Robert Sherrod's on-sight narrative of this battle is one of the most powerful accounts of Americans at war that I have ever read.

THE CUSTOMS, CULTURES AND SUPERNATURAL INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

I prefer war novels like "The Triumph and the Glory" to histories because fiction is capable of delivering such profound emotional effects on a reader. But the great history books, like "Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa" are so powerful that they transcend genre or category and proclaim the truth of our past in a truly unforgettable manner. This is one of the best books about men in battle I've ever read.

Utilizing his prodigious research skills, Retired Colonel Joseph Alexander has written what has to be the best all around account of Tarawa. Incorporating new material gleaned from sources as diverse as Col. Shoup's personal papers, translation of the Japanese war history (Senshi Sosho) and recently declassified ULTRA radio intercepts, he presents a superbly crafted telling of the horror and victory at Tarawa.

On the morning of 11/20/43 men of the 2nd Marine Division stormed ashore to face the Imperial Japanese Marines who defended Betio Island in the Tarawa atoll. These rikusentai were considered the best light infantry the Japanese had. In addition to the almost impregnable defensive positions prepared by the Japanese, the island was surrounded by a reef, which, due to tide and fortune, prevented the Higgins boats from crossing to the beaches. The decision to utilize LVTs (tracked amphibious vehicles, or more correctly, landing vehicle tracked) for the first time as troop carriers forever changed the history of amphibious assaults against strongly held enemy positions. Lumbering over the forbidding reef, LVTs carried their cargo of men and supplies where the Higgins boats could not go. This gamble represented a landmark in ship-to-shore movements and to this day amphibious assault vehicles are an essential element of any surface assault.

Mistakes were made and men died because of them. The initial three-hour naval bombardment and bombing and strafing runs by carrier aircraft were far too little. Gaps between the naval and air force shelling allowed the enemy to move reinforcements to the beaches from the southern and eastern areas of the island. Following the bombardments many defensive positions and large guns remained fully functional and they blasted into the oncoming LVTs and the Higgins boats at the reef's edge. Men of later waves were forced to wade ashore as LVTs became destroyed or were unavailable. Hundreds of men died in that surf, wading ashore. One thousand Marines died on each of three days of battle before the island fell.

It's the attention to detail that separates Alexander's work from other, well written histories of Tarawa. From the planning stages, to his telling of the build up of Japanese troops, to the inclusion of brief personal histories of the key personnel, to the epilogue summarizing the lessons learned and the errors made, this is an exceptional book well worth reading. To the serious student, it is the book on Tarawa that must be read.

This is an excellent book of the fighting at Tarawa in WW2. The author has done a great job in presenting the story, it was so well told that I found it hard to put the book down. Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination for the USMC and after reading this book I remember why. What guts! The author also presents the Japanese defenders as humans, rarely done in many books about combat in the Pacific during the war. The author has researched his story well and has used numerous maps and a number of sobering B&W photos to assist his narrative. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story, well done to the author!

Thumbing through Hammel and Lane's book one initially suspects that the pictures are the story. Contrary to this first impression, the book is an excellent telling of the battle for Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll. Augmented by literally hundreds of top quality combat photos the tale flows in a most easily understood fashion. The narrative recreates the action as it occurred on each beachhead and follows it along until a logical point occurs before switching to another beachhead. Progressing along the three initial beachheads the reader follows the action of individual men, squads, and remnants of platoons and companies fighting for a toehold. The confusion that occurred on all the landing zones is told in a most understandable manner. The slaughter caused by the low tide and the reef surrounding the island is well presented.

The maps, placed in front of the book preceding the text, are excellent. The book's weakness lays in its lack of a significant discussion of planning, strategy and the then existing conditions in the Pacific. Tarawa played a key roll in the future invasions of the Marshalls, the Marianas and beyond. This was the first time an amphibious assault was made against a well-defended and contested beachhead. It also marked the turning point for amphibious assaults in that the LVTs (Landing Vehicle Tracked) were used for the first time as troop carriers instead of merely supply vehicles. As Admiral Hill stated, "...this operation was going to be a textbook for future operations." Although mentioned frequently in the text, the index contains no listing for the LVTs. Considering their all-important role, this is puzzling to this reviewer.

Having had a member of my family in the battle it was a outstanding adventure in the Best of Our Nation's Youth and the United States Marine Corps. The graphic pictures matched the historical and well researched commentary. I found that I could not read for long periods of time because of all of what was going on took time to digest and reflect on. You felt that you were crossing the lagoon along with the young Marines and you could almost here the action. There was courage on both sides and the book was fair as to that point. It truly gave a face to the savage nature, relentless, and cruel reality of this Pacific island invasion.

I found myself wondering about the faith and courage that were these young men. To keep their sanity and wits about them was truly remarkable. I also found myself wondering if this could be done again in our time. If the courage and singleness of purpose would be here today? It left me with a large amount of respect for the accomplishment of these men. We owe them our freedom and our sincere thanks.

Using newly uncovered archival photographs of the bloody battle for Betio Island, Eric Hammel and John Lane put the reader in the middle of the action. From the agonizing wade into the beach, up to the last neutralized pillbox, "Bloody Tarawa" is a fine update of a classic on this legendary campaign.

I enjoyed the book, however, a lot more can be learned of the Raiders by reading Oscar Peatross' book Bless 'em All, which is out of print, unfortunately; however, excerpts are available at one of the Marine Raider websites. The chapter on The Long Patrol at the end of the book, is short and somewhat superficial, and a story truly deserving of a novel in itself. Imagine being on patrol and living in the jungles of Guadalcanal for 32 days. Ahoy Raiders! We are truly indebted and thank you for your sacrifices.

This is a fairly brief(233pp.) account of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion's assault on a Japanese held Central Pacific island in the first year of the Pacific War during WWII. The author outlines the formation of elite Marine commando units and the intra-service squabbling it entailed. He then takes you into the early career of the leader, Evans Carlson, and its influence on his philosophy of covert operations such as these units were tasked with. He later follows with a descriptive narrative of the preparation, training, and execution of the mission of invading Butaritari Island in Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. I applaud his use of oral interviews of survivors of the operation. My only critique was the ineffective sprinkling of humorous events throughout which did not blend well with the flow of the story. Overall I highly recommend this book to those interested in learning more about one of the elite Marine units of WWII.

George W. Smith has done a superb job of chronicling WW2's 2d Marine Raider Battalion. He tells the true story of the exploits of the Raiders, and details the life story of their leader, Evans F. Carlson.

Far from being a dry account of the facts of the 1942 raid on Makin Atoll in the Pacific, this tale recounts the events leading up the the actual skirmish with the Japanese, and tells the story of the battle in riveting first person detail. From their disorganized entry onto the island, their successful assault on the waiting Japanese forces, and their almost disastrous exodus through fierce ocean waves back to the submarines, the reader is captivated by their unique tale. For the first time, the conclusion to the attack is laid out in all its controversial detail. It is a highly compelling story that has waited 59 years to be told in its entirety.

Kudos to Mr. Smith for an exceptional, factual account of a significant World War II battle, one that captures the attention of history buffs and laypeople alike.

I am always astounded by sheer brazen courage of men under fire. This book takes you there from start to finish you are in the heat of the battle. You can almost sense the horror the Marines felt wadding ashore, weapons held high, while enemy machine guns ripped them to pieces! That they endured such horrendous cost and ultimately triumphed over a deeply entrenched enemy is nothing short of miraculous. If you seek the truth about the awful battle for Taraww this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

This work takes you from an outline of the Pacific war so far, through the crucial planning stages, detailing the lack of imformation about the objective that was to prove fatal to so many good men and culminates in a blow by blow account of the action itself. Many eye witness testimonies bring the action to life and you find yourself along side them, sheltering behind the bullet raked log sea wall, out of water, with no way forward and no way back. But you are one of the lucky ones. All around you is the chaos of an assault from the sea. LVT's wrecked and burning, riddled with bullet holes, dead floating in the lagoon by the hundred, but the tiny island had to be taken at any cost.

Gripping stuff from cover to cover, many black and white photos, useful maps and informative, orders of battle and other appendices. I highly recommend it to any historian or enthusiast of World War Two in the Pacific.

Author isn't a gripping storyteller. He pails in comparison to Alistair Horne (VERDUN), Max Hastings (THE KOREAN WAR) or Cornelius Ryan (THE LONGEST DAY). He slips in uninformative quotes like a college History major with a desk full of notes he refuses to pare down (ie. Nimitz to Spruance:"Spru, you are lucky.") for a term paper. Uses too much military jargon and too many abreviations for your non-expert. Details the landing quite well; the reader gets a good feel of the terror and carnage. In comparison, the marines drive inland from the beaches should have been told in greater detail. Author paints a good picture of several of the marines, especially the legendary William "Hawk" Hawkins who died in the fighting. Mr. Graham does a decent job with his material; the heroes of Tarawa deserve a greater writer to tell their courageous story.

After seeing "Saving Private Ryan," the most moving and authentic WWII movie thus far, I was moved to better understand the war my father fought in. He has never shared his experiences and now I know why. He was 2nd Marines 3rd wave at Tarawa. What a battle. I always knew that my dad and those Marines were heroes and now this book has helped me to understand why. I hope that a "realistic" movie is made about Tarawa because that battle must stand as one of the quintessential Marine Corps battles of all times. This book is a good read.

He went on a wild goose chase to some tropical island. Let me just say that he didn't find much. I suggest you skip this book.

Not as good as some of his other books, but still a fun read.