The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians
Author:
Genre: History
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genre: History
Book Type: Paperback
I've read more World War II histories than I can remember. Almost all of them are good, but only a few I do regard as outstanding. This is one of them.
This may very well be the best book I've read this year in any genre. It will join, in my memory, other great military histories such as "The Candy Bombers" and "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors"!
So long forgotten, due to tight security and to conceal the many mistakes made by the American military, this book tells the story of over 500,000 men who were eventually committed to the war in the Aleutians.
So many of the tactics and equipment requirements that were used later in the war, even in other theaters, were developed during the Aleutian campaign. There were so many "firsts" in this campaign that it is a wonder that military historians do not use this book as a basic resource.
Most Americans with knowledge of World War II regard this campaign as a side show, which is somewhat like saying that the battle for Guadalcanal wasn't really all that important. Yet the battle for Attu was the second hardest fought battle in the Pacific, behind Iwo Jima, for the number of men involved.
Even after the Aleutians were downgraded in importance by the U.S. military chiefs, the Japanese still kept 500 planes--1/6 of their air force--and 60,000 troops in the area to forestall any attempts by the U.S. to use the Aleutians as stepping stones to Japan. These forces could have heavily influenced events if employed elsewhere.
The book, written by a novelist, is an easy and enjoyable read. It now has a permanent place in my World War II library.
This may very well be the best book I've read this year in any genre. It will join, in my memory, other great military histories such as "The Candy Bombers" and "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors"!
So long forgotten, due to tight security and to conceal the many mistakes made by the American military, this book tells the story of over 500,000 men who were eventually committed to the war in the Aleutians.
So many of the tactics and equipment requirements that were used later in the war, even in other theaters, were developed during the Aleutian campaign. There were so many "firsts" in this campaign that it is a wonder that military historians do not use this book as a basic resource.
Most Americans with knowledge of World War II regard this campaign as a side show, which is somewhat like saying that the battle for Guadalcanal wasn't really all that important. Yet the battle for Attu was the second hardest fought battle in the Pacific, behind Iwo Jima, for the number of men involved.
Even after the Aleutians were downgraded in importance by the U.S. military chiefs, the Japanese still kept 500 planes--1/6 of their air force--and 60,000 troops in the area to forestall any attempts by the U.S. to use the Aleutians as stepping stones to Japan. These forces could have heavily influenced events if employed elsewhere.
The book, written by a novelist, is an easy and enjoyable read. It now has a permanent place in my World War II library.
