slider728 reviewed The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians on + 44 more book reviews
In high school, or even in college, if someone were to have asked me what the last battle fought on American soil was, I would have answered Pearl Harbor. Until fairly recently, I had never heard of the Aleutian Island campaign, Kiska, Attu, or the Japanese attack on Alaska (to make it worse, I grew up in SE Alaska). Once I learned of the battle, I purchased this book.
The Thousand Mile War is an excellent historical book on the battle of the Aleutians in Alaska. The battle began with the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor, Alaska in June of 1942. Three days later, Japanese ground forces invaded the island of Kiska and set up a base. A day after that, Japanese forces took the island of Attu.
The book tells the story of the battle from the initial bombing of Dutch Harbor through the ensuing 14 months of aerial bombing campaigns and ultimately, the ground invasion to take back the islands. The book tells the story of both sides, not just the Americans.
Through no fault of the author, the book can be a bit slow reading at times. The soldiers on both sides had to deal with and fight in a terrain that is foreign to most people on earth. Both sides also had to deal with weather that miserable doesnt even begin to describe. Due to these factors, there were lulls in the battle that make the book seem a bit slow. The author does a incredible job describing the battle. Not only does the author do a great job of describing the factual details, but the author does an awesome job catching the emotions, the adrenaline rushes, tiredness, and the despair felt by the soldiers.
Overall, I feel the author did an astonishing job with this book, given the facts he had of the battle. I found the book to be a great read on a relatively unknown battle. Despite knowing in advance how the battle ends, there were surprises at every turn. The final Japanese counterattack on Attu was a scene reminiscent of the final scene in the movie Glory (the Japanese soldiers were one line of American rear support solders from capturing their objective and potentially pushing American ground forces back off the island). If you are interested in WW2, this book is a great find. If you are interested in reading about the last military campaign fought in American soil, this is the book for you.
The Thousand Mile War is an excellent historical book on the battle of the Aleutians in Alaska. The battle began with the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor, Alaska in June of 1942. Three days later, Japanese ground forces invaded the island of Kiska and set up a base. A day after that, Japanese forces took the island of Attu.
The book tells the story of the battle from the initial bombing of Dutch Harbor through the ensuing 14 months of aerial bombing campaigns and ultimately, the ground invasion to take back the islands. The book tells the story of both sides, not just the Americans.
Through no fault of the author, the book can be a bit slow reading at times. The soldiers on both sides had to deal with and fight in a terrain that is foreign to most people on earth. Both sides also had to deal with weather that miserable doesnt even begin to describe. Due to these factors, there were lulls in the battle that make the book seem a bit slow. The author does a incredible job describing the battle. Not only does the author do a great job of describing the factual details, but the author does an awesome job catching the emotions, the adrenaline rushes, tiredness, and the despair felt by the soldiers.
Overall, I feel the author did an astonishing job with this book, given the facts he had of the battle. I found the book to be a great read on a relatively unknown battle. Despite knowing in advance how the battle ends, there were surprises at every turn. The final Japanese counterattack on Attu was a scene reminiscent of the final scene in the movie Glory (the Japanese soldiers were one line of American rear support solders from capturing their objective and potentially pushing American ground forces back off the island). If you are interested in WW2, this book is a great find. If you are interested in reading about the last military campaign fought in American soil, this is the book for you.
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
I've read more World War II histories than I can remember. Almost all of them are good, but only a few I do regard as outstanding. This is one of them.
This may very well be the best book I've read this year in any genre. It will join, in my memory, other great military histories such as "The Candy Bombers" and "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors"!
So long forgotten, due to tight security and to conceal the many mistakes made by the American military, this book tells the story of over 500,000 men who were eventually committed to the war in the Aleutians.
So many of the tactics and equipment requirements that were used later in the war, even in other theaters, were developed during the Aleutian campaign. There were so many "firsts" in this campaign that it is a wonder that military historians do not use this book as a basic resource.
Most Americans with knowledge of World War II regard this campaign as a side show, which is somewhat like saying that the battle for Guadalcanal wasn't really all that important. Yet the battle for Attu was the second hardest fought battle in the Pacific, behind Iwo Jima, for the number of men involved.
Even after the Aleutians were downgraded in importance by the U.S. military chiefs, the Japanese still kept 500 planes--1/6 of their air force--and 60,000 troops in the area to forestall any attempts by the U.S. to use the Aleutians as stepping stones to Japan. These forces could have heavily influenced events if employed elsewhere.
The book, written by a novelist, is an easy and enjoyable read. It now has a permanent place in my World War II library.
This may very well be the best book I've read this year in any genre. It will join, in my memory, other great military histories such as "The Candy Bombers" and "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors"!
So long forgotten, due to tight security and to conceal the many mistakes made by the American military, this book tells the story of over 500,000 men who were eventually committed to the war in the Aleutians.
So many of the tactics and equipment requirements that were used later in the war, even in other theaters, were developed during the Aleutian campaign. There were so many "firsts" in this campaign that it is a wonder that military historians do not use this book as a basic resource.
Most Americans with knowledge of World War II regard this campaign as a side show, which is somewhat like saying that the battle for Guadalcanal wasn't really all that important. Yet the battle for Attu was the second hardest fought battle in the Pacific, behind Iwo Jima, for the number of men involved.
Even after the Aleutians were downgraded in importance by the U.S. military chiefs, the Japanese still kept 500 planes--1/6 of their air force--and 60,000 troops in the area to forestall any attempts by the U.S. to use the Aleutians as stepping stones to Japan. These forces could have heavily influenced events if employed elsewhere.
The book, written by a novelist, is an easy and enjoyable read. It now has a permanent place in my World War II library.
