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Sign up todayThe Ultimate Battle
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Learn moreRespected historian Bill Sloan tells the full story of the Battle of Okinawa as it has never been told before, through the eyes of the men in battle.
Using the same grunt’s-eye-view narrative style of Sloan’s acclaimed Brotherhood of Heroes, The Ultimate Battle is the full story of the largest land-sea-air battle ever waged by the United States, a battle whose staggering casualties and take-no-prisoners ferocity led Truman to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. From April through June 1945, more than 250,000 American and Japanese lives were lost, including those of nearly 150,000 civilians who either committed suicide or were caught in the crossfire. This book tells a gripping story of heroism, sacrifice, and death.
Bill Sloan is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of more than a dozen books, the most recent being Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944—The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War and Given Up for Dead: America’s Heroic Stand at Wake Island. During his ten years as an investigative reporter and feature writer for the Dallas Times Herald, he covered many of the major events and personalities of the second half of the twentieth century and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.
Reviews
“Gripping. Authoritative. Masterfully told. I cannot praise this book highly enough.”
“Bill Sloan has a real feel for the human side of this horrific drama. He suggests there can never be such a battle again, and by the time you’ve finished reading, you will pray he’s right. A powerful, moving book.”
“A compelling, immensely evocative story…the defining battle of the Pacific War, seen primarily through the experiences of the sailors, soldiers, and airmen who suffered through it. This is a terrific work.”
“Memory of an epic battle that altered history has begun to fade. Yet, the fighting for Okinawa was so ferocious that it influenced America’s decision to use the atomic bomb. If Japan would fight so furiously for an island outpost, what would an invasion of the mainland cost? Bill Sloan answers that question in this close up, you-are-there account of the Pacific war’s ultimate struggle. Battle reportage at its finest.”
“Narrator Robertson Dean takes advantage of the chaos created by kamikaze attacks and bonsai charges to convey the desperation of the Japanese. His emotional level varies from almost shouting in battle to low whispers as men discuss the wounds of dying buddies while near them.”
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