Ghosts in the Fog

by Samantha Seiple

Few know the story of the Japanese invasion of Alaska during World War II--until now.

GHOSTS IN THE FOG is the first narrative nonfiction book for young adults to tell the riveting story of how the Japanese invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II. This fascinating little-known piece of American history is told from the point of view of the American civilians who were captured and taken prisoner, along with the American and Japanese soldiers who fought in one of the bloodiest battles of hand-to-hand combat during the war. Complete with more than 80 photographs throughout and first person accounts of this extraordinary event, GHOSTS IN THE FOG is sure to become a must-read for anyone interested in World War II and a perfect tie-in for the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, War, Middle Grade, Historical, Military History

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Samantha Seiple’s latest book is Louisa on the Front Lines: Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War (Seal Press), the first narrative nonfiction book focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career – her time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in helping her write the beloved classic  Little Women. It also deeply affected her tenuous relationship with her father and solidified her commitment to human rights. 

Louisa on the Front Lines has been praised as “Lively, well-researched… engaging and informative… Alcott herself would have marveled at how Seiple's biographical and historical account reads like a novel!” by leading Alcott scholar Daniel Shealy, co-editor of The Journals of Louisa May Alcott and The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott.

Seiple enjoys uncovering forgotten and little-known aspects of history and meticulously crafting the factual story to read like a novel. Louisa on the Front Lines is her first biographical account for the adult audience.

Her previous narrative nonfiction books for young adults include Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska’s WWII Invasion, a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee and a Junior Library Guild Selection; Lincoln’s Spymaster: America’s First Private Eye, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure; and Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon Adventure, a Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Gold Award winner.

Seiple lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, Todd, and tiny toy poodle, Lucy.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! How did such a good story get such a bad writer. How did this thing get published? Much like the excellent Lost in Shangri-la, this book tells an all but forgotten story of World War II. In 1942 the Japanese invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands. The U.S. government denied it had happened. Many of the inhabitants were rounded up and shipped to Japan for the duration of the war. You might think the ones rescued by the U.S. would have fared better, but you'd be wrong. In fact, the ineptitude of the Americans is mind-boggling. These are the makings of a great book. Instead what we have is a disjointed mish-mash that is extremely difficult to read. Events happen and all we get is the aftermath. There appear to be whole months that are missing. A really good map would have helped a lot. The ones in the book are tiny and almost useless. I hope that someday someone will write a really comprehensive version of what happened on the Aleutians. This sure isn't it.

[Colin King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book about the story of Japan invading Alaska (True Story!)
The theme of this book is to never give up hope. This is shown by the US troops not giving up on getting the Japanese out of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

My interest in this topic was piqued by How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States where I learned that in WWII Japan had taken over parts of US territories. This book, which appears to be written for young teens, was all I could find.

Co-incidentally I had just finished Louisa on the Front Lines: Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War by this same author, Both books have brought forward neglected history and both have organizational problems. While I appreciate that the author was styling it to make it interesting for the target age group, clear transitions and using accurate vocabulary would not detract.

The stories of Attu, Kiska and Atka are intertwined such that you don’t always know where or when something is happening until you are a few pages into it. Chapter 4 begins with the Americans burning Nazan Bay (3 locations are named in the chapter title) – which I had to look up on the internet to see that it is on Atka Island. Chapter 7 begins with a body recovery effort – you wonder what you missed - then you read about the battle.

Terms are not always clear. The phrase: “taking Attu back” is inaccurate when, at this point, both the US and the Japanese occupy the island. From the text it is hard to tell if the US created a blockade, or only considered it. There is reference to a plan was “to circumvent Kiska and take back Attu first”, with the unclear time line and places, I went to Wikipedia to confirm the actual order of events. There is more fog (no pun intended) from the PBY planes (what exactly are they?), to the maps with print so small they can’t be read to the pictures that only suggest at the text.

There are good descriptions of the battles, of the incarceration of the Attu evacuees in Japan and the evacuation of other Aleutians. You learn that the Japanese disdain the American soldier POWs (in their culture it is a disgrace to be captured of which the Battle of Attu is an excellent and sad example) and their resulting brutal treatment of them.

The problems of this book are not just the author’s fault. This author has pursued some important and neglected history and did some homework. Where is the editor? Did s/he decide the age and content level? Why did the designer choose such tiny maps? Who labeled the photos? My stars go to the author for her work which could have been edited into a very good book (maybe better pitched to older teens). Both Seiple’s books that I’ve read cry out for an editor, and I hope she finds one as good as her topics.

[Louis Z c1]

I believe that this book is a very good book to start off your knowledge about WW2, it is simple and very easy to understand. I personally learned way more than I knew before during the Invasion of Attu and Kiska, and I would definitely recommend this book to any person interested in WW2 or history in general

[Matthew Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Non-Fiction) I learned about the Japanese occupation of Alaska on the islands of Kiska and Attu and the mistakes that lead to the occupation and some of the mistakes at retaking the islands. Such as retaking one island the Canadian and American forces did not realize that the Japaneses evacuated and when they landed ended up shooting each other ending up in at least 15 casualties to friendly fire.

[Leslie Fitzpatrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm stating off with the most important thing, the dog lived! I was never aware that the Alaskan islands were occupied by the Japanese during WWII, so calling this the forgotten war makes a lot of sense to me. Although I was fascinated with the story I did not enjoy the way this book was written, the stories kept jumping around, the dates kept jumping around and I felt like if I wanted to totally understand everything I needed to take notes, like a timeline and a list of names to keep everything straight. I only read this since it was on the battle list, so I wasn't doing all that work.

[Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was kept a secret for decades.
During World War II, Alaska wasn't a state yet. The Aleutian Islands were rural, to say the least, compared to where most Americans lived. So it was pretty easy for the government to keep the successful attack of those islands out of the news.

This book is well-researched, and covers a lot: the battles, what life was like for residents who left the islands "in time" and went to live in camps on Alaska's mainland, and one story that particularly seared in my brain about a person who survived for 59 days on these islands while evading the Japanese military. It's a complicated story, and Seiple weaves the strands together well.

I love finding original research written in book form for teens. This one includes an index, image credits, and citations, of course. It's really fun to describe to teens, so I've booktalked it both at middle schools and at high schools. The writing could be a touch more enthralling, but the facts are pretty exciting by themselves. I'd love to see this written by an indigenous or Japanese voice.

[Ronan Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the main idea is what people in the aleutian island when they were invaded and what they experienced.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 2 ratings. One rating would be for content and the other for literary style.

For content, I give it a 5-star rating. How have I never heard of this time in WWII history? Very intriguing.

For literary style, I give it a 1. It was terribly confusing. The author gives you a snippet of an event, and then goes into the backstory. It is not in chronological order which was very difficult to follow. Also, the maps were horribly small. Give me a good 2-page spread of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Quite often I would stop reading just to look up a place on a map to see what the author was talking about. I don't think this is the author's fault as much as the editor. It's too bad, really. The book has such unrecognized potential.

So, to average the two ratings, I give it a 3-star rating while wishing I could give it more.

[Landon S]

Ghost in the Fog
Summary:
The book Ghost in the Fog it’s about World War 2. The Japanese are fighting the U. S. over Alaska. The start they war by bombing the Pearl Harbor. Then America got mad and we started fight. There was multiply battles the battle of Attu and Kiska.
The book shows different point of views of the people in the story. Like what they did and what happened to them. Like what their strategies were and plans to attack each other. Also how the get free from each other.
: Main Characters-Names and Descriptions
The soldiers in the book problem look like they have gun powder of the face. There clothes ripped. They have some small cuts and bruise. Also they look like they have a gun of some sort on them.
Then there’s the U.S green uniforms. Then japan in green uniforms too. Then look really tried from all the fighting. Then then might have blood on them from killing people.
: Setting
The setting of the book is in Alaska. They are at japan and the U.S . . . . They are at the island of Attu. Then the other one was were a lot of it happened war and it was call Kisha.
: Conflict
Was that the U.S was fighting japan. Over Alaska because they both thought that they owned Alaska. Then japan bomb the Pearl Harbor. Then the U.S got mad and then we started a war.
: Option
My option of the book was that it was very informational. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that the book had every chapter change to another person. Like I kept having trouble keeping track. But over all I give this book an 8/10.
: Recommdation
This book is perfect to anyone that likes wars and American history. It might be one of my favorite American history book. I learned a lot of new stuff reading this book. But over all this book is perfect for anyone that’s learning America history.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that Alaska was invaded by the Japanese during World War II until I heard about this book. I was aware that the weather up there is pretty harsh and just getting to some of the Aleutian Islands is a challenge. I found the book both fascinating and heartbreaking. Books like this are a clear reminder that humans make some really foolish decisions sometimes, like ignoring intelligence that Alaska was a target of the Japanese. Decisions like sending the evacuees from the Aleutians to old abandoned villages that have fallen to pieces and not bothering to take care of them. Here are some things I learned from this book:

The value of maps (lives would have been saved if the U.S. troops had known what they were facing and where they were going)
The value of good intelligence (if the U.S. had had better intelligence and paid better attention to the intelligence they did have the whole thing could have been prevented)
How poorly the Aleuts were treated by both the Japanese and the United States, some of them spent three years in captivity in Japan, where over half of them died, the others were sent to old abandoned settlements that had no clean running water or electricity, where many of them got sick and died, reparations weren't made until the 1980s, to add insult to injury when some of the Aleuts got home they found their houses completely plundered by the American soldiers.

This is what good nonfiction does, opens the reader's eyes to things they didn't know or didn't fully understand. Seiple does a great job of this while making her account clear and easy to read. I highly recommend this one.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not long after Japan attacked the American military complex at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded Alaska. The United States denied that the invasion had happened and then continued to deny it for years. The Aleuts and Japanese-Americans who were interned during World War II did not receive reparations or apologies until decades later, in 1988. This book describes a fascinating and little known aspect of WWII, detailing the heroism of men such as Charlie House who survived in the wilds of Alaska for eight weeks while hiding from the Japanese. It also tells of the experiences of the Attuans who were moved to Japan and the Aleuts who were moved from their own lands for their own protection to sub-standard abandoned buildings once used as canneries. Whether at the hands of Japan or the United States, it seems that the native Alaskans fared poorly. It's impossible to read this story of mistakes, secrets, and miscalculations--in one case, the Allies in pursuit of Japanese troops discover that they have been fooled by the fog into shooting at troops on their own side--without being reminded that truth is indeed often stranger than fiction. While the account is somewhat hard to read because the author jumps around a lot in its telling, meaning that it's hard to follow the characters at times, it's still certainly worth reading. Clearly, the author has worked hard to uncover once-classified military documents and secure interviews as well as photographs that heighten the story's appeal.

[Logan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's purpose in the story ghosts in the fog by Samantha Seiple is to inform and entertain people about World War Two when Japan invaded Alaska. I don't think Seiple did a good job with entertaining people. I think that because it was boring.

Theme of the book ghosts in the fog is the story of the Japanese invasion during World War Two. It's kinda hard to find a theme in a non fiction book. So during World War II the Japanese army invaded part of America Alaska. America denied that it ever happened. In the book it explains everything that happens threw out World War II.

The book was taken place during World War II or in the 1940’s. The book by Seiple is a description. The story started with talking about Pearl Harbor after the Japanese attack. Then moving on to the days after Japan stacked Alaska. Ending with the clean up after the attack on Alaska and how it affected them.

My opinion of the book ghosts in the fog is I did not like it and it was very boring, I almost fell asleep during it. I like how she titled the chapters. I did not like the rest of the book. I would change how she writes.it is not similar to other books I read. I do not recommend this book to anybody, because it was terrible and I don't know how it is published.

[Gay Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that Japan invaded Alaska in World War II? Probably not, because the United States government asked all service men to never talk about it and kept the government records classified. About five months after the Pearl Harbor attack on May 14, 1941, the Japanese invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands. The U.S. Navy publicly denied the invasion and the bloody hand-to-hand fighting that took place. Native Alaskans were placed in dilapidated fish warehouses and deplorable interment camps. They lost their homes and livelihood...their lives were changed forever. This forgotten U.S. war is not forgotten in Japan, for each year Japanese commemorate those who died in the Aleutian Island. Come meet Etta Jones, a school teacher and POW, the Kiska weather team and Sherman Smith, a soldier, along with others caught in the grasp of the war. Discover how one man’s enemies is now his dear friend. An extensive thirteen page bibliography leads readers to more information. YALSA 2012 Nominee for Excellence in Nonfiction for YA

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other reviewers, I first learned something about this piece of history from Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak mysteries. I found Seiple's book interesting, though aggravating at times in the way the author chose to skip forward and backward in various story lines rather than arranging them in a more linear fashion. This is also a book in DESPERATE need of several good detailed maps.

My impression of Ghosts in the Fog suffers from the fact that I'm reading it as part of the NCSLMA Middle School Battle of the Books list for next school year -- with Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon on the same list, any other attempt at narrative history writing fades back into a very distant second place.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is being told by a third person narrator who is telling about the sequence if event on the day of Pearl Harbor. The narrator influenced my reading because the narrator gave me a better understanding of how horrific Pearl Harbor really was. So far the narrator's perspective had stayed the same. The perspective is that this event was a very big struggle to go through. This book was good. I enjoyed reading this book because before reading thus book Pearl Harbor was some bombing that I heard about every now and then. After reading this book I realize it was a very horrific attack from the Japanese and I now have great respect for people who went through this. I would highly recommend this book because this event deserve to be remember and people need to be informed about what happened on that day.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Japan invaded Pearl Harbor, it invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands but some bloody and deadly battles stopped Japan from expanding its empire into Alaska. Unknown facts about this largely untold story are finally being brought to light.

I appreciated the extensive index which included a man I've been researching for some time. The man was Private Jose P. Martinez,the twenty-three year old from Colorado and the first private in WWII who received the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for single-handedly clearing an area that allowed U.S. soldiers to advance in the Battle of Attu.

[Jake Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts in the Fog is a good narrative non-fiction book for people wanting to learn about the WWII invasion of Alaska. The book follows various people involved with the invasion itself and the plan to drive the Japanese out. The dates tend to jump around along with the people, making it a little confusing. However, this book still gave me a good idea as to what happened in Alaska during World War 2. The book describes the deaths of the soldiers but does not really go into details on the blood or gore. I not recommend this book for people wanting a good fiction book about WWII.

[Haylee Frohlich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such interesting subject matter...such a boring book! Didn't finish!

[Kaden Vannatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only a handful of people know the small story of Alaska’s invasions in World War II. The book “Ghost in the Fog” written by Samantha Seiple, describes this story. Scholastic Reference published Ghosts in the Fog on October 1st, 2011. Once I saw this book, I was immediately looking forward to reading it as I never heard of this attack on Alaska.
This untold story stemming from World War II illustrates the interesting role played by a small gathering of military personnel and local regular folks in a far-off area of the region. The horror that struck the natives of Alaska's regions, as well as the military prisoners detained in Japanese torture camps, is illustrated in the book.
The role of Alaska in World War II after the assault on Pearl Harbor isn't frequently told. "Decades after World War II, the U. S. government kept the documents about the Japanese invasion of Alaska classified, and the Americans who were there when it happened didn’t want to talk about it" (Seiple 7). The Pearl Harbor assault left the western coast powerless, and the decision-making to protect Alaska's Aleutian Islands uncovered numerous military, geographic and social issues. Issues included flighty hazy climate during restricted satellite technology and what to do about the Aleutian islanders, who had never been away from their isolated homes. The story enlightens the social contrasts between the American and Japanese societies around then just as the hesitance of the U.S. government to regard the local Alaskans as full residents.
The narrative is full of details, and there are times when it is hard to follow every one of the strings, causing it to be tedious. However, I recommend this book because the content of what went down in Alaska in World War II is immaculate. Samantha Seiple enhanced the text by including photos of many participants, which helped resolve confusion. Maps, including strategic military maps, increase the degree of particularity.
An enlightening record loaded with compelling accounts of endurance and perseverance.

[Jennifer Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nonfiction book chronicles the time beginning on June 7, 1942 when Japan invaded Alaska. Brought to life through photographs, maps, and first-hand accounts from both sides of the war, it tells the story of what we now call the Forgotten War, the attack by the Japanese on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska following the Pearl Harbor attack. The U.S. denied that these islands were attacked saying, "none of our inhabited islands or rocks are troubled with uninvited visitors up to this time." The natives living there, which included the Aleut and Inuit Indians, might have to disagree. The weather teams set up to provide weather reports for the U.S. military, might also have to disagree. These peope became POWs and were kept in deplorable conditions in Japan. The Indians relocated to camps on mainland Alaska would have to disagree as well. It was interesting to note that while Japan reported the successful invasion to its people, the U.S. denied it. Likewise, the U.S. reported its victory at Midway, while Japan denied that. Code-breaking efforts, war strategy and miscalculations by those in command, Eskimo life, survival on the foggy, cold, nearly unihabitable Aleutian Islands, and the role of the weathermen in the war are all interwoven into this interesting piece of history that most Americans were never aware even happened, because according to the U.S. military, they did not want to induce panic on the population. This would be interesting to those readers who have an interest in history, World War II, or war strategy. Since it has a very high AR level, it would make a good choice for those younger children who need something more difficult to read, but adult readers will also find this fascinating. Extensive source notes are provided at the end.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was clear and captured the story of the war of the Aleutian islands story very well. It explains the tragedy that happened to the native peoples of the Alaskan islands and the prisoners of war held in the Japanese prison camps. I thought it was very sad that so many people died and their story was not heard until years after world war 2 ended. It had a lot of interesting facts about how regular people helped the American solders retake the islands and their bravery going into combat knowing that there was a good chance that they would die. I thought it was horrible that the natives were taken away from there homes by the American put in deplorable conditions and when they came back there homes were vandalized and looted. I thought that it was sad that the Japanese set up an invasion so that the Americans would attack there own units as well as they thought that the death rate would 90%. I thought it was disgusting that the Japanese would beat women and children in the camps if they stoped working. Over all this book was very interesting, it had many interesting facts and the author did a very good job of explaining the forgotten war of the Aleutian islands.

[Jack Dismuke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts in the Fog by Samantha Seiple is an absolutely great book. It tells the true story of when the Japanese invaded the Aleutian islands during World War Two. It tells the story of what happened from several different perspectives. It tells it from the Japanese, American soldiers, a navy weather man, a school teacher, a pilot, and many more. They all have a different perspective. They were all treated differently by the Japanese so it's really interesting to hear what happens. In the book it talks about the prison camps, Aleutians, bombing raids, hand to hand combat and so much more stuff.

I really loved this book! It was really interesting to read about this story that not many people know about. I had no idea that the Japanese ever invaded. It was definitely a real eye opener. I think the reason I liked it the most was the fact that I have a huge knowledge in World War Two. It talks about the Japaneses Bushido code which I didn't know what that was so that really interesting.

I would recommend this book to teenagers to adults. It has great vocabulary but for a younger kid I don't know if they would understand or actually stay entertained with the book. For an older person it is very interesting!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some times a simple sentence hides a world of information. The only thing I had ever heard about the invasion of the Aleutian Islands was a brief sentence in another book saying "the only invasion of the American homeland in world war II was when Japanese held a few rocks in Alaska." This is it, a throw away line in a book on grander subjects. This book fills in that statement.

That one sentence contained in it over 2,000 causalities, 100K lbs of bombs dropped, portions of 2 divisions of the US Army, the loss of multiple Japanese naval vessels, a banzai charge, and mass suicides, the taking of hundreds of American civilians into POW camps in Japan, a Medal of Honor winner, the horrible treatment of the American government to the native Aleutians when they evacuated them into internment camps and forced labor, a tale of remarkable survival and even a dog.

All of this I would of never known if I hadn't picked up this book on whim to fill in what I thought was a small gap in my understanding of the Pacific War.

Its amazing what a sentence can hold.

This is a short book with big font, my only complaint and it is one I tend to have with most history books is that it needed more maps. A highly recommend this, I say this infrequently at best but I'm glad I read it.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all of the WW2 books that I have read, "Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska's WW2 Invasion" is by far one of the best. With harrowing accounts from different perspectives all over the Aleutian Islands, Samantha Seiple masterfully brings us into the world of those in Alaska during the Japanese invasion. Most importantly, this book sheds light on the stories of those forgotten by the world. The Pacific Theater is often overshadowed by battles such as Okinawa and Iwo Jima, yet most of us don't realize that Alaska had an entire war itself that resulted in thousands of people dying.
If you're going to choose a World War 2 book to read, this is definitely the one. It is incredibly unique in comparison to other books and the work by the author is absolutely superb. I learned a lot while reading this and I believe that all Americans should read it to learn about the first land invasion of the U.S. since the War of 1812 and the horrible treatments of natives by both the U.S. and the Japanese. It is an incredibly powerful book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the invasion of Alaska during WWII. It's intended audience is grades 5-8.

I have read a number of books on this topic, and yet this book presented the history in a different way. I learned some things I had either not picked up on in the other books I had read or the information had not been presented in the other books. This was interesting to me, and intriguing. Did I miss some things in my earlier reading, or is this book presenting previously untold material?

I particularly liked reading about specific people and their stories--material I don't think I had read before. There was some very interesting information.

Sometimes the way the material was written/presented, seemed to be not as engaging as I would have liked. I wonder if it was because the author was trying to present history to younger readers??? I really don't know why, but my only criticism would be that I would have liked the book to be a tad bit more engaging in places.

This does make me want to do more reading about this part of history and the people who lived through it.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is interesting about Ghosts in the Fogs subject matter is the new dimension it brings to the Pacific theater conflict. Alaska as a subject in WWII remains relatively untouched in the shadow of Pearl Harbour, Pelieu, Okinawa, and finally Hiroshima and Nagasaki among other battles. Samantha Seiple provides a very basic overview of this lost piece of history, but it comes up lacking in several regards. The good and probably most redeemable aspect of Ghosts in the Fog is the light it casts on Native population of the Aleutian Islands and their fate at the hands of the Japanese invaders and the American government. Both of the latter committed hideous acts of subjugated aggression against the Aleuts, whether through invasion or conditions at evacuee camps. Hopefully this book reaches a wide audience in that regard to illuminate this lost piece of history. The book is short, text rather basic, and explains peoples, moments, and concepts that anyone familiar with WWII history will instantly recognise. It's by no means a poor book but it isn't as thoughtfully executed like some wider known history books.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Mohamed AbouAlfa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Second World War is one of, if not, THE most documented war in human history and also one of my favourite eras to read about. Much has been written about the Pacific theatre of the war but I haven't yet read anything about the invasion of the Aleutian Islands (the only part of the USA to ever be occupied by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces).

The book covered a wide range of perspectives ranging from ordinary civilians, political leaders and military servicemen and officers from both sides. It also didn't shy away from the infamous brutality of the Japanese army and also covered the institutional mistreatment of native Americans by the US government.

However the book is not without its flaws, mainly the jumping between different dates and timelines. It felt that many chapters were far too short for the content they are exploring. But all in all I throughly enjoyed it and would recommend it as light reading to any amateur WW2 enthusiast.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. It tells the little known story of the World War II invasion of the Aleutian Islands in 1942-1943. The Japanese invaded and occupied the Aleutian Islands. The native inhabitants of Attu were rounded up and shipped to Japan for the duration of the war. Other Aleutian islanders were relocated by the US government. The book is easy to read though some of the chapters seem to be a bit out of place. It appears to be written for younger readers. It is definitely for general readers and not for scholarly research. I have read several books on the subject. This book is a good general overview.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for an introduction to the WWII events that took place in the Aleutian Islands in 1942 and 1943. If you are doing scholarly research it is a good outline of what occurred and has some interesting details I had not seen in battlefield accounts.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very moving and informative nonfiction book about the tragedy of the destruction of Attu during WWII and the atrocities that the native Alaskans like the Innuits, Aleutians, and other groups faced not only at the hands of the Japanese but also at the hands of the US Government. It is a shameful reminder of our country's racial discrimination and the terrible living conditions the native Alaskans had to endure after being evacuated from their homes due to the Japanese threat. There were also stories of combat heroism and Japanese imprisonment experienced through the lens of white people who lived in Alaska at the time. I am glad the US Government finally gave the survivors and the descendants of survivors reparations, although that in no way discounts their suffering and loss during the war.