What do you think?
Rate this book
Tarawa: November 20-23, 1943: A Hell of a Way to Die
Tarawa Atoll in the Central Pacific was the November, 1943 testing ground for America's ability to take heavily defended Japanese-held islands. The trial lasted three and a half days and would cost more than 3,000 USMC casualties at the hands of a Japanese garrison of some 4,700 men -- of whom just 17 would allow themselves to be taken alive. This compelling account of one of the most savage battles of World War II draws upon the vivid memories of Marine veterans of those 76 terrible hours of close-quarter fighting. It is supported by striking photographs, by the poignant drawings of a war artist who landed with the Marines, and by detailed maps and appendices.
- GenresWorld War II
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 3, 2026
“Tarawa: A Hell of a Way to Die” is an account of the battle that shattered any illusion of an easy war in the Pacific. Derrick Wright tells the story of 76 hours on Betio Island where the U.S. Marine Corps learned, at terrible cost, what it truly meant to assault a fortified enemy from the sea.
Wright balances strategic context with ground-level reality. He explains how Japanese imperial expansion and defensive planning set the stage, then walks readers through American decision-making, including flawed assumptions about tides, reefs, and naval gunfire. The result was catastrophe at the waterline, where Marines were forced to wade hundreds of yards under fire, improvising leadership and tactics as units shattered and junior leaders fell.
Firsthand accounts describe confusion, courage, fear, and split-second choices that meant life or death. Wright does not soften the brutality. He shows how equipment failed, plans unraveled, and success depended on small groups doing what they could with what they had. Combat here is not neat or heroic in a cinematic sense. It is chaotic, exhausting, and relentlessly personal.
The battle that took place for Tarawa did more than secure a tiny island. It forced the American public to confront the price of total war and gave the Marine Corps hard-earned lessons that shaped amphibious operations for the rest of the Pacific campaign. This is a sobering, necessary book that honors sacrifice by telling the truth about how victory was paid for.
Wright balances strategic context with ground-level reality. He explains how Japanese imperial expansion and defensive planning set the stage, then walks readers through American decision-making, including flawed assumptions about tides, reefs, and naval gunfire. The result was catastrophe at the waterline, where Marines were forced to wade hundreds of yards under fire, improvising leadership and tactics as units shattered and junior leaders fell.
Firsthand accounts describe confusion, courage, fear, and split-second choices that meant life or death. Wright does not soften the brutality. He shows how equipment failed, plans unraveled, and success depended on small groups doing what they could with what they had. Combat here is not neat or heroic in a cinematic sense. It is chaotic, exhausting, and relentlessly personal.
The battle that took place for Tarawa did more than secure a tiny island. It forced the American public to confront the price of total war and gave the Marine Corps hard-earned lessons that shaped amphibious operations for the rest of the Pacific campaign. This is a sobering, necessary book that honors sacrifice by telling the truth about how victory was paid for.
December 19, 2019
Fantastic book one of the best books I have read on Tarawa make you feel of you are with them.just awesome
May 8, 2019
This was an excellent account of U.S. Marines attack on Tarawa during WWII in 1943.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews