Rating: 
Summary: Masterful Account of an Epic Battle
Review: Col. Alexander has produced a comprehensive and thorough account, and a brilliant analysis, of one of the toughest battles of the Pacific War. In this inaugural amphibious assault against a strongly fortified beach, the Marines wrote one of the most heroic and traumatic chapters in the history of their corps. They paid a tragic price for the valuable lessons learned there, which were effectively applied in subsequent assaults. As one who went ashore on D+5, and spent the next two weeks cleaning up the battlefield and burying the dead, I stand in awe and wonder at the valor, courage, and sheer grit of the officers and men of the 2nd Marine Division, who had to go up and over the fortified wall fronting the landing beaches. A plaque at the main cemetery on Betio read: "So there let them rest, on their sunswept atoll, The wind for their watcher the waves for their shroud, Where palm and pandanus shall whisper forever A requiem fitting for heroes so proud." Alexander captures the essence of their awful struggle, heroic deeds, and costly victory.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful Account of an Epic Battle
Review: Col. Alexander has produced a comprehensive and thorough account, and a brilliant analysis, of one of the toughest battles of the Pacific War. In this inaugural amphibious assault against a strongly fortified beach, the Marines wrote one of the most heroic and traumatic chapters in the history of their corps. They paid a tragic price for the valuable lessons learned there, which were effectively applied in subsequent assaults. As one who went ashore on D+5, and spent the next two weeks cleaning up the battlefield and burying the dead, I stand in awe and wonder at the valor, courage, and sheer grit of the officers and men of the 2nd Marine Division, who had to go up and over the fortified wall fronting the landing beaches. A plaque at the main cemetery on Betio read: "So there let them rest, on their sunswept atoll, The wind for their watcher the waves for their shroud, Where palm and pandanus shall whisper forever A requiem fitting for heroes so proud." Alexander captures the essence of their awful struggle, heroic deeds, and costly victory.
Rating:
Summary: A Detailed Tactical Analysis
Review: Col. Joseph Alexander does a great job in analyzing the battle in tremendous detail. The strategic developments leading to the battle are presented in sufficient detail to get a feeling for why the battle occurred.
Both the American and Japanese sides are presented (the Japanese record, of course, being mostly lost) which combine to make the story even more interesting. While some personal stories are told, the focus is on the tactical events of the battle.
There are sufficient maps to refer to during the course of the story telling. The obligatory photos are also present.
**Buy this book: if you are interested in the human drama of the bloody island campaigns; would like to study the tactical details of the battle.
***Don't buy this book: if you are interested in more of the strategic picture; don't want too much detail of the battle; are bored by the drama of the island campaigns.
Rating:
Summary: rayjoy@ipa.net
Review: I made a mistake when I ordered this book, but it was the best mistake that I ever made. The author did a superior job in researching the material for this book. I would rate this book a ten ,but five is the highest they allow. I have read a good many books on world war II, but this is the best I have ever read. The author puts you right there with the Marines that were coming ashore. It seems to make me suffer right along with them. As an Army Viet-Nam vet I am prone to make fun of the Marines, but after reading this book all my respect goes to them. God Bless them one and all. Roadrunner 6 out
Rating:
Summary: The Marine's Journey Through Hell
Review: I met Col. Alexander at 50th Anniversary of Tarawa landings at Camp Lejeune. He was working on the book at that time. After reading the finished book, I realize the hell my father and his fellow Marines endured in those three days more than I ever have before. The book is clearly written with many firsthand accounts from the Marines who fought this engagement. Many of the lessons learned with their blood, sweat and tears became a part of Amphibious Doctrine. Alexander's book is a testament to the sacrifices made by the Marine Corps.
Rating:
Summary: The Marine's Journey Through Hell
Review: I met Col. Alexander at 50th Anniversary of Tarawa landings at Camp Lejeune. He was working on the book at that time. After reading the finished book, I realize the hell my father and his fellow Marines endured in those three days more than I ever have before. The book is clearly written with many firsthand accounts from the Marines who fought this engagement. Many of the lessons learned with their blood, sweat and tears became a part of Amphibious Doctrine. Alexander's book is a testament to the sacrifices made by the Marine Corps.
Rating: 
Summary: Tells a great story.
Review: I really liked this book. It was my exercise bike book for a month, so you can put it down and pick it up after a day or two. The author tells a vivid story of the one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Pacific. Fills in the picture of the battle perfectly. If you like to read about "Storm Landings", you must have this on your self.
Rating:
Summary: Issue in Doubt
Review: Just before the fall of Wake, the Marines defending that island radioed the message, "Issue in doubt." Just after the first waves of Marines hit the beaches at Tarawa and waded into the most hellish opposition imaginable, the landing party sent out the message "Issue in doubt." No Marine could mistake the import of that doleful sentence. On the brink of being thrown back into the sea, they held on, and then they advanced.Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki, the defender of Tarawa, had told his troops that it would take a million men a thousand years to capture the island. It took the Marines three days, but victory came at a terrible cost. The carnage was so horrific that when news of the cost of victory got back to the United States, enlistments in the Marine Corps plummeted. As Col. Alexander takes the reader through those three hellish days, you cannot help but be awed by the suffering the Marines endured, and by the courage they displayed. It makes one wonder how the men could perform at all, much less perform as well as they did. A gripping story of epic heroism in the face of near insurmountable odds--and it's true.
Rating:
Summary: All Marines should read this book.
Review: The Marine Corps as we all know takes great pride in our amphibious doctrine. We call our selves warriors from the sea, amphibious monsters and a host of other hostile and well meaning nick names. We also hold great pride in the deeds that were accomplished by those Marines that came before us and the legacy that they have provided and our steadfast determination to carry it with honor into the future. This book is not just an account of the battle for a small island in the Pacific 60 years ago. It is an account of the birth of the pride of the modern day Marine Corps. Out ability to locate, close with from ship to shore, and destroy the enemy. To Amphibiously Assault.
Rating:
Summary: All Marines should read this book.
Review: The Marine Corps as we all know takes great pride in our amphibious doctrine. We call our selves warriors from the sea, amphibious monsters and a host of other hostile and well meaning nick names. We also hold great pride in the deeds that were accomplished by those Marines that came before us and the legacy that they have provided and our steadfast determination to carry it with honor into the future. This book is not just an account of the battle for a small island in the Pacific 60 years ago. It is an account of the birth of the pride of the modern day Marine Corps. Out ability to locate, close with from ship to shore, and destroy the enemy. To Amphibiously Assault.
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