What do you think?
Rate this book
WW2 Pacific Military History #2
Operation Galvanic: 1943 Battle for Tarawa
Explore the battle for Tarawa in a fascinating new light.
The war for the Pacific rages on. The US has set their sights on the Tarawa atoll – a small yet vital island which, if captured, would give the Allies a powerful stepping stone into the heart of Japanese waters and the rest of the Gilbert Islands. Through a coordinated assault of carefully planned beach landings, the Marines made their attack on November 20th, 1943 . . . and encountered a resistance so fierce and violent it shook the Allies to the core.
This gripping book provides a day-by-day account of this pivotal campaign, shedding light on a little-known part of the World War 2 conflict. Delving into the initial landing and the brutal struggle to seize the Japanese base of operations on Betio, Operation Galvanic recounts the moments which turned the tide of the campaign and gave the Allies a major victory in the Pacific Theatre.
A brilliant read for fans of WW2 history and the lesser-known conflicts which decided the future of the Pacific, this riveting book offers a new and vivid look at the battle for the Tarawa atoll.
The war for the Pacific rages on. The US has set their sights on the Tarawa atoll – a small yet vital island which, if captured, would give the Allies a powerful stepping stone into the heart of Japanese waters and the rest of the Gilbert Islands. Through a coordinated assault of carefully planned beach landings, the Marines made their attack on November 20th, 1943 . . . and encountered a resistance so fierce and violent it shook the Allies to the core.
This gripping book provides a day-by-day account of this pivotal campaign, shedding light on a little-known part of the World War 2 conflict. Delving into the initial landing and the brutal struggle to seize the Japanese base of operations on Betio, Operation Galvanic recounts the moments which turned the tide of the campaign and gave the Allies a major victory in the Pacific Theatre.
A brilliant read for fans of WW2 history and the lesser-known conflicts which decided the future of the Pacific, this riveting book offers a new and vivid look at the battle for the Tarawa atoll.
- GenresHistory
125 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2020
145 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Wrinn
89 books12 followersI write books and narrate audiobooks about WWII Pacific Theater history.
My focus covers three areas: the island-hopping campaigns that defeated Japan, the cultural forces that made Japanese soldiers fight to the death, and the extraordinary stories of Pacific War survivors who defied the odds.
What matters are the real experiences—the Marines on the beaches, the sailors under kamikaze attack, the soldiers who refused to surrender, and the commanders making impossible decisions.
US Navy veteran. Military history author.
My focus covers three areas: the island-hopping campaigns that defeated Japan, the cultural forces that made Japanese soldiers fight to the death, and the extraordinary stories of Pacific War survivors who defied the odds.
What matters are the real experiences—the Marines on the beaches, the sailors under kamikaze attack, the soldiers who refused to surrender, and the commanders making impossible decisions.
US Navy veteran. Military history author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 11, 2024
a brief but extensive account
🌴 There are a number of shorter books about Tarawa out there. This volume however packs a lot of detail into its brevity as well as a number of important anecdotal reminiscences by Marine Corps vets.
Raw and rough reading. Even exhausting reading as you get pulled into the hardcore fighting. But this is what real war looks like once it starts. Never forget that. It’s not Hollywood entertainment.
🌴 There are a number of shorter books about Tarawa out there. This volume however packs a lot of detail into its brevity as well as a number of important anecdotal reminiscences by Marine Corps vets.
Raw and rough reading. Even exhausting reading as you get pulled into the hardcore fighting. But this is what real war looks like once it starts. Never forget that. It’s not Hollywood entertainment.
June 28, 2021
The book is about the American invasion of Tarawa, an island in the Pacific and one of many that the Japanese held and needed to be cleansed of. There were around 500 pillboxes the Japanese had built and there were equally formidable defenses that had been set up.
The invasion did not at all go to plan. There were various technical errors and a far stiffer Japanese resistance they expected. The book goes into all these details and perhaps the strongest thing that stands out is the fanaticism of the Japanese defenders and their determination to kill as many Americans as they could without any concern for their own lives.
By the way, the descriptions of the deaths in this series of books can get to be rather gruesome at times,
In addition to the details of the battle there is also a list of references that the reader can consult. This entire series of books is well done.
The invasion did not at all go to plan. There were various technical errors and a far stiffer Japanese resistance they expected. The book goes into all these details and perhaps the strongest thing that stands out is the fanaticism of the Japanese defenders and their determination to kill as many Americans as they could without any concern for their own lives.
By the way, the descriptions of the deaths in this series of books can get to be rather gruesome at times,
In addition to the details of the battle there is also a list of references that the reader can consult. This entire series of books is well done.
April 7, 2021
Great Book
The battle for Tarawa was a brutal, deadly hard fought event. Author Daniel Wrinn does a great job describing from start(initial training) to finish(D+3). I especially appreciated the historical quotes from the commanders, marines and correspondents. Also, the prologue with paragraphs on a few of the major players (Col. Shoupe) and weapons/support.
For anyone wanting to read on this subject, I think this book is a perfect place to start.
The battle for Tarawa was a brutal, deadly hard fought event. Author Daniel Wrinn does a great job describing from start(initial training) to finish(D+3). I especially appreciated the historical quotes from the commanders, marines and correspondents. Also, the prologue with paragraphs on a few of the major players (Col. Shoupe) and weapons/support.
For anyone wanting to read on this subject, I think this book is a perfect place to start.
August 15, 2021
A solid piece about the Marine assault of Tarawa Island.
Written with honesty and clarity about the price paid to defeat
the Japanese defending Tarawa in the Pacific. The cost was dear.
Written with honesty and clarity about the price paid to defeat
the Japanese defending Tarawa in the Pacific. The cost was dear.
Read
August 28, 2021Gives an overall perspective of this battle. Would recommend it to anyone interested in WW II especially the Pacific Theater.
January 11, 2022
This book serves as an adequate primer for the Battle for Tarawa. Definitely focused towards people interested in WWII history. Some errors, not great editing, but it gets the job done.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews