A Special Valor: The U.S. Marines and the Pacific War

by Richard Wheeler

If the U.S. Marines spawned a legend in the halls of Montezuma in the 19th century, their heroism during the Second World War added glorious luster to the myth. This book presents the first comprehensive history of the role played by the Marines in the Pacific campaign of WWII, covering all the battles in which they fought. Drawn from frontline eyewitness accounts of Marines and combat journalists, official action reports, captured Japanese materials, and diaries on both sides, here is the definitive record of the Marine Corps' essential contribution to American victory. B&W photos

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction, Military History, History

466 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Richard "Dick" Wheeler was an accomplished military historian and served with the United States Marine Corp (Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division) during World War II. Wheeler participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and was wounded there. He wrote seventeen military history books and served as a consultant on numerous movie and television productions. He passed away on October 21, 2008 at the age of 86.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book for those wanting to understand the American WWII Pacific Campaigns. This book follows the Navy and Marines island-hopping, rather than MacArthur's push up from Australia, that liberated the Philippines. From Guadalcanal to Okinawa, all the island invasions are covered here in strong detail. The author was a Marine himself, and the attention to the actual footsloggers on each island is illuminating. This book has sufficient maps and diagrams to help the reader understand the action as well. A good book to give any level reader a clear idea of the carnage in the Pacific

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Marines were restricted to the Pacific Theater during World War II by a World War I treaty. Wheeler explores their actions against the Japanese.

[Kendrick Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on marines in the pacific