I saw the movie first and later on read the book. The book has a lot of information that re-caps events that have taken place and explains places. Bradley did a remarkable job. The story is nice and an excellent piece of literature that all Americans should read.

This is super book by James Bradley. It is a colorful, engrossing account of not only the larger battle of Iwo Jima, but also the lives of some typical citizen soldiers before, during and after the war. The book tells the only-human story behind those iconic marines in the famous photo.

I'd read "Flags of Our Fathers" after the superb "Flyboys," and perhaps it was only too easy to be disappointed. "Flyboys" is an amazing book, both focused on the immediate and on the greater picture; even for people who've read plenty of history, there are fresh revelations on every page.

"Flags of our Fathers," on the other hand, is a much more conventional history book, much more narrowly focused. Bradley does do a good job of reaching beyond his father, as he didn't have to do; but he doesn't do a particularly good job of bringing readers into the moment, or of putting them into the greater context.

The story of the men in the famous -- almost ignored -- photo is one that could be told, and should have been told, and was told well enough in "Flags of our Fathers." It's just hard not to wish for something a bit more, as when the author caught his voice in "Flyboys."

This book is the story of the the amphibious landing, the battle for Mount Suribachi, the three airstrips, Nishi Ridge and finally Kitano Point. Sixteen of three hundred and 82 pages tells briefly of the stateside Bond Drive.

Nothing in this book, approaches the moral ambiguity shown in the film of the same title, which shows only the amphibious landing as far as battles for the critical features of the island. With Bradley's book, there is only a respectful tone, and the heroism of the men is never brought into question. This is one of the great military histories concerning a critical battle in the South pacific.

/

I'm so glad to have read this book. It created so much discussion among my social circles because I was amazed by the information. I learned more about WWII than I did in my history classes in high school and college because I was drawn into the book through learning about the lives of the 6 flagraisers at Iwo Jima. The book introduces you to each character, how they "joined" the war, their experience at the flagraising and their life after their service in the military. A GREAT read!

I am glad I saw the movie first. The book and its story of the real life men who raised the flags over Iwo Jima is far superior. Better yet is that the book focuses more attention on the Battle of Iwo Jima itself, whereas the film devoted a inordinate attention to the bond drive.

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is not just one story, but multiple tales about the Marines who stormed ashore on the black sands of Iwo Jima and raised the second flag over the pork-chop-shaped volcanic isle. Through the book we follow them through their very unremarkable varied beginnings through the survivor's post war battles with their fame. Author James Bradley had particular interest in the subject matter as his father, Navy Corpsman John Bradley, was one of the flag raisers.

John Bradley rarely spoke to his son about his part in the flag raising. Indeed Bradley's method of coping with his horrific wartime experiences was to be a loving husband, good father, successful businessman and contributor to his community. James Bradley's search for his father's wartime experiences found his dad's story linked to that of that great battle and the Marines. Of the three surviving flag raisers John Bradley was the only one who was able to pull his life together and move on, albeit with occasional nightmares that left him sobbing.

The book does a great job contrasting the lives of the surviors. Bradley's veteran years contrast sharply with that of fellow flag raiser and Pima Indian Ira Hayes. In the book we find the beginning of Hayes' downward spiral months before he even set foot on Iwo Jima. Hayes eventually sought post war refuge through alcoholism and inability to rise above anything other than living a hard life. Bradley's narrative highlights some intersting parallels in both men's lives. John Bradley harbored the true fate of his horribly tortured close friend Ralph Ignatowski, while Ira Hayes carried the truth about the misidentification of one of the flag raisers. Both men made their own pilgrimages to the families of the dead Marines to unburden their souls.

A large portion of the book covers the battle itself. Twenty-two thousand Japanese defenders fought from caves, concrete blockhouses, and miles of tunnels carved through the volcanic tuff. For many Marines, supported by numerous quotes in the book, Iwo was Hell itself.

There are very few good contemporary books written about Iwo Jima. Although FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS leans heavily on actions directly related to the flag raisers, it includes numerous vignettes representative of the overall battle. FLAGS is much better than Bradley's subsequentwork FLYBOYS. Where FLYBOYS straddles a potpourri of seemingly unrelated topics, FLAGS remains focused on the flagraisers.

This book is available in several different editions, sizes, and print formats.

A very compasonate literary work by an author
who has not only researched the important technical
military data,but has also brought forward the
intense personal and family parameters. A very
well written epic that those of us who have been in
combat can identify as factual and accurate.

[...]

I'm an amateur World War II historian, a huge fan of the USMC, and I love the country of my birth, the United States of America. So please don't think this review is meant to be anti-soldier or anti-American.

What's funny about this book is that the son/author TOTALLY misses the big points that his father/warrior tried to teach. Namely: (1.) if you have to serve your country in wartime, you do it AND THEN YOU SHUT UP, and (2.) the heroes of conflict are THOSE WHO DIED FIGHTING, not the ones who acted bravely and were lucky enough to survive. And I'm not making this up out of spite: I have read the book, and that's the understanding I derived from the description of the father/warrior.

Yet in "Flags of Our Fathers," the flag-raisers of Iwo Jima are somehow superior to the thousands of GI's who died fighting on that island because the former were in an iconic photograph, and the ones who died weren't. The author of the book both milks that photograph (i.e., no photograph = no book entitled "Flags of Our Fathers") for personal glory and simultaneously shames the federal government of 1945 for cashing in on that iconic image.

Throughout the whole book, there is some sort of "you-can-have-it-both-ways" fog. For example (and I cite this example from another Amazon citizen reviewer), why is it BAD for the Iwo Jima flag-raiser Rene Gagnon to have tried to make money off his experience, and OKAY for James Bradley (who wasn't even born in 1945) to write a book and make money off the same event?

Why is it commended in "Flags of Our Fathers" that the Marines are all about teamwork and brotherhood, but also okay for the Bradley family of suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to arrange a VIP trip for themselves to Iwo Jima in the 1990's to deposit a plaque on Mount Suribachi that mentions and honors ONLY their relative, and NONE of the other flag-raisers?

This is a GREAT book about The Greatest Generation, and a great honor to a small group of brave, very young men who raised the flag over Iwo Jima on that hellacious day. No doubt! But this text is limned in insincerity, contradiction, and (what must be unintended) irony.

When I first picked up Flags of Our Fathers, by James Bradley, I was introduced to information about a time in American history which I had never encountered before. I knew nothing of Japan, of Iwo Jima, of The Photograph, or of the Flagraisers. The mystery-reader in me was sucked into the first 3 pages and I simply didn't want to put it down. Who were these men, later I discovered were mere boys, and what brought them to the top of this mountain to plant this American flag? But most of all, who was this man - this silent father - whose letter home made his son's imagination come to life over one simple photograph several decades later?
Being an avid fiction reader for most of my life I found this book, a non-fiction, a bit more difficult to read than I would have ever imagined. Not only were the stories frightening and the scenes horribly disturbing, but the fact that I kept having to remind myself that this happened FOR REAL kept bringing me pause, and cause, to re-read many paragraphs. A book of 300 to 400 pages would typically take me a weekend to read - possibly 3 to 4 days at most. This book took me two months to read. Two Months! My desire to relive history, coupled with the story itself, compelled me to continue to read even when the descriptions of events were unimaginable, and even when the author outraged me with his behavior or rambling on with accounts of things that had no bearing on the story at all.

The story takes off with the author's visit to the island of Iwo Jima with his family, several years after the death of his father. The family has been allowed to visit the `closed Japanese Naval Base' which is `inaccessible to civilians of all nationalities except for rare government-sanctioned visits' (6). The commandment of this island refers to the island as "holy land" and "sacred ground", which does nothing to dissuade James Bradley and his brothers, Joe and Mark (ages forty and up) from peeing on the side of Mount Suribachi (13). The complete lack of respect for the event that brought their father the "happiest day of his life" was unfathomable to me (5). This is just the beginning of things written by Mr. Bradley that made me stop reading and exclaim out loud, "What a Jerk!"

The story goes on to outline the boyhood lives of each of the 6 flagraisers, their enlistment into the Marines and Navy, their training, some of their previous battles all leading up to their arrival on Iwo Jima, as well as a brief history on the Japanese military and their way of thinking and training soldiers. I found these parts of the book to be the most interesting. Some of the description given was graphic and a bit hard to stomach at times, but without the guts and gore the reader could not possibly appreciate the mind-set of the enemy that our boys faced on Iwo Jima.

"Pregnant women were marched to one killing field where Japanese placed bets of the sex of the fetus about to tumble from its mother's womb, cut by a samurai sword."

The image this sentence leaves is so bold the reader can't help but understand that we were dealing with human beings totally devoid of a conscience. Mr. Bradley does a great job in describing the corruption of Bushido, in that by the twentieth-century the Japanese military had been taught a `cult of death, that sacrificing your life was the ultimate beautiful goal', and that `America's war in the Pacific would be a war fought without rules...' (66/67).

As I continued to read on through the first quarter of the book I became very confused and bewildered by Mr. Bradley's bashing of the Navy. I recalled his earlier writing in the book, that upon review of Japanese reinforcements of `pillboxes' during the battle of Tarawa:
...the Japanese were building defenses impervious to our bombs. It would take individual Marine rifleman on the ground to charge and neutralize these defenses (97).

So why the contradictory statements written by Mr. Bradley, some 50 pages later, that the Navy was so `eager to grab headlines and show that they too...could shell mainland Japan' and that because of this `there would be even fewer ships available to shell Iwo Jima'(144). Surely, this may have been the theory and belief of the time - prior to the later discovery of the massive tunnel structure and similar `Tarawa pillboxes' found on Iwo Jima - but why take this stance against the Navy now that it is known that the shelling would have had no affect the Japanese military running deep beneath the surface of sulfur island?

Time and time again throughout this book I found it odd that Mr. Bradley would deliver a fabulous account of the battle, and then take a moment to speak derogatorily of Ira Hayes. Then he would give us a few more facts and interesting bits of history and then Mr. Bradley would erroneously brag about himself and his accomplishments in life, or the fact that he grew up in the second largest house in Appleton. Then would come a few more accounts of an interview with a Marine, a few letters from home from a flagraiser, and then a moment to drag Rene Gagnon through the mud - followed by another chance to demoralize Ira Hayes for his attempt to hide from his memories in his own way, rather than in silence. I was lost in a sea of mixed feelings about what was fact and what was the writers attempt to bolster his own family and produce a book to sell to Hollywood. What I found most missing in this book was the presence of a professional writer and evidence of an editor. In Mr. Bradley's acknowledgements he writes of the editor, "her contributions will remain invisible to the reader." He was certainly correct about that.

From the son of a man so thoughtful of others, a man of compassion and respectfulness, I would have expected more from his son. I loved the stories Mr. Bradley told of his father and his success in being able to help others through so much pain and misery during their loss of a limb or a loved one. I imagine Jack Bradley as unbiased as they come. After all the years of Jack's pain for what he saw and what he experienced; After all his years of silence and not wanting to discuss Iwo Jima, I find solace in knowing that he did not have to bear witness to these events being published in such a poor manner by his own son.

I thought that this book was amazing. Even though it was a little slow at the beginning and the end, it still held my attention with all of the stories about the 6 flag raisers of Iwo Jima. This book takes place in the Pacific, where the U.S is fighting the Japanese in the climax of the Pacific World War II. The book starts out in the birthplaces of all of the flag raisers, John Bradley of Appleton, Wisconsin, Franklin Sousley of Hilltop, Kentucky, Harlon Block of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Ira Hayes of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, Rene Gagnon of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Mike Strank of Franklin Borough, Pennsylvania. John Bradley was born in 1923 in a town called Antigo, where he would be born, be raised, where he would return with his own wife and children, and where he would die. He became a Navy Corpsman, in the hope to escape land battle, but he ended up being a corpsman in the Marines. He always was trying to do the best he could for others and to serve the community. Franklin Sousley was born in 1925, and became the only son when his 5-year-old brother died of appendicitis. Franklin grew up shielded by his mother, who was always looking after him and holding him close by her. He became a Marine in 1944, and spoke of his "duty as a man" to fight in a war, and it was said he wasn't afraid of anything. Harlon Block was a Seventh Day Adventist, who grew up to be taught, "Thou Shalt Not Kill". He was born in 1924, and played on his high school football team, leading them to an undefeated season. He was a tough person, and never really seemed to get hurt. Ira Hayes was extremely quiet. He never seemed to be very social. He was born in 1923, and born a Pima Indian. In their culture, it was encouraged to be quiet, and to not seek recognition, which is exactly what he did all of his life. He became a Marine nine months after Pearl Harbor. Rene Gagnon was born in 1925. He also was a quiet person, always in the background, like in The Photograph. He was shy and unaggressive. He enlisted in the Marines in 1943, much to the disappointment of his mother. Mike Strank was called "A Marine's Marine", because of the fact that he was always helping somebody else. He was born in 1919, in Czechoslovakia, he moved to the U.S 1920. His ambition was to become President. He joined the Marines of his own free will in 1939. He was the only one of the six flag raisers to enlist by his own will and not be drafted. At the beginning of this book, James Bradley, whose father was John Bradley, describes all of the characters personalities. He then goes on to describe the battle of Iwo Jima, from the black sands of the beach to the chilly winds on top of Mount Suribachi. He describes the never before seen horror that the boys faced while fighting an almost invisible Japanese enemy. Afterwards, he describes the stories that followed the flag raising, and what happened after Iwo Jima. The six flag raisers have two main conflicts, and they are both internal and external. Inside them, they have to watch all of their good buddies get killed and slaughtered as the days wear on, have to watch the horrors of the glorified war, finally realizing that it is not that fun. They have to cope with the emotional stress of being constantly shot at, and the gore of the dead. They also have to deal with the external conflict on how to survive, and how to complete their objectives. An exerpt that explains what James Bradley had to go through on Iwo Jima and one of his conflicts was "But the corpsman saw only the results. His entire mission on Iwo was to hop from blown face to severed arm, doing what he could under heavy fire to minimize the damage, stanch the flow, ease the agony.
The corpsmen remembered. And their memories ruled the night." This shows a little bit of the stress that the Marines had to go through on Iwo. It scarred them for the rest of their lives. I think that no person under 13 years of age should read this book because it is very graphic and it is sometimes hard to understand. I could not compare this to another book because this is sort of a documentary novel, and I have never read anything like it because it is so good.

John Bradley, known to his buddies as "Doc" (because he served as a corpsman) and to his home town friends as "Jack," never talked to his family about his World War II experiences. Jim, one of Jack Bradley's eight children, grew up vaguely aware that his father was one of the men depicted by that war's most famous photograph: the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi. Whenever a reporter or the contact person for a veterans' group called the Bradley household or Jack's busy funeral parlor, his family and employees were all trained to say: "Mr. Bradley is on vacation, fishing, in Canada." When grade school student Jim's class came to The Photograph in their social studies textbook, and Jim's teacher asked that he get his father to visit the class and make a speech, Jack told his son that he couldn't do that because he'd forgotten everything.

That deliberate forgetting allowed Jack Bradley to do what none of the other surviving flag raisers (there were only three left after Iwo Jima's incredible casualty rate took its toll) accomplished. He lived a full, normal life in his home town, building a successful business and raising a family within a loving and stable marriage. Only after his father's death did Jim Bradley begin contacting Jack's service buddies, and researching what happened to Jack and everyone else who fought on Iwo Jima. What he learned became this book. It's a "must read" for every American, in my opinion; but especially so for those of us whose fathers also fought in World War II's Pacific Theater, and for the next generation to whom those men were (or still are) known only as grandfathers.

I wish James Bradley had partnered again with Ron Powers in writing his next World War II book, Flyboys. Flags of Our Fathers is well paced, well structured, and polished. It's a wonderful piece of work, entirely worthy of its material. Yet I picked it up wondering whether or not I'd find it readable, having made the mistake of reading Flyboys first. That's sad.

But with that said, I repeat: Every American should read Flags of Our Fathers. The story behind The Photograph, and the Marine Corps Memorial that was sculpted from its image, is a part of our history few of us who grew up in the post-war years truly understand.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle

Gave this book for a Christmas present and was summary thanked and thanked. It is a total hit.

Wanted to read the book after seeing the movie,
didn't disappoint. Very interesting story and
great pictures help depict the horrors of war
and the real human beings who are involved, and
how it affects the rest of their lives afterward.

Book is so much better than the movie...(of course). Couldn't put it down until I finished it.

Did not think this book was on par with "Flags of Our Fathers" about Iwo Jima. "Flyboys" seemed to drag on and on.

Flags of our Fathers is about the six flag raisers of Iowa Jima and why they went through on the island. The author of this book James Bradley happens to be related to one of the flag raisers, Jack Bradley. Jack Bradley originally joined the navy to avoid getting drafted by the army so that he wouldn't have to fight. He went into the medical field and was then assigned to be a corpsman which was the opposite of what he wanted because it meant he would have to fight and drag the wounded off the field. Each of the flag raisers had their unique personalities. Franklin Sousley was known for his good humor and his laughter, Jack Bradley was raised by a very Christian family and that had a lot affect on his life it even followed him when he joined the navy. Harlon Block also started as a big Christian and a pacifist, but when he entered high school he joined the football team and he was a very good player. Ira Hayes was an Indian he was also a very quiet person who kept to himself and he also fell into a bad habit of drinking after he returned from Iowa Jima. Rene Gagnon is a very hard person to find out about because most of the people that remembered him just said that he was a nice guy. Mike Strank is my favorite because he was a natural born leader, a genius, and he had the loyalty and respect of all the soldiers under him he was even considered to be like a big brother to them. Unfortunately only three of the flag raisers lived after the battle of Iowa Jima they were Jack Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes. This is the kind of book I would recommend for those types of people who like war stories and it is one of the best books I have read.

Flags of Our Fathers first came into my life when my Highschool World Wars teacher encouraged us to read it. I didn't at the time, and frankly don't think I would have appreciated it nearly as much as I do now. After becoming an Army Officer, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. The book does not glorify at all the battle of Iwo Jima, World War II, or the act act of planting the flag on Mt. Surabachi. It gives us insight to the reality of battle. How ordinary men do extraordinary things becaused they forced too and how isignificant the Iwo photo really was to anyone who was in the battle. While at first this book turned me off, it grew on me as the chapters went on. It is a must read for anyone, especially those who know someone in the military. It really makes you appreciate what these people have gone through and what soldiers/airmen, and marines continue to go through no matter what the conflict. This one is staying on my shelf.

It is one of the most iconic photographs ever taken. It has become the symbol for the valor and the attitude of the Marine Corps. IT is the photograph of six Marines raising a flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. All of us have probably seen this photograph and I know that I was always struck by it - it is a classic pattern in art and it also captures a moment in wartime. There are six soldiers raising a flag. you see the taut bodies, the focus and concentration. And, you see the debris all around them. The detritus of war.

This book tells the story of that photograph but also - and more importantly - the story of the men who were captured in the image and the photographer both before, during, and after the war. The story is pieced together and told by a son of one of the men in the photograph - "Doc" Bradley, the only Navy guy in the tale. The book follows the lives of all six men who are pictured from their hardscrabble beginnings, their decision to join the Marine Corps, and then their role in the Iwo Jima battle and beyond. Three of the men died on Iwo Jima; three survived. Of the three that survived, only two had children. One of those is "Doc" Bradley, and his son tells the tale of them all.

This book is not really about how glorious war is and what kinds of heroes these six men were. No, it portrays war in the ugly, brutal, tormenting fashion that it has without skimping on the details of how many ways men can be killed. Nor does it skimp on descriptions of the atrocities that the Japanese committed both before, during, and after this campaign. There is a lot of apologia given by the author for the Japanese behavior during the war. He describes it as a non-typical Japanese time period repeatedly. Towards the end of the book we find out that he spent several years in Japan and at one point in his life believed that the Japanese were forced to start the war by what Roosevelt supposedly did.

By focusing almost exclusively on the life of these six men, the author manages to paint a picture of World War II America and how "the whole country was one" which is an interesting contrast to today's situation.

The yearlong preparations for the battle are described. The battle itself is described in detail with every one of the six men's participation chronicled in exhaustive detail including the way three of them died. Many other stories are interwoven but only briefly touched upon. One of them, that could have been better served by being described more fully was the story of Bradley's "special buddy" Iggy who is also killed on Iwo Jima. Only in the latter parts of the book do we discover how he died.

Doc Bradley himself wins the Navy Cross on Iwo Jima. However, he never displays it and his eight children are astonished to find out about it after his death in the early 1990's. This launches his son to research the group, the photograph, and the lives of all six men.

The story covers the way they were treated after the photograph was published; how they became the main draw in a bond raising tour; how they behaved during the tour; and how they handled the rest of their lives. There is a strong pathos there and a lot of tragic awareness of how these shell-shocked young men were basically told to grin and bear it and how some of them did, and some of them did not. The story of Ira Hayes and his rapid deterioration into drink is a sad one while the story of Rene Gagnon is no better. Only Bradley lives out a normal middle class life but the author is careful to portray even his own father as suffering from the horrors of what he experienced.

This is a good book to read to find out how war affected young Americans during WW2. It is a good introduction to the horrors, atrocities, and pain of war. It is a good book to help you in understanding how America handled and survived WW2. And, it is also a good book to understand why people called it "the good war" and why we can probably never have that kind of feeling again. When I closed the book, I wiped a tear from my eye, laid it down beside me, and thought like Doc Bradley: the only heroes on Iwo Jima were those who did not come back.

My grandfather fought on Bougainville and Guadalcanal which are both mentioned often in this book. To this day grandpa does not speak of the war. After reading this book, I understand why. This book embodies the human spirit and the fight to uproot evil at its core. It is interesting that such a brutal fight took place on an island that had no real life... just a desolate island of ash and embers that emulated a place of death. Deep within the bowels of the island held a garrison of approximately 22,000 Japanese that were determined to fight to extinction and that is what they did.

Bradley and Powers do a wonderful job describing the Marines training as well as the actions on Iwo Jima. The fact that I came away from reading this book more knowledgeable about the self-sacrifices all Marines made on Iwo Jima, makes my own service in the Marines (1993-1997) a worth while endeavor that I hold near and dear to my heart.

Semper Fi to those that served and especially to Ron Powers and James Bradley for taking the time to research and write an unforgettable and accurate masterpiece of history!

This book was AMAZING!!! I knew next to nothing about the Battle of Iwo Jima before reading this book and I learned SO much about the fight for Japan and about what it was like to be a U.S. Marine during WWII.

It is an INCREDIBLE read and a great education, too.

I am not sure if it is the fact that the Audiobook is an abridged version but I just didn't find the story that compelling. Somewhat repetitive and too concerned about details which I found boring and uninteresting.
I was looking for a historical account (like the much better "1776" or "Team of Rivals") but this is more like an afterschool special.

We listened to the audio version of this book on a long trip and were deeply affected by the personal stories. I learned so much about World War II, Iwo Jimo, and the Marines. Thank you!

I thought the book did an outstanding job in telling seven stories in one book. The story of raising the flag, and the story of each of the men that raised the flag.
Even though the men did not feel to be heroes, I think each man that served in WWII were indeed heroes!
Great Book!
Harold Stumbaugh

Although most people seem to be familiar with at least the basic story of WWII in Europe, not as many people seem to be as well-informed about the horrors of the war in the Pacific Theatre. While the troops in Europe were fighting across the continent, the troops in the Pacific had to liberate the region island by island, with countless D-Days, not just one, and the fighting in the Pacific was on the whole much more horrific and decimating, particularly in the treatment of POWs. And while the Allies were slowly but surely liberating Europe in early 1945, the situation in the Pacific was still very much up in the air, with no imminent victory or end in sight. This book helps to tell part of the story of the war in the Pacific, by bringing to life the six young men in the famous Joe Rosenthal photo, and telling the story of the fierce brutal battle on Iwo Jima, one of the most horrific of the entire war. It was also anything but traditional warfare, what with the Japanese soldiers fighting from inside the mountain instead of meeting the American troops face-to-face on the battlefield.

Over the years, right from the very beginning, there have been a lot of myths and misunderstandings about the famous photograph which inspired the book. Mr. Bradley discusses them all, laying out the historical facts: the photo was just 1/400th of a second, not posed, from the second (and therefore much more minor) flagraising that morning, accomplished after a surprisingly undisturbed climb up the mountain, of more symbolic than strategic importance in the grand scheme of the battle, and done just a few days into the battle, with nearly a month more of warfare to come. Most significantly, the six young men who raised the replacement flag did it because it was something that needed doing, not because they were trying to be heroes. The three survivors felt, as many other WWII vets have said, that the real heroes were the ones who didn't come home. However, after reading this book, one can't help but think of John Bradley, Mike Strank, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Rene Gagnon, and Harlon Block as anything but heroes.

In spite of the book's great aspects, however, the writing did leave something to be desired. Mr. Bradley's writing style isn't exactly the most terrific, and there's a lot of redundancy, sometimes even within the same chapter. And while it's normal that he would revere his father, at times it seems as though there's more focus on John Bradley than on the other men, particularly in the chapters on their lives after the war. It would've felt more balanced to have gotten some more detailed information on Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes after the war, instead of just talking about their problems while John Bradley is made out to be practically a saint. Rene Gagnon in particular seems to come in for an unfair amount of criticism, and it seems rich how his widow is lambasted for having put a memorial plaque on the back of his grave, while the Bradley children did the same for their own father during their visit to Iwo Jima. I also wished there had been something written about how the familly of Hank Hansen felt after it was finally discovered he had been misidentified in the photo. Surely they must have had some kind of a reaction! And as has been noticed by others, the book is really heavy on the praise for the Marines, which is perfectly understandable given that it's a book about Marines (except for John Bradley, who was with the Navy), but it's not fair to the other branches of the service to insinuate that the war in the Pacific was won thanks to the Marines and the Marines alone, as though no one else counted or made any major difference in turning the tide of the war.

In spite of the book's downsides, though, it's such a compelling story that the less than great writing style and the often excessive focus on the author's father can be overlooked to a point. It's a very good starting point for someone interested in learning more about the Pacific Theatre, and it is refreshing to see another addition to the library of books available on the other major theatre of operations in WWII.

This book is more than a vivid war history, a glimpse at a different era, and the remarkable account of six men's lives. This book is not just the most poignant tribute from a son to his father you'll ever come across. From the opening pages, as the author elaborates on "The Photograph" and how it captured the life-stories of each of the flagraisers, you realize that in your hands you are holding something truly exceptional. A million thoughts and emotions whirled in my mind as I read this book.

Revisionists who claim that the atomic bombs should not have been dropped on Japan couldn't be more clueless. When you try to comprehend the carnage at Iwo Jima and the brutal tenacity of the Japanese defenders, there will be no doubt in your mind that dropping the A-bombs actually saved more lives than it took.

My respect and awe of the Marine Corps has increased exponentially. I can't help but wonder: had I been called upon to go through what those men did, would I have been able to? How do I raise my children (though I pray they will never go through such a test) to have the same character and integrity as these men ? I feel as being told for the first time in my life that, yes, there was indeed a time when boys could graduate from high school without kissing a girl, when children learned that helping your family took precedence over having fun, and when discipline was indispensable to a child's self-esteem. It seems that somebody or something nowadays has led us to believe that such a time did not really exist and our fathers behaved just as badly as we did, or that such values were inconsequential and that we should not strive to instill them upon our own children. And, yes, there was actually a time when our government did not feel entitled to our money even in times of crisis, but by the same token our citizens did not hesitate to personally make financial sacrifices to support our government in a crisis.

The author grew up oblivious to what his father had suffered and of his accomplishments. He was able as a young adult to visit the country of his father's enemies, to appreciate the wonders of Japanese culture, and to recognize that the atrocities by Japanese soldiers during WWII had resulted from the vicious perversion of their traditional values by the military dictatorship. How could his father come out of such an ordeal with a justifiable rage against the nation of his brutal enemies, and yet managed to preserve his children from being contaminated by his rage?

As you can see, the number and scope of lessons contained in this book is almost incalculable. I don't think I can recommend this book enough, especially to the younger generations for whom the experiences related herein may soon appear as the stuff of legends.

This book is not only a vivid war history, a glimpse at a different era, and the personal accounts of six remarkable men. This book is not just the most poignant tribute from a son to his father you'll ever come across. From the opening pages, as the author elaborates on "The Photograph" and how it captured the life-stories of each of the flagraisers, you realize that in your hands you are holding something truly exceptional. A million thoughts and emotions whirled in my mind as I read this book.

Revisionists who claim that the atomic bombs should not have been dropped on Japan couldn't be more clueless. When you try to comprehend the carnage at Iwo Jima and the brutal tenacity of the Japanese defenders, there will be no doubt in your mind that dropping the A-bombs actually saved more lives than it took.

My respect and awe of the Marine Corps has increased exponentially. I can't help but wonder: had I been called upon to go through what those men did, would I have been able to? How do I raise my children to have the same character and integrity as these men? I feel as being told for the first time in my life that, yes, there was indeed a time when boys could graduate from high school without kissing a girl, when children learned that helping your family took precedence over having fun, and when discipline was indispensable to a child's self-esteem. It seems that somebody or something nowadays has led us to believe that such a time did not really exist and our fathers behaved just as badly as we did, or that such values were inconsequential and that we should not strive to instill them upon our own children. And, yes, there was actually a time when our government did not feel entitled to our money even in times of crisis, but by the same token our citizens did not hesitate to personally make financial sacrifices to support our government in a crisis.

The author grew up oblivious to what his father had suffered and of his accomplishments. He was able as an adult to visit the country of his father's enemies, to appreciate the wonders of Japanese culture, and to recognize that the atrocities by Japanese soldiers during WWII had resulted from the vicious perversion of their traditional values by the military dictatorship. How could his father come out of such an ordeal with a justifiable rage against the nation of his brutal enemies, and yet managed to preserve his children from being contaminated by his rage?

As you can see, the number and scope of lessons contained in this book is almost incalculable. I don't think I can recommend this book enough, especially to the younger generations for whom the experiences related herein may soon appear as the stuff of legends.

This book is not only a vivid war history, a glimpse at a different era, or even the personal accounts of six remarkable men. This book is not just the most poignant tribute from a son to his father you'll ever come across. From the opening pages, as the author elaborates on "The Photograph" and how it captured the life-stories of each of the flagraisers, you realize that you are holding something truly exceptional. A million thoughts and emotions whirled in my mind as I read this book.

Revisionists who claim that the atomic bombs should not have been dropped on Japan couldn't be more clueless. When you try to comprehend the carnage at Iwo Jima and the brutal tenacity of the Japanese defenders, there will be no doubt in your mind that dropping the A-bombs actually saved more lives than it took.

My respect and awe of the Marine Corps has increased exponentially. I can't help but wonder: had I been called upon to go through what those men did, would I have been able to? How do I raise my children to have the same character and integrity as these men? I feel as being told for the first time in my life that, yes, there was indeed a time when boys could graduate from high school without kissing a girl, a time when children learned that helping your family took precedence over having fun. It seems that somebody or something nowadays has led us to believe that such a time did not really exist and our fathers behaved just as badly as we did, or that such values were inconsequential and that we should not strive to instill them upon our own children.

The author grew up oblivious to what his father had suffered and of his accomplishments. He was able as an adult to visit the country of his father's enemies, to appreciate the wonders of Japanese culture, and to recognize that the brutality of Japanese soldiers during WWII had resulted from a vicious perversion of their traditional values by the military dictatorship. How could his father come out of such an ordeal with a justifiable rage against the nation of his brutal enemies, and yet managed to preserve his children from being contaminated by his rage?

As you can see, the number and scope of lessons contained in this book is almost incalculable. I don't think I can recommend this book enough, especially to the younger generations for whom the experiences related herein may soon appear as the stuff of legends.

James Bradley's "Flags of Our Fathers" deftly captures the human drama of six (6) Marines' battle up Mount Suribachi, and the aftermath of their participation in raising a flag on Iwo Jima February 23, 1945.

Bradley writes very well and has the perspective of a son trying to uncover an emotional and historical understating of his father. This personal investment allows Bradley to concentrate on "who" his fathers was years before he started a family, instead of merely focusing on the "what" of the event and its subsequent results. The result is a moving portrait of these six boys and their participation in the battle for Iwo Jima and the battle for peace of mind years later.

The book brings the reader full circle through these boys' lives, giving glimpses into adolescence that lays the foundation for understanding the men they will become all too early. From enlistment, training, D-Day and post war assimilation back into society, Bradley brings these boys to life creating a strong emotional connection.

Not surprisingly, Bradley concentrates less on the strategic planning of the invasion and more on the disposition of the men. There are strong themes throughout the book of heroes, community and brotherhood. There is no way to finish this book and not be awe inspired by the bravery, selfishness and sense of loyalty the men on Iwo shared, and the way the United States needed to use these traits to keep the war running.

The misinformation by the press and government starting with the ascent of Mount Suribachi through the Memorial unveiling in 1954 is unsettling, but Bradley does a good job showing that the United States needed this glorified and enhanced version of the story when the country needed a rallying cry and money. The emotional pain this misinformation caused both the flag raisers and other Marines almost seems offset by the good it did for the country.

Great stuff that brings an important piece of history to life.

James Bradley's "Flags of Our Fathers" deftly captures the human drama of six (6) Marines' battle up Mount Suribachi, and the aftermath of their participation in raising a flag on Iwo Jima February 23, 1945.

Bradley writes very well and has the perspective of a son trying to uncover an emotional and historical understating of his father. This personal investment allows Bradley to concentrate on "who" his fathers was years before he started a family, instead of merely focusing on the "what" of the event and its subsequent results. The result is a moving portrait of these six boys and their participation in the battle for Iwo Jima and the battle for peace of mind years later.

The book brings the reader full circle through these boys' lives, giving glimpses into adolescence that lays the foundation for understanding the men they will become all too early. From enlistment, training, D-Day and post war assimilation back into society, Bradley brings these boys to life creating a strong emotional connection.

Not surprisingly, Bradley concentrates less on the strategic planning of the invasion and more on the disposition of the men. There are strong themes throughout the book of heroes, community and brotherhood. There is no way to finish this book and not be awe inspired by the bravery, selfishness and sense of loyalty the men on Iwo shared, and the way the United States needed to use these traits to keep the war running.

The misinformation by the press and government of the ascent of Mount Suribachi through the Memorial unveiling in 1954 is unsettling, but Bradley does a good job showing that the United States needed this glorified and enhanced version of the story when the country needed a rallying cry and money. The emotional pain this misinformation caused both the flag raisers and other Marines almost seems offset by the good it did for the country.

Great stuff that brings an important piece of history to life.

A wonderfully well written true story, "Flag of our Fathers" is based on the careful and passionate research of an inquisitive `Flag Raiser's' son -James Bradley. The author pays homage to his father and the other Flag Raisers on Iwo Jima. Exploring the Iwo veterans military and personal lives before, during, and after WWII leaves the reader with a more intimate and complete picture of their lives. We learn that these "ordinary men" viewed themselves not as heroes, but rather men who provided a service and allegiance to one another during a time of need. Their humility and respect was to the men whom they served with, and the title "hero" was reserved for those soldiers on Iwo who paid the ultimate sacrifice - death.

This work paints a clear and honest interpretation of the character, struggles, and triumphs of the Flag Raisers and corrects the historical inaccuracies, mainly those portrayed by the media, which have surrounded them for decades.

This is an important piece of literature for both lay readers, military veterans, historians, and all those who have an interest in the Pacific campaign. It is a great page turner and a remarkable piece of non-fiction.

A wonderfully well written true story, "Flag of our Fathers" is based on the careful and passionate research by an inquisitive `Flag Raiser's son -James Bradley. The author pays homage to his father and his fellow Flag Raisers on Iwo Jima. Exploring their military and personal lives before, during, and after WWII leaves the reader with a more intimate and complete picture of their lives. We learn that these "ordinary men" did not see themselves as heroes, but simply men who provided a service and allegiance to one another during a time of need. There humility and respect was to the men whom they served with, and the title "hero" was reserved for those soldiers on Iwo who paid the ultimate sacrifice - death.

This work paints a clear and honest interpretation of the character, struggles, and triumphs of the Flag Raisers and corrects the historical inaccuracies, mainly those portrayed by the media, which have surrounded them for decades.

This is an important work for both lay readers, military veterans, historians, and all those who have an interest in the Pacific campaign. It is a great page turner and a remarkable piece of non-fiction.

James Bradley did a wonderful job capturing the minds of his readers in a number of ways. The story of Iwo Jima and the flag raisers all by itself is captivating. But the fact that James learned most of the details of his father's experience after he passed away was even more intersting to me. It made me stop and think about my own father and his father and the experiences they had that we haven't discussed.

Great Book! Get it you won't regret it.

Flags of our Fathers is a book that encompasses a wide but relevant spectrum of interrelated stories behind the Marines' role in the Pacific War, the battle for Iwo Jima and the real story behind the flag raising atop Mount Suribachi. From the beginning, Bradley succeeds in painting a colorful picture of the events with his descriptive yet clear prose as he states his intended goal of the book: to bring to life the lives of the six flag raisers on Mount Suribachi by doing away with Rosenthal's photograph as a single unit, and zooming in on each individual boy's life in turn.

The book proceeds chronologically as Bradley discusses the boyhood lives of the six and how the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent involvement of the United States in a two-frontal war brought the boys to answer the call of duty. From the initial training in USMC boot camp to the landing of the marines on the black sands of Iwo Jima, Bradley never sways in captivating the attention of the reader with his descriptions of the transition that the six boys all made from being boyish American adolescents to battle hardened young men who had jumped into adulthood the hard way. Bradley also takes his time in stressing that the marines had formed an intimate and loving brotherhood that was so robust and true that when it came to battle, the marines who were serving their country gave their lives for their fellow marine buddies.

While the young marines fought heroically against an enemy that remained invisible for large periods of time, the American public was mesmerized by a fluke of a photograph taken by one Joe Rosenthal. It showed the six boys - Ira, Franklin, Harlon, Mike, Rene and John hoisting Old Glory aloft on Mount Suribachi. Bradley examines the true story of this event - it was not a pronouncement of victory for the marines on Iwo Jima after a hard-fought, bloody but triumphant battle as the press so confidently stated; it was simply a replacement flag for the original one that Colonel Chandler Johnson insisted belonged to the battalion of marines who had fought bravely to make the planting of the flag possible in the first place.

In its shocking, honest portrayal, Flags of our Fathers highlights the ideals that the founding fathers of America had preached and packs a heartfelt personal dimension that only a son of a flag raiser could feel towards this powerful iconic image in American history. The inscription carved at the base of the Iwo Jima memorial in Washington D.C. best sums up what in the eyes of the author's father, John Bradley, was an insignificant and forgettable event that paled in the face of the many acts of intrepidity performed by the marines on that island - Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.

To sum it up, Flags of our Fathers is a book that relates the brutal battle of Iwo Jima and transubstantiates the six boys in the photograph from being "anonymous representative figures" to becoming real individuals that led their own distinctive lives. I would recommend it to anyone interested on the topic of the Battle for Iwo Jima and the flag raising- and to anyone who is simply looking for a good book to immerse themselves in; for in FLAGS, readers will truly appreciate the efforts of the American boys who with their valiant actions, ensured that the freedom the founding fathers envisioned long ago would live on into the future.

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is a testimonial to the courage, valor, and bravery of a bunch of young American boys, welded together by the US Marine Corps, fighting against a vicious enemy. As stirring as that is, FLAGS is more; it is a testament to the human condition and the American experience in the middle of the last century.

We live in an age and culture that has confused celebrities with heroes. Professional sports players and rock stars are idolized, mistaken for those whose character, sacrifices, and love has set them apart in nobler pursuits. The Marines at Iwo Jima knew the difference; they were true heroes. As chance would have it, six of them would also become celebrities, some of them unwillingly.

In the annals of WWII, the costliest piece of real estate would be Iwo Jima, claiming American casualties of the 26,000 soldiers who defeated 26,000 Japanese. There is no greater love than laying down one's life for another. The Marines of WWII knew a lot about love. Time and time again, Bradley reaffirms that these young soldiers were willing to sacrifice themselves, not for their country, but for their buddies. And those most haunted, were those who most acutely experienced leaving so many buddies behind to the dead and dying.

This is a haunting, fast-paced, moving story of one of the most misunderstood battles in history. It is patriotic in the sense that it tells of the blood and guts of real sacrifice in a patriotic pursuit; to protect and defend those that these soldiers loved. Most of all, FLAGS is real, honest, and historical.

I highly recommend this book even for people that have no military background. It's written so that it is easy to understand. You feel like you know the characters as you read about them. At no point did the book slow down or drag.

James Bradley never really knew much about what his father did during WWII, and his father didn't talk about it. In his quest to know more about this buried part of his father, he unearthed many stories of heroism that abounded in the assault on Iwo Jima. His father, John Bradley, a Navy corpsman assigned to a group of Marines, was one of the six flag raisers in the historic photo on Iwo Jima. This book pulls together their separate stories that merged on that mountaintop, and brings their acts of valor to light along with all those with whom they served. At times graphic and terrible in the depictions of the horrors and difficulties they faced, yet it holds them all up as examples of the kind of men who won the war and gave their all for their country, and does so without dwelling inordinately on the gruesome images of war at its ugliest.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and am surprised I put off reading it this long. I had always imagined the war in the Pacific as much "cleaner" (for lack of a better word) than the trench warfare of Europe. But Mr. Bradley describes in vivid detail the differences not only in the environment, but in the enemy and their attitudes toward battle. By giving details on the six men and their backgrounds, as well as what became of the three who survived and their lives after the war, they came alive as real people - ordinary by their own humble standards, but heroic by all others. Other reviews have criticized what they saw as unfair portrayals of Rene Gagnon or Ira Hayes, but I disagree - I thought the book was sympathetic and praising to all of the men. I also appreciated the information on Joe Rosenthal, who snapped that photo without even looking, and the focus on clarifying many of the myths surrounding the event. An excellent book that reminds us all of the sacrifices others made for the freedom we enjoy.

Flags of Our Fathers

Take a journey back in time to uncover the story behind the six men that raised the flag over Iwo Jima in the epic photograph that inspired millions. In this spellbinding novel written by James Bradley, you will come to love the six brave, young marines that risked their lives for our country. This book tells the horrifying truth of not just what happened on Iwo Jima during WWII, but everything that happened during the Pacific War. Flags of Our Fathers starts off telling the childhood stories of the honorable men, and the story follows them throughout their entire life. Page after page grips onto you, not letting you escape. You will know all six men's' life story, Harlon Block, the football player, Jack Bradley, the mortitioner, Ira Hayes, the Pima Indian, Franklin Sousley, the farm boy, Mike Strank, the immigrant from Czechoslovakia, and Rene Gagnon, the factory worker. Flags of Our Fathers will move you. You will laugh, cry, and be horrified, but you will still be addicted to this book. James Bradley's heart felt story was the number one New York Times best seller. After reading Flags of Our Fathers, every book you read will not even come close to being as magnificent.

I have read almost 40 books on World War II but most of these concerned the European theater and not the Pacific. However, I have gotten more into the Pacific theater recently so I picked up this book.

This is a wonderful story - both sorrowful and tragic but at the same time it shows the love that men in battle have for each other. This is a theme that I have read over and over in other books.

This is the story of the six soldiers that raised the second flag on Iwo of which the photo is so famous. It is astonishing that 1/400th of a second can make such an impact. If you view the film of the flag raising you can barely make out when the picture was taken because it happens so fast.

Iwo Jima was a horrific battle for all involved. The Japanese, in the Pacific, fought to the last man even though they knew they were going to die. The point of doing so was to make the cost to Americans so high that Americans would sue for peace. Does this sound familiar? It should because America's enemies are using the same tactic. The six who raised the flag became famous. Of course, only three survived the battle - Gagnon, Hayes and Bradley. Block, Franklin and Strank were killed during the battle. Each of the three that surivied handled the situation differently. And this is the point of the book. It is not that Bradley was a great man for what he did after the war, it is that he handled it differently than the other two. Ira Hayes could not handle what he had been through and died in a terrible way. Rene Gagnon wanted to make the most of his new found fame, along with this wife, but this was not meant to be. He could not handle that and died as a janitor.

The battle story is wonderful in that it brings in many other soldiers that the six knew. It brings out the worst in war and the best in war. It always surprises me what men can do to other men but it also always surprises me what war can bring out in men - love, self sacrifice, and brotherhood. This comes through in the story loud and clear.

This is not a military book where you will learn about the battle of Iwo Jima and the strategic significance of the battle or the tactics used to win the battle. It is about the experiences of the six who raised the flag and of their comrades that they knew.

This is a fast and very good read. I recommend it to anyone that has an interest in the Pacific theater of WWII.

This book left a bad taste in my mouth. The author trashed Rene Gagnon and his wife for hoping to capitalize on his (Rene's) experience. Although James Bradley says he started a scholarship fund with the proceeds (all of the proceeds?) from the book, I would bet that he capitalized plenty from this book and movie rights.

During his and his siblings' trip to Mt. Surabachi in 1998, they left a memorial plaque there when he and his brothers manfully pissed on Japanese sacred ground. This, after severely criticizing Rene Gagnon's widow for leaving a memorial plaque at her husband's grave at Arlington National Cemetery.

And here is the big question: Since John Bradley was immediately behind Harlon Block in the picture, why didn't James Bradley even bring up the question of why his father didn't set the misidentification right? Did John Bradley not know that Harlon Block was in front of him? Was it confusion? This question was never addressed in the book. Ira Hayes was told to keep his mouth shut. Did John Bradley bring it up at the same time Ira did, and was also told to keep his mouth shut? I wonder.
Why did it take Ira's hitchhiking from southwest Arizona to southeast Texas two years later to finally set it right? John Bradley was closest to Harlan, Ira was farthest away in the back.

John Bradley was perfect. Perfect husband, perfect father, perfect up-standing citizen who had perfect American values, never cussed, never drank more than two martinis, had assistants to do the embalming (well-paid, I trust), had to drive a new Cadillac--it was important to look good, as his son wrote. Ira was a drunk, Rene was a jerk. Oh, Jimmy, shut the hell up!

What a waste of terrific subject matter, written by a sophomoric, biased, holier-than-thou . . . . . you fill in the blanks. I was sorely disappointed.

To simply dismiss Flags of Our Fathers as a "war story" is to completely undermine the immense strides made by this book. Though the book relays many of the gory and bloody details of the Battle of Iwo Jima, unlike most diatribes of this genre, the epic and one of the most famous battles of World War II takes a back seat to the stories of six men who raised a flag atop Mount Surabachi.

Written by James Bradley, the son of one of the flag raisers, the book is Bradley's attempt in getting to know his father after his death. Though Bradley could have easily made the book solely about his father's contributions in Iwo Jima and the impact it had on his life, the author, in the spirit of the Marine Corps, identifies the flag raisers as group, inseparable in history.

What I enjoyed about this book was that it was evident that thorough research was conducted by Bradley in his search for information about the flag raisers. Bradley does his best to give equal credit and accurate information to each flag raiser as he identifies the character of each. By reading the book one gets the sense that Bradley has depicted each man for what he truly was; for instance, it is evident that he doesn't play favoritism with his father's character by identifying him as a "good man" when he cites his entire hometown as a reference. Another high point of this book is that it dispels the rumor surrounding Rosenthal's famous photograph. Bradley dedicates at least two lengthy chapter to defining the rumor (that the flag was raised in the midst of battle; it wasn't, it was a replacement flag and the Japanese were not shelling the Marines) and expelling it.

The only pitfall of this book is that it borders on repetitive; it is impossible to numerate the amount of times an individual or Bradley himself refers to Mike Strank as a "good guy", a "Marine's Marine" or that Rene Gagnon was apathetic and was pushed constantly by the women in his life. Though these points are crucial to the understanding of each man's character, it is not necessary to reiterate them every chapter.
All in all, Flags of Our Fathers is an interesting, thought provoking, and educational read that speaks to the inhumanity of war and the American public, as well as to the great character of the men who were immortalized in 1/400th of second photograph.

A gripping story I would revcommend to anyone interested in history.

My Dad was on Iwo Jima and this book is a tribute to them all!

Clint Eastwood did a m,asterful job with this film & also " Letters Fron
Iwo Jima". Both of them are quite thought provoking. The 'Ballad of Ira Hayes" sung by Johnny Cash is recommended after viewing "Flags of Our Fathers". It wll definitely bring a tear to your eye.

Although many books have been written about the legendary battle for Iwo Jima, through a combination of outstanding narrative and thorough research, Flags of Our Fathers recounts the story as none has before.

Few authors have captured the extent of human suffering experienced by the Marines as they fought for every precious inch of terrain on the tiny Pacific island. Beyond a mere war story, however, Flags of our Fathers is about the impact of these young men and those like them on the collective conscience of a generation of Americans.

Through the eyes of survivors on both sides, the book offers a terrifying account of war in the Pacific as could only be told by those who actually fought it. Equally impressive, the authors provide an account of the Japanese defenders occupying Iwo as well as vivid descriptions of their extensive, labyrinthine fortifications. Readers are thus able to fully appreciate what was a monumental life-and-death struggle between war-weary combatants. Indeed, U.S. Marines and Japanese soldiers would confront each other on Iwo and an astonishingly small number would walk away.

Fighting on the island was both raw and primal, and we are able to relive this horrific event through the experiences of the six flag-raisers whose figures grace the memorial. The Greatest Generation is on full display in this one - from the Marines who slugged it out with their Japanese adversary to the women who loved them. Through the tale of their lives both before and after the battle we are reminded of all that was great about America during the WWII era.

While their exploits on the island were anything but ordinary, we find that the six flag-raisers came from unremarkable, middle class roots. A varsity athlete from Texas, a Native American from Arizona, and a Wisconsin farm boy among others - Flags of Our Fathers' principal characters are straight from a Norman Rockwell original which lends such poignancy to this story. As we learn about these great Americans, we relive much of the tragedy in that chapter of our country's history.

It is Iwo's residual cost, though, that is perhaps the most compelling element of Flags of Our Fathers. Indeed, we feel the deep emotional pain felt by not only the surviving members of the flag-raising detail but by the family members of those who did not survive. We are able to glimpse through the eyes of the proud son of one of these great patriots the wounds, both physical and emotional, that he took with him when he left the island. Though all but invisible to those with whom he would later come in contact, the scars of Iwo would accompany Jim Bradley's father well into his twilight.

The story behind the flag-raising is almost incidental to the events during and subsequent to the battle for Iwo. Though interesting, the act of raising the flag is eclipsed by the combat scenes and the more significant events of the young Marines' lives after the battle. Nevertheless, readers will find the story of multiple photos of the flag-raising (and photographers) surprising... even humorous.

A truly remarkable story about some of the fine, young Americans who answered the call!