A Tomb Called Iwo Jima

by Dan King

Firsthand accounts from Japanese WWII soldiers, sailors and pilots who fought in the battle for Iwo Jima and survived. Some were evacuated before the Marines landed and others were taken as Prisoners-of-War. The Japanese army and navy combatants are given a voice to share their experiences in the battle that coined the phrase, "Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

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

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2014

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book about the Japanese defense of Iwo Jima. Not all Japanese were gung-ho on serving, but did their duty as they were supposed to. The book concentrates on two men, Akikusa and Omagari, who survived the war. Akikusa, interestingly enough, was sent to a POW camp not far from where I now live.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few books available in English that detail out the experience of the Japanese soldier in World War Two. Most books that are available focus on the navy or the aviators and not the common foot soldiers who participated in one of the most savage battles of the Pacific War. The limited number of survivors, the guilt associated with having been captured and the advanced age of the participants makes any new book important to our understanding of the Pacific War. I was surprised to learn new aspects of the battle, such as the Japanese efforts to resupply the garrison, how the caves were constructed by hand and how limited the supply of water, food and armaments was on the island. The author has done a masterful job of weaving together the experiences of several participants into a very readable story without infusing his own ideas into the book so that the words of the survivors speak for themselves.
My only criticism, and this did not diminish my opinion of the book, is that I would have enjoyed more details on the fortifications from the Japanese perspective and the book could use some additional editing. I should also note that the author has included a number of photographs and some very interesting maps that assist the reader in understanding the battle.
Overall I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in World War Two history.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many great stories here, many that are not covered by other works. Some of the people interviewed in this book saw Baron Nishi prior to his presumed last gunfight. The writer also interviewed some holdouts who refused to surrender until a few months after the conflict, the situation makes a deep impression. Imagine being indoctrinated that Americans are devils, that you will be killed and tortured upon surrender, that you refuse calls to surrender and prefer to hide inside caves that are filled with dead bodies, junk, terrible stench for months. The Japanese survivors also make a fascinating case study, those that survive as isolated groups, no longer able to fight cohesively, ended up only focusing on their group. They refused to help other groups that walk into their cave. One of the crazier Japanese commanders had around 50 holdouts in his cave, sent out a couple of men everyday to scavenge for supplies, but refused to allow them back in for fear that his supplies would run out. Human nature.

[Werewolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually Historic !

Impressive! IJN/IJA surviving like animals on an island of truculent death. This is real sh*t. I await a motion picture.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting point of view. it is unfortunate that there is not more books from the Japanese perspective. Good book to read on the conditions the Japanese were in at the time of Iwo Jima.

[Feiraco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very much recommended if you want to read on the harsh reality of the Iwo Jima battle, and in specific about how the Japanese suffered there. Imagine the research and effort that author Dan King has put into the book, as Japanese language-skills are not very common in the Western world. Besides, few Japanese soldiers survived a battle. The descriptions and anecdotes he provides are gripping and cruel most of the time, as was the war in the Pacific. The Japanese foot soldier suffered a lot in battles, where most died of diseases and hunger instead of bullets and explosions. And they knew the end was coming, as surrendering was not really an option. Dan King has brought together a lot of material from the pre-battle, the actual battle, and the aftermath when many soldiers kept hidden on the island. However, it would be great if this book gets a new edit. Like some readers have indicated before, there are just too many spelling errors (double words, etc.). On several topics, the story drags on and dives too deep into content which is irrelevant (like school education of participants, etc.). Also, on occasions the story goes from left to right with snippets of information on subjects. For example, some American soldiers are portrayed very briefly and basically coming out of nowhere. Finally, the author is mentioning himself a lot and there is even an extended ‘about the author part’, although he can be proud indeed on his achievements. All this should not prevent any reader to get this book and to learn more on this gruesome battle.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book told from the viewpoint of Japanese soldiers who ended up on Iwo Jima during the American invasion. Early on it refers to the 'China Incident' which was really the Japanese invasion of China and the rape and destruction of Nanking and other Chinese cities. It also mentions Yasakuni shrine which still exists today and has a lot about Japan and World War II. During the war solders were told that, if they died, their souls would return to the shrine and they would essentially become gods.

By the time of Iwo Jima it was pretty evident that this was a war that Japan started but was going to lose. Iwo Jima needed to be taken to allow for an American base from which to launch fighters and to receive any B-29's that had been damaged and need to make an emergency landing.

The soldier's tales (Japanese Army and Navy) include how they ended up there, references to the massive tunneling they did, how they had a grenade to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, the American use of flamethrowers and how some of the soldiers were desperate to survive, living on very little food and bad water. There were some who still were in the tunnels after the island was determined to be 'under control.' They were given chances to surrender peacefully but many didn't and died either from flamethrowers or from the entrances to their tunnels being blown up.

It's interesting to read what happened from the Japanese side of the fighting.

[Holly Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tells a side of Iwo Jima rarely heard

Good/great: personal stories of the Japanese survivors. The author delves a few times into the stories of those soldiers that didn’t survive. The stories are quite moving.
The only slight negative is the editing could have been strengthened. I had to look up a quite few acronyms.
Great book for anyone needing to read of how the Japanese used ordinary soldiers to make a remarkable defense of Iwo Jima.
My rating is based on how quickly I read the book. I had a hard time putting it down.

[joycey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job

Rarely encountered viewpoint in this country.
Excellent work from the point of view of the enemy at the time.
Worthwhile research piece for any historians to explore.

[Aptroed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done

Veer thorough, lots of personal detail to give the human side to N awful battle. Writing is excellent and looking to read his next book!

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very rare. To read a Japanese world War II vet book.

[Jon Babb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iwo Jima

Excellent stories from first hand experience. Amazing stories by the few who chose to surrender. Recommend a great read from high school on up

[Saman Perera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest read but truely informative.

[Jlind2921GR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book but wish there had been even more details about how the defensive fortifications were constructed and how they were used to keep the US at bay during the invasion. What was it like to live in the tunnels? What were typical days like? How were fields of fire engineered and constructed? I would have liked even more of a "you-are-there" feeling. There were some more details like this towards the very end of the book. The intensity of the narrative increased. But I would have liked even more earlier on.

It was interesting and informative to read about this battle from the Japanese perspective after having read about it from the US perspective many times.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Amazing storytelling by the Japanese that were there.

The book itself is a good read. Very detailed, you get to know the combatants before they go to war.
It does get a little slow until you get to know the feelings of the Japanese before going to war.

I'm am amazed by what the human race can do to each other, to themselves, and the thoughts of reasoning that the human mind is capable believing.
This book is an important story to be told to the new generation that do not have story tellers around any more. It can be abit gory, but needs to be told to portray the horrors of war.
Read the kindle digital version then buy the paper back to pass on to others.

[richard g roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

History at it's best, mankind at it's worst.

War in all its horror can be found in this book. Bravery and honor as well. This was a savage encounter between a well dug in enemy, and the might of America on land, sea and air. The sailors, marine's and air force, the Amy all were involved. The fighting was brutal, the casualties on both sides tremendous.

The Japanese endured untold horrors and died in untold horror many to be forever entombed on the island. This book relates some of that. This I feel is a must read for any one who is a war history buff.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showcases the struggle of the Japanese on Iwo Jima. I found the whole book interesting, but I really enjoyed some of the personal stories of what happened to the few survivors that became POWs.

[Dan Lirot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book changes my attitude

We all were told that the enemy were fanatical. They were. But this book reminds us that Japanese soldiers were only doing their duty to their country. I would recommend this book to anyone who remembers World War 2

[Rick Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last a story from the Japanese Soldier

Enjoyed the book! I recommend it to any one who enjoys reading first person accounts. It's the first I have read & plan to read more.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - revealing interviews from honest Japanese veterans who were there. Lots of photos, too (at the end of the book, not throughout the book).

[William B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real war

Nothing is pretty about war. Only the political propaganda sometimes make it seem so. Why does the human race continu

[Ron orso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great read nice to read from Japanese point of view. Real eye opener. Very educational. Enjoyed reading this very much

[barb schenk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent in describing the treatment, living conditions, and suicides of the soldiers fighting for Japan. Everyone suffered.