag raising is etched in the memory of war veterans as well as baby boomers, at least the staged version of the event. And the film version showed the story, even if it was the Hollywood version. "Flags" is a compelling story of one of the men who won the battle of Iowa Jima and then went home -- very quietly -- to live out his life. Only his death allowed his children to read and understand the magnitude of what he and other war veterans achieved, the many veterans who did their job against horrendous odds and then moved on with their lives, with only their nightmares and private, silent, secrets to haunt them for the rest of their lives. They would not, or could not, speak about their experiences. And for good reason. James Bradley delves into the story his father never told while he was alive, the story of unimagined terror on a tiny island, fighting a most savage, unforgiving and unsurrendering enemy. His father saw atrocities no one deserves to see. And, after all this, he led a quiet, unassuming life in Wisconsin after the war, returning to his roots and putting the war behind him as best he could. The son's pursuit of the full story results in perhaps the greatest tribute a son can offer, a glowing, sobering, startling story honoring a deceased father and his comrades. James Bradley's dad was a hero who knew that the real heroes didn't come off Iwo alive. He honored the dead comrades with a deep, unspoken respect. Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" is the more popular and publicized version of these war veterans and their unrewarded heroics but his casual treatment of these great men can't come anywhere close to "Flags". I read it, cried, and passed the book to others who would appreciate it. Read it. And do the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring!
Review: I had to read this book for an Honors English class, and it was horribly boring! Yes, the information provided is accurate, but Bradly wrote it in such a way that it was just a pain in the behind to read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I was skeptical before picking up this book, but I'm very glad I did in the end. The story follows the men who posted the flag on the island of Iwo Jima. For those who don't know, the monument in Washington D.C. of the men sticking a flag in the ground is actually these men. Bradley does a great job of introducing the characters in the book, one being his father. It's interesting none of the men tried to claim fame for this great feat. If you are interested in World War II, you must read this. I blew through this book in about 3 days. It is easily one of the best books I have ever read, and probably the best WWII book I have read!
Rating:
Summary: Must Read for all Americans
Review: Flags of Our Fathers painted a vivid picture in my mind of what soldiers went through during the battle at Iwo Jima. Having just learned about WWII in history class, some of the information in this book wasn't new to me. However, James Bradley focuses the book on six soldiers who fought in this battle and are seen throughout the United States in the famous photo of six young men raising the American Flag on top of Mount Suribachi. Bradley gives us the background of each of these six heroic men, and tells about all their battles and how they all end up together in Iwo Jima. He gives you an inside look at the tragedies that Americans not in the war did not know about. It is also easy for a reader to see what the effects of war are on the brave souls that risk their lives to protect. James Bradley, who's father was John Bradley, one of the six flagraisers, experienced his fathers behavior after he returned from the war. He talks about how the photo becamse seen all over the USA but how his father never mentioned it, or talked about it. The thought of the war was too much for him to relive. Overall, Flags of Our Fathers gives readers an inside and deeper look into what the Battle at Iwo Jima and the rest of the war was like. It shows you how these 6 normal men, ended up being seen all through the USA and how they were forever remembered through the statue built to resemble them putting in the flag. The book is history with heart. It draws the reader in, and provokes feelings for these men and others that fought in the war. Even for teenagers like myself, this book painted a vivid picture of what it was like to experience a tragedy such as war and then have to live the remainder of your life with those images in your head. All Americans should take time to read this amazing book.
Rating:
Summary: Appreciation
Review: Having just studied WWII in class, reading this book was educational, and most of all, inspiring. The boys who fought this war were no longer images, they became real people to me as I read. I came away with a more appreciative feeling towards our veterans. They fought so hard for their country, against a relentless and, at times, cruel enemy. Yet they gave all that they could for their country.
Rating:
Summary: A great generation
Review: My father ran away from home when he was 17, lied about his age, and joined the Marines. He was standing guard duty on the Panama Canal when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He shipped out almost immediately for the South Pacific as part of the First Marine Division. He served on Guadalcanal and Bougainville. That is almost the entire extent of my knowledge of my father's World War II experiences. Although I lived with him until I went away to college, he just didn't talk about it. Reading this book by James Bradley helped me to understand that I am not alone in this experience. Our fathers' generation fought a war without daily body counts on the evening news, without "embedded" journalists, and without carping from the home front about why they shouldn't be there. They fought it quietly and stoically. They won their war, and the survivors came home to get back to the business of being human. This is a great book with many lessons for a country facing a war against terrorism. May God grant that we fight it as effectively, successfully, and heroically as our fathers' generation fought their war.
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