Unreadable:Book begins with the author detailing a trip Iwo Jima with family member where he took great delight in being photographed peeing off the side of the mountain monument dedicated to the battle that took place there. That is right this man by special permission was invited to the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and onto the Japanese military base and stood on a monument dedicated to the thousands of men who fought and died there and decided it would be awesome if he peed on all of it. I don't care if the men who fought there did that in some kind bolstering attempt to deal with what they had and would yet experience, that land is now sacred (as the author alludes to in the title of the chapter "Sacred Ground") and you just don't do that. Imagine if we reversed the situation and the son of one of the pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor was invited to the memorial site and decided to be photographed peeing of one of the monuments or into the water above the Arizona. And this is what the author wants you to know of himself. Classless, disgusting, and entirely without honor.Sadly the book doesn't get better from there. It is full of repetitions, contradictions, cliches, and outright falsehoods (which are then, of course, repeated). The author continually switches from third person to first person (even inside the same paragraphs) and past tense to present tense. To give us a sense of the boys he is writing about he spoke with and quotes wives, mothers, brothers, and former fiancés (everyone of them named) of all the boys but one (needless to say every single one of these boys were saints and angels and rang entirely false). The one boy left out, Rene, was for some reason hated by the author who could barely bring himself to write anything at all about the boy and when he did detailed the varied flaws backed up by general quotes from unnamed "friends."Moreover, the continual claims that the US contributed nothing to winning the war in Europe (entirely done by Russia it seems--something that would no doubt surprise my grandfather who landed on Utah Beach at Normandy) and no other country contributed to the US winning the "American War" in the Pacific added to the author's never-ending claims that the Marines single handedly won this "American War" while everyone else just were just bumbling idiots who cost the Marines their lives was beyond annoying and moved back into the realm of disgusting.And my goodness, do a little research, man. The author briefly wonders why Ira (the Native American of the group) started drinking before the war. Let's see, I wonder if just maybe there is a little research out there about Native Americans and alcohol. It is too bad that the author couldn't muster up his oft-written abilities of staring into the famous picture to learn everything he needed to know about the men that raised that flag or hear their voices guiding him on his path of research. Maybe he could/should have asked Ira himself why he started drinking. (And while we are on the topic of Ira, there is not a trace of racism mentioned in the entire first half of the book. I don't buy that for a minute.) He did, however, seem to have been able to use this little "research" tool in discovering what the boys were thinking about things they "never discussed with a single living soul."Can you tell yet that I was thoroughly disgusted by this book? It was poorly researched and poorly written--I imagine this has something to do with the difficulty Bradley faced in getting it published and why no historians (military or otherwise) were jumping up and down to offer reviews or forwards for the work.**I only read the first half
I read the book before the movie. The movie, directed by Clint Eastwood is almost entirely dedicated to the book's last chapters where the author describes the after-war lives of the heroes - and yes, despite what Bradley and Eastwood believe, these men ARE heroes regardless of the father Bradley's protests.After describing the battle and events of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi, the author describes how the men's lives turned sour as the US War Machine exploited them for the 7th War Bond Drive - and then abandoned them. That's one way of looking at it, I guess; but personally, I would rather read stories that inspire me, educate me, and lift my spirit. After all, this is why we read, isn't it? This book had potential to be great and could have earned 5 stars had it not taken the cynical twist that it did after the flag raising.The last pages of the book somewhat angered me that the author would think so little of the men's well deserved recognition. They weren't heroes because they "happened to be at the right place, at the right time for an opportune photo" that subsequently became the symbol of America's sacrifice for freedom. They were heroes for setting foot on the island. Period. This is more than I can say for myself and it takes great fortitude to overcome a man's fears to face death, yet step onto that beach anyway.Bradley and Eastwood just don't get it. The photo honors ALL the fallen veterans and honors ALL the parents who gave their sons during WWII. Family's back home suffered great anxiety, sorrow, and fear for their sons and this memorial is for them too - for their sacrifices. God bless the heroes who died in the waters at Iwo Jima's beaches, the heroes who gave all on the putrid island, the heroes who fought and died or survived in every engagement of this war, and God bless the HEROES who raised the flags on Mount Suribachi. God will reward them even if Bradley and Eastwood won't.
What do You think about Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)?
I've wanted to read this book since I read an excerpt from it in Reader's Digest ages ago, and I saw the two Clint Eastwood-directed movies on Iwo Jima last year.[return][return]It was an intriguing read, starting slow with the backgrounds of the flag raisers and then become downright intense during the battle scenes. Wow. I'm guessing the battle descriptions were written by Mr. Powers, and I must say they were astounding. Horryifying, yet astounding. The six men who raised the second flag are described in great detail, but the seventh character is just as interesting - The Photograph. The Photograph takes on a life of its own as a symbol and propaganda tool, even as terrible gossip becomes accepted as fact due to inept, hasty reporting. The Photograph haunts the survivors till their deaths, and it could be argued that it exacerbated them (especially in the tragic case of Ira Hayes). It's really a beautifully done tribute to the Marines killed on Iwo Jima, and the lingering impact that this sulfur island had on the ones who miraculously survived. Very good, thought-provoking book.
—Beth Cato
Like most people, I had no idea what the real context was for the famous photograph of soldiers raising the US flag at Iwo Jima. Nor did I understand the military significance of that campaign, or the cost in lives it required (over 8000 US soldiers killed and almost 20,000 wounded; and over 20,000 Japanese killed). This book is presented as the story of the 6 men who appear in the photo. The first section gives their backgrounds and life stories, and dragged a bit, but made the rest much more personal (these were REAL PEOPLE involved in this struggle). The last part discusses the aftermath, particularly the struggle to cope emotionally with something as horrific as this kind of battle. But it's the middle section that grabs your heart. I've never seen such a vivid portrayal of combat, written in a way that portrayed the terror, the strategizing, the campaigns, and especially the incredible bravery and self-sacrifice. You come away with a deep appreciation for the discipline and loyalty of the Marine Corps; for the desperation but willing sacrifice of the Japanese defenders; and for those Americans who were "common men doing uncommon things" - truly heroes, in the purest sense of the word. I was lucky to read this book on planes to and from Florida, just in time for Memorial Day.
—David
WOW! And I don't even like non-fiction!This story chronicles first the lives of the six men raising their flag on Iwo Jima, the American climate during war time and why they enlisted. Readers are then taken inch by pain staking inch up the beach of "fire island" through gun fire, death, fear, hunger, sleep deprivation and more. Slowly trodding up the hill where we experience a seemingly unremarkable flag replacement that became a photograph which to this day "iconicizes" the valor, determination, courage and strength that is a US Marine. Finally we follow the only two (of six) surviving men through the aftermath. This story is told by the son of one of the "heroes". He never knew his father was in that picture; he never spoke of it with him. After his death his sons found his Navy Cross and a box full of letters that led one son on a remarkable journey; chronicled here for us to experience alongside of him.A truly life changing story.
—Newport Librarians
