Rating: 
Summary: More than a book about war...
Review: This is probably one of the best books on WWII I have ever read. Bradley does an amazing job of discussing the tactical facts of the battle as well as bringing you close to the young men who fought and died on Iwo. One of the best parts of this book is the way Bradley covers the lives of the men who raised the flag flag from birth to death. Impossible to put down, and even harder not to break into tears when reading about the tragic end of the men who paid the ultimate price for our country.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding!
Review: If it's a scholarly tome you seek, complete with footnotes and such, this is not for you. This is no dusty retelling of facts we learned in school, compiled by some editors in a cubicle somewhere. This story, as written by the son of an Iwo flag-raiser, contained more information than I could have hoped for. Just as importantly, it reads well because it follows natural speech patterns rather than the dictates of reference material. The details recalled by veterans tell the story so compellingly that I got chills imagining the horror of this battle. For anyone who respects our nation's history and those who kept it safe, this book is a great addition to your collection. More importantly, it is a must-read for those who feel differently. See if they take our vets for granted after reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Raising the Flag
Review: I felt deeply connected to the personal stories as told in Flag of Our Fathers and I could not begin another book for weeks afterwards. This book reveals individual lives weaving in and then together, detailing the many young soldiers signing up for war without any realization of the extreme horrors. This book provides historial clarity and emotional responses. The story of what happened at Iwo Jima, as told and researched by one the flag raisers' sons, is tragic and shocking.
Rating: 
Summary: Marines and Iwo Jima and No One Else?
Review: I purchased this book knowing the sort of praise it had recieved. Hence, on one lazy afternoon, I read the novel. James Bradley had the advantage over any other writer of the story since he was a child of the longest living flag raiser. So I was looking forward to the highly acclaimed novel and...Flags of Our Fathers is set up very nicely. We are introduced to the flag raisers, their families and personalities. This was vital because we needed to get an emotional grasp to the story. Bradley handled this quite well. However, once we enter onto Iwo Jima the story falls apart. Again, the Bradley shows his expertise on setting the stage, yet his lack of details and modesty bleeds through the pages. We are not immersed in on the battlefield front, but are told simply that Iwo Jima was a horrible battle, Mount Suribachi was a difficult place to get to and the Marines are the most heroic people in the armed forces of America---again, again and again. Bradley is very biased towards the Marines and it seems like the story turns from a personal, emotional narrative to a competition to which of the American forces is the best. Bradley shows no admiration whatsoever to the Army or Navy, or for that matter for those who fought in Europe. He states, "No cared about Patton liberating Germany." Within this useless debate, Bradley backs his argument with inaccurate information. Bradley writes that the Iwo Jima was America's battle simply because the most Medal of Honors were given out. The climax, the raising of the flag, is reached halfway through the book. Thereafter, we must face endless chapters of repetative information-the bond tour of the remaining flag-raisers, the modesty of John Bradley and of course the drunkeness of Ira Hayes, the Pima Indian flag raiser. The book becomes tiring and it looses what passion it ever contained. The author also tried to "ham it up" after every line which became annoying. I cannot recommend this book for the reasons I have listed, but if given the proper care, this book could have been a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: a real eye opener
Review: I had tears in my eyes at the end of the first chapter. I've studying WWII for years, mostly the European Theatre, but this book opened a whole new experience of the war to me. Vividly told. No one who claims to know anything of the Second World War can be complete without knowing the story of John Bradley and the other flag raisers -- but most importantly the rest of the story of Iwo Jima that exists beyond "the photograph".
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: I am only a 16 yr. reader and up until I had read this book, I didn't know one single thing about Iwo Jima, except it had been a decisive battle during WWII in the Pacific theatre. My mom had been the one reading it, and looking to kill time I picked it up and began to read. It without a doubt drew me in, James Bradley whose father was one of the six in that infamous photograph, did such a wonderful job of telling the stories of those famous and heroic men, and telling the story of the battles in the Pacific, and D-Day at Iwo Jima. It broke my heart of reading the horrors that took place on the Pacific's most crucial island, and looking at the pictures of the 6, three who never made off the island, and the other three that were haunted for the rest of their lives on what they had witnessed. James Bradley's father had always said that he wasn't a hero, but the men that didn't make it off Iwo Jima, those were the true heros. While that is true, every man who fought in that battle, in the Pacific and the rest of the world during WWII, those people were all true heros. Young and old alike should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!!!!
Review: This book was an astonishing picture of combat and heroism. Anyone who had parents or grandparents in the Pacific should read this book!! (WWII or Vietnam) It gives heartwrenching accounts of friends and losses. For me it gave a sense of what my Grandfather fought in and for. Thank you Mr. Bradley for finding a way to explain what it was like.... My Grandfather never could!
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Book
Review: I recently finished this book and can attest that I could barley put this one down. I am an avid reader on military history and am particularly interested in the Marine campaigns in the Pacific. I can truly say that James Bradley paints a marvelous picture of the history of the six individuals portrayed in the "famous photo". I would suggest this book to anyone interested in either life in the military during WWII or the battle of Iwo Jima.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars really isn't enough
Review: Remember that photo from Iwo Jima that you saw on your classroom wall? You thought it was four soliders planting a flag somewhere right? Read this book and you'll never look at that photo the same again. You'll learn it was actually six men...and the extraordinary story behind that photograph. This book will entertain lovers of books on war, photography and the American spirit. Buy it. Then buy a copy of the photograph for your home like I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Marines and Iwo Jima...
Review: I purchased Flags of Our Fathers knowing the type of praise it recieved. So I gave it a shot and I sat down the day after I purchased it and read the thing. Flags of Our Fathers is a wonderful achievment in literature, yet is certainly not flawless. The author, James Bradley is the son of one of the flag-raisers. James Bradley is evidently a very proud son which in some areas of the book show greatness and in other places do not. He was able to review more material than most author's would find avaliable and he made the book a very personal tribute. Although definately not my greatest concern, but Bradley's use of the word "boys" as soldiers is extremely over used and his point seems unessecary to me. Obviously he means scared, tired teens trying to make it through the war alive. Bradley tries to jerk our tears at the end of every segment and chapter. Much of this "hamming it up" stuff is eye-rolling since much of the information presented before that is very serious. By "hamming it up" James looses some of the focus. Anyway, the book was brilliantly set up. We are introduced to the author, his family and the battle ground-the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima. We are introduced to the characters-their home lives and personalities. We set up the war in both theaters and progress from there. Once the war begins, Bradley tells us of the horrors they faced, but not in complete detail. I found to be the descrition of war to be too vague, although you can call me a stickler for details. Bradley's focus is on how the troops advance up Mount Suribachi, the imfamous mountain overlooking Iwo Jima. We are told of the brilliance of the Marines and how the boys in his eyes are heros. Throughout the war chapters I always felt that there was a competition for Bradley between the two theaters. It was like he was pleaing for us to think the war in the Orient was worse than in Europe. He was always comparing Iwo Jima to D-Day and how that beach was sealed quicker and fewer awards were won by the soldiers who fought. He made mention that at one point America could care less about Patton marching into Germany because all eyes were on Iwo Jima. I wonder about that. I disliked this very much because he was only praising the Marines and their awful battles in the Pacific. One of the things Bradley wrote was that in the Army you are drafted, but in the Marines you choose...I hate to be non-jignostic here for a moment but, more than half of the flag raisers did not join the Marines until the Army drafted them. I hated to read of Iwo Jima was the hardest batte just because the most Medal of Honors were given out and the Roosevelt gasped in horror when he heard of what happened in Iwo Jima. It was appearently the most horrific or the most vital battle fought. Bradley does not give us more than that in his thesis of why this battle was the greatest and came up far short of reasons. The raising of the flag occurs in the middle of the story and after that Bradley repeats himself when talking about the bond tour where the remaining flag-raisers would be hopping around the U.S. as they are praised and honored "as their dreams of starting a home life were on hold..." I believe that one of the flag-raisers said something like I was not a hero, the men that died were... There is a lot of mumbo jumbo stuff like that and it uses up tons of space on the pages. I wanted the book to end sooner than it did. However, the story at Iwo Jima is truly amazing and Bradley tells the story from his heart. I am very proud to live in this country knowing that Pacific Theater was a very personal struggle between the two nations and that we are the rightful victors. The book is told eloquently and the story is unrivaled by any fiction. There are some parts in this book that strike terror into your heart like the deaths of some of the Marines. I still recommend this book regardless of it's flaws. Overall, it is a great read and a fine book.
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