When the 1st Marine Division began its invasion of Peleliu in September 1944; the operation in the South Pacific was to take but four days. In fact; capturing this small coral island in the Palaus with its strategic airstrip took two months and involved some of the bloodiest fighting of the Second World War in the Pacific. Rather than the easy conquest they were led to expect; the Marines who landed on Peleliu faced a war of attrition from the island's Japanese defenders; who had dug tunnels and fortified the island's rugged terrain. When the Marines' advance stalled after a week of heavy casualties; the "Wildcats" of the 81st Infantry Division were called in; at first as support. Eventually; the 1st Marines Division was evacuated and the 81st Infantry secured the island.Now Bobby C. Blair and John Peter DeCioccio tell the story of this campaign through the eyes of the 81st Infantry to offer a revised assessment. Previous accounts of the battle have focused on the 1st Marines; all but ignoring the 81st Infantry Division's contributions. Victory at Peleliu demonstrates that without the army's help the marines could not have succeeded on Peleliu.Blair and DeCioccio have mined the 81st Division's unit records and interviewed scores of veteran participants. The new data they offer challenge the orthodox view that the 81st Infantry merely mopped up an already broken enemy. Allowing their interviewees to tell much of the story; the authors also give a human face to a brutal battle.Although American efforts in the Palau Islands proved largely unnecessary to ultimately defeating the Japanese; the lessons learned on Peleliu were crucial in subsequent fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The 81st Infantry's contributions are now part of that larger story.
#312932 in Books University of Oklahoma Press 1999-10-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.31 x 5.88l; 1.86 #File Name: 080613187X624 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Superior Work on the Battle of Second ManassasBy R. FriederichThis; the second book on the Manassas battles; is a superb piece of work. I simply cannot imagine any better books written on either First Manassas or Second Manassas. Hennessy does an excellent job describing the chess game/cat and mouse moves which led the the forces meeting once again at Manassas.I am a very frequent visitor to the Battlefield as I do not live far away. I dare say I have explored more of that Battlefield than most people ever have - to include getting off the paths and trekking through woods and over fields. With Hennessy's books under my belt I can now actually imagine having been there on both occasions (minus the personal danger of course). And my respect level for the soldiers of both sides has gone up immensely.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Close Run Thing: Lee's Triumph at Bull RunBy Jennifer DayAs a native Virginian; I am enamored with the Civil War. I mean have Civil War Art in my office and try to get involved with every battlefield event in the Northern Virginia area. While I am neck-deep with information when it comes to Gettysburg and other battles; 2nd Manassas was always one that fascinated me but I never knew the specifics of the actual combat. Hennessy proves his expertise in this field by delivering a well-seasoned account of the Battle of 2nd Manassas from personal stories; the chaos of battle; and the ultimate result of one of Lee's greatest victories when the odds where stacked against them.4 out of 5: Technically brilliant in detailed brigade and regimental combat. Gritty; in your face. Could be overwhelming for new readers. Would suggest to a person who is an avid fan of the Civil War.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very good book; but with one notable flaw!By Jeffrey DuffA good Civil War history about the Second Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas). Maps were acceptable and the book is well-written. It had one strange omission that I almost never see in military history books: John Hennessy never gives us the 'big numbers'! He never tells us how many total Confederate soldiers fought in this battle; how many soldiers by type (artillery; cavalry; infantry; etc.); or how many rebel soldiers were killed - wounded - missing - captured - by the end of the battle. The exact same numbers are absent for the Union. Why? (An experienced editor of history books should have caught this; if nothing else.)Hennessey does get pretty much everything else right; though; so I gave it 4 stars; It's well worth reading!
