Iwo Jima was the United States Marine Corps' toughest ever battle and a turning point in the Pacific War. In February 1945, three Marine Divisions stormed the island's shores in what was supposed to be a ten-day battle, but they had reckoned without General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the enemy commander. 'Do not plan for my return,' wrote Kuribayashi in one of his many letters to his wife, Yoshii. He knew that he and his garrison could not defeat the Marines, but he was determ...

The American 'island-hopping' campaign in the Pacific during the Second World War was a crucial factor in the eventual defeat of Japan in 1945. The assault and capture of these islands meant US bombers and their fighter escorts could now reach mainland Japan, disrupting and eventually crippling its war economy. The battles on Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas group, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were all characterised by savage fighting and heavy casulaties on bot...

An detailed examination of this bloody Pacific battle, featuring maps, artwork and archive photography.The island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll was defended by the elite troops of the Special Naval Landing Force, whose commander, Admiral Shibasaki, boasted that "the Americans could not take Tarawa with a million men in a hundred years". In a pioneering amphibious invasion, the Marines of the 2nd Division set out to prove him wrong, overcoming serious planning errors...

A definitive account of the battle of Iwo Jima, from its origins to its hard-fought conclusion.One of the decisive battles of the Second World War in the Pacific, Iwo Jima was described by Lieutenant-General Holland Smith, Commander Fleet Marine Forces Pacific, as 'The most savage and most costly battle in the history of the Marine Corps' - a titanic struggle that eclipsed all that had gone before.Situated halfway along the B-29 Superfortress route to the J...

A definitive account of the famous battle of Iwo Jima, and the men who fought there.The battle of Iwo Jima saw one hundred thousand men fighting over a tiny volcanic island of just 8 square miles. The island was of major strategic importance to the US Air Force. However, it was also of supreme importance to the 20,000 Japanese troops who were deeply entrenched in the island when the Marines invaded, and to whom surrender was not an option. The titanic struggle drag...

Meticulous detail and insightful analysis combine with a gripping chronological narrative to provide the essential guide to the Pacific Theater of World War II.On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes appeared from the clouds above Pearl Harbor and fundamentally changed the course of history; with this one surprise attack the previously isolationist America was irrevocably thrown into World War II.This definitive history explores each of the major battl...

Introducing: Sensational Writers + Holiday RecipesA Festive Collaboration of Storytelling and Culinary DelightNow Available – Optimized for viewing on color tablets and large screens.Join us in celebrating the holiday season with Sensational Writers + Holiday Recipes, a heartwarming and delicious collaboration featuring personal stories, short essays, and cherished holiday recipes from a vibrant com...

In the heart of a steampunk dystopia is Nirvana, a heaven in the world of Terra Firma.Arlo finds a new purpose after communing with God, an entity known in Nirvana as the Watcher. To serve this deity, he joins up with some old pirate companions on a mission, along with a preacher and friend named Cooper. In bringing back a stolen religious relic, Arlo must act fast, working with his pirate mates and the chosen people of The Book of Souls to save countless lives. Bounty hunters, bou...