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One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa
In the Tarawa atoll lies the tiny islet of Betio. In November of 1943, the men of the 2nd Marine Division watched as bombardments destroyed the island's Japanese defenses. But when the Marines landed, the Japanese poured out of their protective bunkers and began one of the most brutal encounters of the war.
Drawn from sources such as participants' letters and diaries and interviews with survivors, One Square Mile of Hell is the riveting true account of a battle between two determined foes, neither of whom would ever look at each other in the same way again.
Drawn from sources such as participants' letters and diaries and interviews with survivors, One Square Mile of Hell is the riveting true account of a battle between two determined foes, neither of whom would ever look at each other in the same way again.
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
September 18, 2019
John Wukovits' One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa is a comprehensive popular history of the U.S. Marine Corps' struggle for Tarawa atoll – the first step in the U.S. effort to blaze a path to Japan across the Central Pacific. The story is told chronologically by focusing on a handful of men, both American and Japanese, and tracing their experiences from civilian life, through training and preparation for the assault, and in performance of their duty on the atoll. The combat sequences are gripping. The bravery and perseverance of the U.S. Marines and the Japanese Special Naval Landing forces are awe-inspiring. The post-battle descriptions of the efforts of the shocked and scarred living to render honors to the American dead and bury them with a semblance of dignity are most moving.
The Japanese commander, Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki, famously boasted: “A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years.” The U.S. 2nd Marine Division took it in four days, but at a cost of 1,027 dead marines and sailors. Only seventeen Japanese fighting men were captured out of the 5,000 on the island.
Anyone who has served in the U.S. Marine Corps should read One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa with great pride. Other Americans should read it as a lesson in courage and sacrifice. Pitiless battle as described by Wukovits is a testimony to why war should always be the very last resort of a civilized people, but if it is necessary, pray we always have young men such as those at Tarawa.
The Japanese commander, Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki, famously boasted: “A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years.” The U.S. 2nd Marine Division took it in four days, but at a cost of 1,027 dead marines and sailors. Only seventeen Japanese fighting men were captured out of the 5,000 on the island.
Anyone who has served in the U.S. Marine Corps should read One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa with great pride. Other Americans should read it as a lesson in courage and sacrifice. Pitiless battle as described by Wukovits is a testimony to why war should always be the very last resort of a civilized people, but if it is necessary, pray we always have young men such as those at Tarawa.
October 21, 2015
In One Square Mile, Mr. Wukovits looks at one of the early battles of the Central Pacific Campaign from a grunts eye view. He follows several people through their training, combat experiences on Guadalcanal, training in New Zealand, and finally the 76 hours on Tarawa.
Roughly the first half of the narrative is introducing the people the author chooses to follow. They include two young men from San Antonio Texas, high school buddies who enlist in the Marines together, go through their training together and are eventually assigned to the same machine gun team in the 2nd Marines landing on Beito on the first day. The journalist Robert Sherrod's story is also told. He landed with the Marines on the first day and wrote the first book about the battle. SSG Norman Hatch’s story, a Marine Combat Photographer who shot some of the most amazing film to come out to the Second World War, is also included. While not one of the featured stories, Navy Lt Edward Heimberger's story is also told. As a commander of a landing craft, he spent the second day fishing wounded Marines out of the lagoon under heavy machine gun fire and ferrying them out to proper medical care. He is better known as the actor Eddie Albert and was decorated for bravery for his actions. Mr. Wukovits says he received a Bronze Star, but I have read elsewhere it was either a Navy Cross or a Silver Star.
In addition to the Marines story, the author includes the story of two of the defenders of the island, a senior Warrant Officer commanding an Infantry Platoon and a tank commander. Seeing only 17 Japanese surrendered, their stories are a major plus. Their stories highlight the confusion of the defenders after their commander was killed early on the first day.
In telling the story of the combat, Mr. Wukovits gets very graphic in describing the carnage that occurred. His description of the chaos on the first day is excellent. The story of individual marines stepping up is outstanding. While the stories of combat are sometime difficult to read, the author does include some of lighter moments. One example is SSG Hatch accidentally finding a case of Japanese beer by sitting on it while taking a break on the second day of the battle. Since the author tells the infantryman’s eye view of the battle, some of the higher level information is glossed over – the whys, the planning problems etc.
Finally Mr. Wukovits tells the story of those who survived and the families of those who didn’t. In some ways this is the most heart wrenching section of the book. All in all an excellent look at both the battle in particular and what men can in combat can accomplish. This book is a 4.25 star read for me.
Roughly the first half of the narrative is introducing the people the author chooses to follow. They include two young men from San Antonio Texas, high school buddies who enlist in the Marines together, go through their training together and are eventually assigned to the same machine gun team in the 2nd Marines landing on Beito on the first day. The journalist Robert Sherrod's story is also told. He landed with the Marines on the first day and wrote the first book about the battle. SSG Norman Hatch’s story, a Marine Combat Photographer who shot some of the most amazing film to come out to the Second World War, is also included. While not one of the featured stories, Navy Lt Edward Heimberger's story is also told. As a commander of a landing craft, he spent the second day fishing wounded Marines out of the lagoon under heavy machine gun fire and ferrying them out to proper medical care. He is better known as the actor Eddie Albert and was decorated for bravery for his actions. Mr. Wukovits says he received a Bronze Star, but I have read elsewhere it was either a Navy Cross or a Silver Star.
In addition to the Marines story, the author includes the story of two of the defenders of the island, a senior Warrant Officer commanding an Infantry Platoon and a tank commander. Seeing only 17 Japanese surrendered, their stories are a major plus. Their stories highlight the confusion of the defenders after their commander was killed early on the first day.
In telling the story of the combat, Mr. Wukovits gets very graphic in describing the carnage that occurred. His description of the chaos on the first day is excellent. The story of individual marines stepping up is outstanding. While the stories of combat are sometime difficult to read, the author does include some of lighter moments. One example is SSG Hatch accidentally finding a case of Japanese beer by sitting on it while taking a break on the second day of the battle. Since the author tells the infantryman’s eye view of the battle, some of the higher level information is glossed over – the whys, the planning problems etc.
Finally Mr. Wukovits tells the story of those who survived and the families of those who didn’t. In some ways this is the most heart wrenching section of the book. All in all an excellent look at both the battle in particular and what men can in combat can accomplish. This book is a 4.25 star read for me.
October 17, 2023
Excellent lead up to and account of this first major battle after Guadalcanal. So many great reviews, I can't add anything new. Read it. 5 Stars
March 27, 2024
John Wukovits wrote an excellent book about one of the worst battles of the Pacific theater. On November 20, 1943, United States Marines landed on Tarawa to begin a series of campaigns that were moving into the central Pacific against Japan. After the island was secured by the Marines a few days later, over three thousand men were casualties. People were horrified by the sheer violence that transpired at this battle.
The book begins with a background of some of the Marines that Wukovits covered throughout the book. We learn about their training, motivations for joining and what they did before landing at Tarawa. We also learn about how the Japanese prepared for this battle. Their general boasted that it would take a million men and a hundred years to take the island.
This book was readable, and it was captivating because it covered a battle that is not covered as much as Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guadalcanal. It is also a short read, so if you want a nice introduction to the Battle of Tarawa, this is the book.
The book begins with a background of some of the Marines that Wukovits covered throughout the book. We learn about their training, motivations for joining and what they did before landing at Tarawa. We also learn about how the Japanese prepared for this battle. Their general boasted that it would take a million men and a hundred years to take the island.
This book was readable, and it was captivating because it covered a battle that is not covered as much as Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guadalcanal. It is also a short read, so if you want a nice introduction to the Battle of Tarawa, this is the book.
September 11, 2009
The author states in the introduction that he wrote this book in a "Band of Brothers" style. I cringe every time I hear that, because it usually means I'm going to struggle through the next 250 pages. I'm no fan of any work by Ambrose, but "Band" worked because it followed a small group of men through four years of the war, from their training through all of their campaigns. This small core serves to highlight the changes the unit underwent as it was reduced in battle and reinforced afterward. Some characters die, some are wounded, and some rotate out, but there are still some familiar names to carry the narrative to the next campaign. Here, Wukovits follows a couple of Texas lads through their prewar years chock full of baseball, wholesome values, and apple pie. These early chapters are followed by somewhat less coverage of their time at Guadalcanal and in New Zealand. Then our brave lads end up in the first wave at Red 1, and their five chapter introduction is concluded with two lines covering their deaths, which occur half an hour into a 3 day battle. Their stories certainly deserve to be told as much as any, but Wukovits tied them around our necks in the early going only to lose them 1/150th of the way through the battle. After their passing, we lose the "Band of Brothers" continuity.
What really irked me about "Square Mile," however, was drama the author felt he had to add to the story line. He iterates, repeatedly, how the great feats of heroism performed by those in the first waves will go forever unheralded because most of said heroes and those who witnessed their feats were killed. He reinforces this with a couple of quotes, just in case the reader missed it the first few times. But when these heroes splash ashore to perform their untold deeds, Wukovits writes definitively of their emotions but more worringly, of their actions. For a few sections the book becomes historical fiction. Their sacrifice deserves more than conjectured drama. To highlight this point, one chapter's has a subsection crassly entitled "Slaughter in the Water." There have been many better works written about Tarawa.
What really irked me about "Square Mile," however, was drama the author felt he had to add to the story line. He iterates, repeatedly, how the great feats of heroism performed by those in the first waves will go forever unheralded because most of said heroes and those who witnessed their feats were killed. He reinforces this with a couple of quotes, just in case the reader missed it the first few times. But when these heroes splash ashore to perform their untold deeds, Wukovits writes definitively of their emotions but more worringly, of their actions. For a few sections the book becomes historical fiction. Their sacrifice deserves more than conjectured drama. To highlight this point, one chapter's has a subsection crassly entitled "Slaughter in the Water." There have been many better works written about Tarawa.
February 19, 2016
This is one of the best books on the fighting in the Pacific I've ever read. The author weaves together a cast of characters and then follows them through the 76 hours of hell which ensued in the battle for Tarawa. Rather than give a detached view of the battle which reports on advances made by units here and there, Wukovits tells the story of the battle from almost an entirely personal level via interviews and previously published sources. There is even some of the story told from the Japanese perspective, which is exceedingly rare since most Japanese troops didn't survive the battle. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, as well as anyone interested in the history of the U.S. Marines. A truly great read!
October 24, 2018
This book was a very hard read for me, and took me a while to get through. It is a very detailed, graphic story about the battle for Tarawa. This is not a book I would typically read, except my grandfather was a part of this battle. He was not a Marine, he was in the Navy on the USS Chester which was involved in the battle (though not mentioned in this book). I didn't learn until my grandfather's last years what a terrible toll witnessing this battle had taken on him . He never spoke of even being in this battle while growing up. It wasn't until near the end that he had night terrors about this battle, 65 years after it had taken place. War is hell. The author did a good job of illustrating that through just this one battle.
October 18, 2023
A must read!
August 12, 2025
Very good - a memorial to the many brave and very young men who fought on Tarawa. I can’t believe the horrors these soldiers faced.
June 14, 2016
Interesting approach to telling the story of the first American attack against a defended beach. Appalling conditions -- sort of like a World War One charge with the added obstacle of hundreds of yards of water. The book's title says it all.
All-in-all, I'm glad I read it, but the whole thing seemed sort of amateurish. I will NOT be looking for another book by this author.
This is not a straight-forward history of the battle because the author has chosen to build his tale around the personal stories of a half-dozen men (roughly speaking). But the two most important characters in the first part of the book get killed immediately upon arrival on the beach, and a third is killed several hours later, so the thread is pretty well broken before the end of the first day of battle (of three days). The bulk of the remainder of the book is a more typical account of the conflict, although with lots of snail's-eye views built on personal accounts from survivors, including two Japanese.
As the book winds down, we go back to dealing with families of the two main characters, so the thread is picked up and actually works well.
NOW to the reasons why only three stars and why I'll give this book away at some point: it's an editing mess and not worth re-reading. On several occasions, the author refers to people before he has fully introduced them, causing much flipping back and looking for what I might have missed. There also are maddening jumps from one character to another, especially in the first part of the book -- it's hard to follow sometimes, although I didn't see that as much as the book went on. I guess he was overworking his 'concept' at first and finally settled in to just telling the story. Oh, and then there was the photo caption saying that one of the New Zealand girlfriends "eventually remarried" -- but she never married the boyfriend in the first place. Just who WAS the editor?
All-in-all, I'm glad I read it, but the whole thing seemed sort of amateurish. I will NOT be looking for another book by this author.
This is not a straight-forward history of the battle because the author has chosen to build his tale around the personal stories of a half-dozen men (roughly speaking). But the two most important characters in the first part of the book get killed immediately upon arrival on the beach, and a third is killed several hours later, so the thread is pretty well broken before the end of the first day of battle (of three days). The bulk of the remainder of the book is a more typical account of the conflict, although with lots of snail's-eye views built on personal accounts from survivors, including two Japanese.
As the book winds down, we go back to dealing with families of the two main characters, so the thread is picked up and actually works well.
NOW to the reasons why only three stars and why I'll give this book away at some point: it's an editing mess and not worth re-reading. On several occasions, the author refers to people before he has fully introduced them, causing much flipping back and looking for what I might have missed. There also are maddening jumps from one character to another, especially in the first part of the book -- it's hard to follow sometimes, although I didn't see that as much as the book went on. I guess he was overworking his 'concept' at first and finally settled in to just telling the story. Oh, and then there was the photo caption saying that one of the New Zealand girlfriends "eventually remarried" -- but she never married the boyfriend in the first place. Just who WAS the editor?
May 11, 2018
Very well written book on one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. Again, as I read these chronicles of the greatest generation, I marvel that anyone who fought the Japanese could ever forgive them for what they did.
I do not understand how anyone who fought in these battles, in the Pacific or the ETO, came home from these conflicts with their sanity intact. PTSD, undiagnosed of course, must have been rampant throughout the 50's and 60's.
And for all the revisionists who insist we never had to use the 2 atomic weapons to end the war with Japan, all I can say is read a little of the contemporaneous history of the time...not the sanitized water-down version we feed like pablum to our children today. Understand that the Japanese were fanatical in their devotion to their "god emperor", and ready to die , AS A COUNTRY, as an entire race, rather than to "disgrace" themselves with surrender.
17 Japanese soldiers survived Tarawa...17 out of 4000....wrap your head around that..17.
The decision to use the atomic weapons SAVED Japan as a country and the Japanese people as a race, period end of story.
I do not understand how anyone who fought in these battles, in the Pacific or the ETO, came home from these conflicts with their sanity intact. PTSD, undiagnosed of course, must have been rampant throughout the 50's and 60's.
And for all the revisionists who insist we never had to use the 2 atomic weapons to end the war with Japan, all I can say is read a little of the contemporaneous history of the time...not the sanitized water-down version we feed like pablum to our children today. Understand that the Japanese were fanatical in their devotion to their "god emperor", and ready to die , AS A COUNTRY, as an entire race, rather than to "disgrace" themselves with surrender.
17 Japanese soldiers survived Tarawa...17 out of 4000....wrap your head around that..17.
The decision to use the atomic weapons SAVED Japan as a country and the Japanese people as a race, period end of story.
May 6, 2009
I never knew about this WWII battle in the Pacific, but this book was an excellent read. John Wukovits tells the story of the battle from both Japanese and American sides following a dozen or so people from their hometowns to the battle field. It was a bloody, hellish battle. There was more bravery per square inch on that island's battle than I can comprehend. Four Medals of Honor were awarded along with 300 other medals.
Wukovits does an excellent job of telling the human story of some of the young men who participated and died in the three day battle. His extraordinary story telling had me weeping as I read of these fine young men and how much they meant to those who were left behind with only their memories of them. This book pulls no punches. It tells the horrors of war as vividly as perhaps can be told. At the same time, Wukovits lays out a warm loving tribute to the fine young men of the battle.
An extraordinary book. Highly recommended.
Wukovits does an excellent job of telling the human story of some of the young men who participated and died in the three day battle. His extraordinary story telling had me weeping as I read of these fine young men and how much they meant to those who were left behind with only their memories of them. This book pulls no punches. It tells the horrors of war as vividly as perhaps can be told. At the same time, Wukovits lays out a warm loving tribute to the fine young men of the battle.
An extraordinary book. Highly recommended.
June 26, 2017
Book gets two stars because it's not written as an objective book documenting the assault. It is more like a wartime propaganda documentary. It injects religious undertones and heroic explanations to nearly every paragraph. But when you read the book, you see the truth: High school boys were sent to fight Japan's elite forces with the promise of an "empty island" and minimal engagements.
Moreover book spends much time talking about heroic achievements of Marines but you see most of them are killed without even firing a single bullet. 4,690 Japanese soldiers died and only 17 caught alive. Doesn't it make them more brave and heroic that none of them surrendered, than 1,000 high school boys that died without knowing what is waiting them. And I counted the word God more than 70 times in a 180 page (epub page count) book. Around 6,000 young men died for a 3 km piece of sand and the writer's implied conclusion is "God is good and He's on our side" I guess.
Moreover book spends much time talking about heroic achievements of Marines but you see most of them are killed without even firing a single bullet. 4,690 Japanese soldiers died and only 17 caught alive. Doesn't it make them more brave and heroic that none of them surrendered, than 1,000 high school boys that died without knowing what is waiting them. And I counted the word God more than 70 times in a 180 page (epub page count) book. Around 6,000 young men died for a 3 km piece of sand and the writer's implied conclusion is "God is good and He's on our side" I guess.
March 6, 2025
When people look back on the Marines in WWII, the story of Tarawa is normally forgotten. It was a tiny island that had one of the most dangerous results.
After Guadalcanal, but in the first push of the Central Pacific campaign before Peleliu, Iwo Jima or Okinawa there was the little atoll with an airstrip called Tarawa on the first outer ring of defensive Gilbert Islands for Japan that American Marines had to first take in late 1943.
The island was as the title says, a “Square Mile of Hell” taking three full days to take the island & a week for the full atoll. The book really talks about the Marines fighting in the battle from the ones who made it & didn’t make it, their stories still stay alive. Tarawa was the first battle to really show the Marines & the combat reporter’s stories in a battle that fell apart from the start on the first wave. America was learning that the Pacific was going to be no cakewalk.
After Guadalcanal, but in the first push of the Central Pacific campaign before Peleliu, Iwo Jima or Okinawa there was the little atoll with an airstrip called Tarawa on the first outer ring of defensive Gilbert Islands for Japan that American Marines had to first take in late 1943.
The island was as the title says, a “Square Mile of Hell” taking three full days to take the island & a week for the full atoll. The book really talks about the Marines fighting in the battle from the ones who made it & didn’t make it, their stories still stay alive. Tarawa was the first battle to really show the Marines & the combat reporter’s stories in a battle that fell apart from the start on the first wave. America was learning that the Pacific was going to be no cakewalk.
October 31, 2007
My Dad, a WWII era Marine, participated in the landing at Betio Island. It was the most difficult of the other islands in Tarawa Atoll. He was a radioman in the 3rd battalion, 6th regiment of the 2nd Marine Division. This book does a good job of describing a very difficult mission. This was my Dad's first battle as a Marine. After reading this book and others about this battle I can't imagine how anyone on both sides could be the same after the experience.
October 1, 2012
My grandfather Jim Meadows and Great Uncle Dick Meadows were interviewed for this book. My Grandfather was wounded on Tarawa and received a purple heart. Jim Meadows passed on November 25, 2010, so please as you read remember him and all the vets. To the soldier's we lost then, before, and now, all my love. And to anyone of young age that comes across a vet who tells war stories, please listen, they went to hell and back for you, so you could and can stand here today free.
August 1, 2017
I'll be honest*, subject matter matters a lot in my rating.
And a book about American Marines taking an island in WWII pretty much is an automatic positive. Then I find it's about one of the first amphibious assaults against a fortified beach that taught the lessons used in later landings at Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Normandy? That's pretty much an immediate 5 stars.
I liked the panorama of characters. It gave a wide range of what was going on. From Bowen, the medical corpsman, to Major Crowe, the commander, to Hawkins, the Medal of Honor winner, to Gene Seng and Charlie Montague, "just" two Marines trying to do their job and win the war so they could go home.
It was interesting to see what was going on across the island from that first day when the beachhead was tenuous to when the tide shifted and it became a matter of time to American victory. I can't even imagine the difficulties undergone.
Especially on that first day, when the beach head was just the strip of land between the tide and the seawall, when everyone was coming into the beach under fire from Japanese pillboxes and bunkers. And it never let up, you know? Apparently the Japanese knew how to dig in because throughout the battle the threat of Japanese soldiers popping up from behind and attacking the Marines was always there.
And I've got to admit admiration for the Japanese at Tarawa, not the empire but the men. They fought to the end. And once the American beachhead was established they probably knew how the story was going to end but they fought. They fought for an aggressively imperialist empire but they fought for their country.
Finally, I'm exulted and proud of what my countrymen did at Tarawa. It was a hell of a thing but they did what needed doing. Reminds me of that line about the Marine talking to St Peter at the pearly gates, "One more Marine reporting, sir, I've done my time in Hell."
Kind of leaves me wondering what good I've ever done, you know? Maybe some but comparatively nothing; never could be enough compared to what those men did.
* I don't know why I think saying that will make people think I'm being honest.
And a book about American Marines taking an island in WWII pretty much is an automatic positive. Then I find it's about one of the first amphibious assaults against a fortified beach that taught the lessons used in later landings at Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Normandy? That's pretty much an immediate 5 stars.
I liked the panorama of characters. It gave a wide range of what was going on. From Bowen, the medical corpsman, to Major Crowe, the commander, to Hawkins, the Medal of Honor winner, to Gene Seng and Charlie Montague, "just" two Marines trying to do their job and win the war so they could go home.
It was interesting to see what was going on across the island from that first day when the beachhead was tenuous to when the tide shifted and it became a matter of time to American victory. I can't even imagine the difficulties undergone.
Especially on that first day, when the beach head was just the strip of land between the tide and the seawall, when everyone was coming into the beach under fire from Japanese pillboxes and bunkers. And it never let up, you know? Apparently the Japanese knew how to dig in because throughout the battle the threat of Japanese soldiers popping up from behind and attacking the Marines was always there.
And I've got to admit admiration for the Japanese at Tarawa, not the empire but the men. They fought to the end. And once the American beachhead was established they probably knew how the story was going to end but they fought. They fought for an aggressively imperialist empire but they fought for their country.
Finally, I'm exulted and proud of what my countrymen did at Tarawa. It was a hell of a thing but they did what needed doing. Reminds me of that line about the Marine talking to St Peter at the pearly gates, "One more Marine reporting, sir, I've done my time in Hell."
Kind of leaves me wondering what good I've ever done, you know? Maybe some but comparatively nothing; never could be enough compared to what those men did.
* I don't know why I think saying that will make people think I'm being honest.
March 26, 2021
Wukovits' account of the battle for Betio Island (commonly referred to by the larger Tarawa Atoll) is gripping and fast-paced. I always envy historians who can write a clean battle narrative that places the reader in the midst of chaos. Chaos certainly defined the amphibious landing of Marines at Betio Island, as Marines enduring withering fire from entrenched Japanese positions along three beachheads over a three day period.
For those interested in how the book is organized—Wukovits begins by introducing a set of soldiers and their pre-war backgrounds that later comes in handy as a narrative device to help the reader make sense of what is happening where and when during the actual battle. I found that, to a certain extent, these names tended to blur together in the grand scheme of things for me. Roughly 60% of the book is devoted to a narrative account of the battle itself, with the last 10-15% of the book dedicated to explaining the postwar lives of various survivors and how the death of specific men affected their families back home.
I find that when I read any account of the Second World War that delves into any social demographics of the soldiers, I cannot help but remain fascinated at how egalitarian military service was during this era. At the Battle of Tarawa you had men ranging from rural farmhands to college professors serving beside each other in the same units. There is definitely merit to Historian Andrew Bacevich's arguments that the lack of a peacetime draft or something remotely resembling universal military service has eroded core linkages between Americans in a polarized society.
For those interested in how the book is organized—Wukovits begins by introducing a set of soldiers and their pre-war backgrounds that later comes in handy as a narrative device to help the reader make sense of what is happening where and when during the actual battle. I found that, to a certain extent, these names tended to blur together in the grand scheme of things for me. Roughly 60% of the book is devoted to a narrative account of the battle itself, with the last 10-15% of the book dedicated to explaining the postwar lives of various survivors and how the death of specific men affected their families back home.
I find that when I read any account of the Second World War that delves into any social demographics of the soldiers, I cannot help but remain fascinated at how egalitarian military service was during this era. At the Battle of Tarawa you had men ranging from rural farmhands to college professors serving beside each other in the same units. There is definitely merit to Historian Andrew Bacevich's arguments that the lack of a peacetime draft or something remotely resembling universal military service has eroded core linkages between Americans in a polarized society.
July 10, 2020
Easily a five-star read, "One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa," by John F. Wukovits, proved to be an incredibly engaging and emotionally draining account of the U.S. Marines first amphibious assault against a heavily-fortified beach head, Betio, the main island of the Tarawa atoll. The significance of this island was its much-desired airfield, needed for our military's continued push across the Pacific towards Japan, with the hope of finally ending WWII. If you find yourself interested, I suggest you read two books on this subject, author Wukovits' book along with Robert Sherrod's "Tarawa: The Incredible Story of One of World War II's Bloodiest Battles," because, together, they comprise, in my opinion, a complete, multi-dimensional picture of the battle for Tarawa, which pitted two well-trained troops, between 7,000 and 10,000 fighting men in a grand total of U.S. and Japanese Marines - in up-close, in-your-face, nowhere-to-run, kill-or-be-killed, hand-to-hand combat, on an island less than half a mile wide and two-miles long, about the size of NYC's Central Park. How anyone from either side survived this horrific encounter is beyond me, but pure, dumb luck likely played the biggest role in determining who lived and who died. While war-correspondent Robert Sherrod tells his account first-hand, as he experienced the battle while personally landing in the midst of the assault with the U.S. Marines, John F. Wukovits' book, though it is written from afar, proves no less intimate and personal, as Wukovits includes intimate details, taken from personal interviews, letters, and photos, about many of the men who fought at Tarawa; some whom lived to tell their own tale, and some who died during the battle and had to have their tales told for them. Getting to know these men before they fought at Tarawa, listening to those lucky enough to make it through and hearing from the loved ones of the marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the Tarawa battlefield, frequently made me cry like a baby. "One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa," is the story of what the Marines consider their toughest encounter. Marvelously-told, this is a story you can't forget.
August 3, 2019
An excellent account of the battle of Tarawa. Wukovits does a good job of describing the battle and allowing the reader to get a genuine feel for what the Marines went through before and during the battle. I like his approach of using a few personal stories interspersed throughout as it helps give the reader a stronger sense of the individual sacrifices that were made. Such a technique really pulls the reader into the book. I also like that Wukovits described the Marines' lives before the battle, why they joined up and the time spent in New Zealand. He also does a good job of describing what the families at home went through while waiting for word of loved ones and how they coped after losing sons, brothers or boyfriends.
Wukovits' description of the battle itself is quite detailed and offers a good perspective. Also, plenty of helpful maps are inserted throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Marine Corps history or the battles of WWII.
Wukovits' description of the battle itself is quite detailed and offers a good perspective. Also, plenty of helpful maps are inserted throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Marine Corps history or the battles of WWII.
November 3, 2019
I had no idea about the selfishness of the American home front in 1943. Strikes against Railroad and other industrially vital industries for the war efforts were common. Nor did I know AmericaN society had a liberal segment, not unlike today, which would rather capitulate to Japan than face the harsh reality of the long, violent road to victory. I also did not know about the marines disgust with the American press reporting of the war with calls and criticism of the military effort Not until Robert Sherod’s book did Americans Realize the extent to which the nation would have to dedicate itself in its support. It seems that if the current 24-7 news coverage existed in 1943, we would have never been able to celebrate the accomplishments of the “greatest generation “ Because the liberal media at that time would have caused America to capitulate to Japan’s demands before the real metal of America could shine
July 2, 2021
I'm a sucker for stories of people overcoming huge obstacles and how they get ultimately through them physically and psychologically. This book gave me this in spades.
A very well detailed account of one of the most unheralded stories of World War II from the eyes of various front line soldiers. I knew little about this battle until I read this book. The strategy behind the effort, the miscalculations made, and the ultimate vicious battle was laid out in great detail yet was not overly "statistical" like other books I have read. It projected the soldiers mindsets to help put you in there shoes/boots. It really drew me into what the front-line soldiers went through and made me really appreciate what sacrifice they made.
A worthy read for anyone interested in war stories in general.
A very well detailed account of one of the most unheralded stories of World War II from the eyes of various front line soldiers. I knew little about this battle until I read this book. The strategy behind the effort, the miscalculations made, and the ultimate vicious battle was laid out in great detail yet was not overly "statistical" like other books I have read. It projected the soldiers mindsets to help put you in there shoes/boots. It really drew me into what the front-line soldiers went through and made me really appreciate what sacrifice they made.
A worthy read for anyone interested in war stories in general.
July 18, 2021
This was a very important book and I’ll explain why I gave it five stars. I didn’t think it was particularly well written, it was very repetitive, but wukovits has a style and this followed it for sure. It’s like he is talking to you and that is a fine way to tell a story. What is important about this book is the little known battle, which I always enjoy hearing about, and the honest and brutal telling of that battle. We need to know TRUE history, not sugar coated shit. The brutality of this book is what makes this book into vital reading. Well done, Mr. wukovits, you tell us HISTORY and I applaud you for that.
August 13, 2018
Being a War history lover, I can say with all conviction that, I loved this book. This book not only covers the factual part of the Betio Tarawa war, but the also the emotional aspect of it. You can literally feel tge pain fatigue and the helplessness of the Marines. Later on you would also feel their happiness and the grief for their brothers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This book aslo touches the story of the families who were affected. Excellently written and if you like historical war incidents, this book is a must read.
November 3, 2021
Once again this author uses far too much dramatic license to editorialize what is billed as non-fiction. To compound the offense, he routinely takes a paragraph (or two!) to say what should be said in one sentence. Sometimes he should have left things unsaid. He has no way of knowing what soldiers did or thought about or felt as they stormed the shores if they were immediately killed yet he “reports” those things to us in this book. Speculative History; a new sub-section of History? Shame on the editor also who let this repeated error stay in the manuscript and go to press.
March 28, 2020
A good overview of an oft overlooked battle in the drive to push the Japanese back. The battle is significant for a couple of reasons:
1. It was the first serious amphibious assault on a fortified beach.
2. The casualty rate was beyond what the American public had experienced in the Pacific war up to that point.
The account is well written and easy to read, with many instances of personal accounts.
November 30, 2023
Tarawa a lessor known battle that redefined WWII. Though with heavy losses Marines launched one of the first successful amphibious assaults. The lessons they learned would enable invasions at Normandy and countless Pacific theater engagements. The pictures and footage captured would would bypass military censors and give the American public a real look at the horror of war. This book tells the story of some of those men. Braver men than I.
July 17, 2024
The Tarawa campaign was the first offensive step of the United States after the defensive stop on the Japanese expansion at Guadalcanal. The author highlights many of the Marines who did the actual fighting and dying to reclaim the former British territory. The landing on Betio, the fortified island of the Tarawa atoll, was the first stepping stone of the island-hopping campaign through the Central Pacific.
September 8, 2024
Amazing details about the people involved at such an important but not well known battle. I watched “As It Happened: Tarawa” after this and being able to see the footage captured by Norm Hatch after reading such a detailed description of what occurred was really moving. The only reason I gave 4 and not 5 stars is because I did get a bit confused between individuals as I was reading. Otherwise, I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to know more about the US’s involvement in WWII.
October 1, 2024
Before reading this book, I did not know about this WWII Pacific Theatre battle. The book's title has to do with the brutal battle that took place. The book is easy to read. The author used a wide range of sources which included participants' letters and diaries and interviews with survivors. The writing is vivid, and the reader gets a clear picture of what the Marines went through. The author provides text from family members that is haunting.
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