Publishers Weekly
01/23/2023
WWII historian Alexander (A Higher Call) makes his fiction debut with a rote take on the invasion of Tarawa Atoll. Pvt. Pete “Hardball” Talbot, three months out of basic training, hits the beach with his Marine unit and immediately comes under fire. The reader also meets two of the atoll’s Japanese defenders, Leading Seaman Kenji Sakai and his friend, Chief Petty Officer Tadao Onuki. Of course, Pete and Kenji take notice of one another amid the chaos of battle, one of the many cliches that this story traffics in. Pete’s squad is full of stereotypical characters—the sharp-shooting Southerner, the tough-as-nails gunnery sergeant, the intellectual college boy whom the others call “Professor”—and Pete’s transformation from lone wolf to team leader is rather obviously dramatized. But Alexander deserves credit for investing in the Japanese soldiers’ points of view, driving home the point that, in war, no side has a monopoly on heroism or barbarism. Readers of old-fashioned war novels will appreciate this. Agent: Doug Grad, Doug Grad Literary. (Mar.)This review has been updated to note it is the author's first work of fiction.
Andrews & Wilson
In 76 Hours, Larry Alexander, the brilliant author and historian who brought us behind the scenes with Major Dick Winters and the famous Band of Brothers, now turns to his gift for storytelling and rich characters to bring the Battle of Tarawa to life like never before. The story you only thought you knew about the marines who survived hell itself to capture the Japanese-held island over 76 hours during World War II is made real and visceral through the eyes of Alexander’s protagonist, Private Pete ‘Hardball’ Talbot, a rich and compelling character that allows the reader to almost feel the shock of the shells raining down, feel the heat, and smell the gunpowder. Rich in accurate history and expertly told, this is the story of the brave marines of Tarawa told expertly in a way that will leave you breathless. Alexander is superb…Well done!”
New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara
“76 Hours is the take-no-prisoners debut novel by bestselling World War II historian Larry Alexander. The battle for the Pacific island of Tarawa is seen from both a hard-as-nails US Marine with a dark past and a Japanese soldier determined to give his life to the emperor. The story is fast-paced and intense, as if you were on Tarawa with a rifle in your hand. If you want to know what it was like to invade an enemy-held island, read 76 Hours.”
Marcus Brotherton
76 Hours is a realistic and harrowing portrayal of combat in the Pacific, sure to appeal to hardcore military enthusiasts. Larry Alexander knows his stuff.”
bestselling author of Gates of Fire and A Man at A Steven Pressfield
“New York Times bestselling WWII historian Larry Alexander captures the vicious reality of the Battle of Tarawa in his first novel, 76 Hours. Alexander puts the reader on the blood-soaked Pacific island amidst devastating machine-gun fire, desperate Banzai attacks, and brutally effective flamethrowers. His characters and prose are as tough as the marines who took the island against a dug-in foe.”
