Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa

by Joseph H. Alexander Narrated by Tom Weiner

Overview

On November 20, 1943, in the first trial by fire of America's fledgling amphibious assault doctrine, five thousand men stormed the beaches of Tarawa, a seemingly invincible Japanese island fortress barely the size of the three hundred-acre Pentagon parking lots. Before the first day ended, one-third of the marines who had crossed Tarawa's deadly reef under murderous fire were killed, wounded, or missing. In three days of fighting, four Americans would win the Medal of Honor and six thousand combatants would die.

Now, Colonel Joseph Alexander, a combat marine himself, presents the full story of Tarawa in all its horror and glory: the extreme risks, the horrific combat, and the heroic breakthroughs. Based on exhaustive research, never-before-published accounts from marine survivors, and new evidence from Japanese sources, Colonel Alexander captures the grit, guts, and relentless courage of United States Marines overcoming outrageous odds to deliver victory for their country.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Alexander, a retired Marine officer and established scholar, uses a broad spectrum of fresh Japanese and American sources to present a gripping narrative of one of the bloodiest battles of WWII in the Pacific theater. At Tarawa in the Kiribati (formerly Gilbert) islands, ``uncommon valor was a common virtue'' on both sides. But this account is more than battle history. Alexander interprets Tarawa as a military test bed, a validation of the concept of amphibious assault against defended positions. The Marines and the Navy made mistakes but learned from them. Without the experience gained at Tarawa, America's path across the central Pacific would have been longer and bloodier, according to the author. Tarawa was a psychological landmark as well. The savage, close-quarters fighting and high casualties helped solidify the grim determination in the U.S. to prevail over the Japanese. Illustrations. Military Book Club main selection. (Sept.)

Booknews

The Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 left 6,000 dead in an area the size of the Pentagon and its parking lots. Drawing on primary sources, new translations of Japanese documents, and interviews with survivors, the author describes the bloody conquest by the newly created Central Pacific Force, the first trial-by-fire of America's fledgling amphibious assault doctrine. Includes b&w photos and drawings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

APRIL 2011 - AudioFile

The Battle of Tarawa was one of the most intense in the Pacific campaign of 1943. A thousand U.S. Marines died, and 2,300 more were wounded in the 72 hours it took to secure the tiny atoll from its Japanese garrison. Col. Alexander’s account of the battle is meticulously researched and definitive, though it suffers from an excess of jargon and a flurry of acronyms that become awkward in the audio format. Tom Weiner’s narration is detached and fast paced to the point of being rushed. All in all, the production often focuses more on the generals and their strategies than on the men who were enduring the bloody hell of war. D.B. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169632415
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	12/29/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged

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