Winds of Freedom: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II

by Margaret T. Bixler

Book by Bixler, Margaret T.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Language, World War II

182 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started as a master's thesis which was later expanded and published. It outlines the development and contributions of the Marines Navajo code talkers in the Pacific theather during World War II. Highly readable and including firsthand oral accounts from some of the code talkers, it nevertheless perpetuates the erroneous idea that the Navajo were the first code talkers in the U.S. military to use their native language and also falsely states that theirs was the only code never broken by the enemy. The Navajo was indeed the largest formal program in any branch of the U.S. military. However, a group of Choctaws used their language during World War I, albeit informally and not in any coded form. It also passes over the small group of Comanche code talkers used by the Army in the European theater during World War II. (The Comanches were members of the Signal corps and provided comunnications during the June 6, 1944 landing in Normandy and later during the Battle of the Bulge.)
Despite these errors and omissions, this book offers general readers a solid grounding in a valuable piece of cultural history.

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray]

this book is cool with great appendices. gratitude to the navaho who helped defeat german fascism. but i stopped reading on page 54 and it's just collecting dust so i will donate it to the charity shop. (carla on mittersteig)

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book, thought it would be much better. Some good info, but very blah presentation.