From Publishers Weekly
Few battles in any war were as terrible as the February–March 1945 battle of Iwo Jima. Nearly 6,000 American marines and 21,000 Japanese soldiers died on the small Pacific island, and more than 17,000 Americans were wounded in the vicious fighting. This evocative memoir recounts the battle from the perspective of Mississippi author Lucas, who was one of 22 marines awarded the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima. Having finagled his way into the marines at 14, he was an undisciplined, hard-driving 17-year-old PFC when he performed the courageous act that earned him the nation's highest military award for valor. By throwing his body on top of two live grenades hurled at him and his four-man squad, Lucas saved the lives of the three other marines, though he was severely wounded. Though his flashbacks to his childhood and the dispiriting details of his tumultuous personal life following the war make the narrative lag at times, his re-creation of his part in the battle of Iwo Jima is the highlight of the book.
(May 29) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Fourteen-year-old Lucas joined the Marines in 1942 by forging his mothers signature on his enlistment papers. At age 15, he stowed away on a troopship destined for Iwo Jima, and a few days after his 17th birthday he threw himself on top of two grenades to save three fellow Marines and become the youngest soldier ever to receive the Medal of Honor.
Indestructible is more than a wartime memoir, although the detailed recounting of the Battle of Iwo Jima and Lucass recovery from his wounds are the strongest parts of the book. Reading this straightforward narrative is like sitting down with ones World War II veteran grandfather and hearing his stories. Despite meeting four U.S. presidents and being honored for his heroism, Lucas remains humble. His voice is proud and patriotic, but he also recognizes his own shortcomings and mistakes. Black-and-white photos from the National Archives and his family are included. This very readable volume would be a good complement to a curriculum on the war.
–Sondra VanderPloeg, Tracy Memorial Library, New London, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
