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A review by zelanator
One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa by John Wukovits
4.0
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.