Customer Reviews

Flags of Our Fathers

5 star:		(349)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

A son's journey to discover why one of the famous "Iwo Jima six" rejects his hero status. The battle itself is covered as well as the historic flag raising moment perfectly captured by the famous photograph.

Bradley then ventures into controversial detail of the exploitation of the the six soldiers in the photograph into the army's rally cry to recruit and support it's campaign. Many see this an unpatriotic attempt to devalue the US army (especially by those who watched the movie). But that is the main purpose why Bradley's father chooses to live his life anonymously. He rejects his hero status to prevent the exploitation of his name to further the cause of war.

I'm surprised that Clint Eastwood chose to make this a movie. Bradley's intent in the book is clear, and the movie just amplified his unpopular opinion thousand-fold. No wonder it did so poorly in the box office...

This book is the best world war 2 book i have ever read to date. This book takes you at an in depth look and the whole history behind the actual picture that was taken that will always be a piece of american history. The details of the battle scenes in the book can make you sick to your stomach at certain point, and even make your eyes water from reading it. This book has everything, emotion, action, and a overall great read.

This book is one of the best accounts of Iwo Jima that I have ever read. It tells the story as if you were there, and you feel almost sick to your stomach learning of how these poor marines were dying and yet they kept fighting on. It is about Iwo Jima but i believe it to be a tribute to John Bradley, the father of James Bradley the author. It tells the story of him and the other 5 flag raisers and what happened to them througout there lives. But to me this was the story of John and I felt that i connected with him from his earlier years as a boy through his corpsmen training throught the 7th bond collection tour. I understood John and why he never talked about his ordeal at Iwo Jima, the flag raising, and the navy cross he was awarded. If you have to read a book, read FLags of Our Fathers, its simply a great read.

This book is not about a battle, or the tactics used; this book is about six Marines who will forever be immortalized in the picture of the flag being raised on Iwo Jima. It tells their story of having grown up during the Great Depression were then called upon to fight facism in Europe and the Pacific. The story begins with the author's account of his own father Jack Bradley, a Corpsman serving with the Marines. Awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest honor for bravery, he never mentioned it to his family. Nor did he speak about his part in the Iwo Jima campaign. With quiet dignity he tried to live his life out in peace; this is what is truely amazing!

The book also describes the lives of the other two survivors - the other three never made it off Iwo Jima - and how they tried to deal with their new found fame.

This book speaks to the heart and every generation will be touch by this story.

I had to read this book for an Honors English class, and it was horribly boring! Yes, the information provided is accurate, but Bradly wrote it in such a way that it was just a pain in the behind to read.

I was skeptical before picking up this book, but I'm very glad I did in the end. The story follows the men who posted the flag on the island of Iwo Jima. For those who don't know, the monument in Washington D.C. of the men sticking a flag in the ground is actually these men. Bradley does a great job of introducing the characters in the book, one being his father. It's interesting none of the men tried to claim fame for this great feat. If you are interested in World War II, you must read this. I blew through this book in about 3 days. It is easily one of the best books I have ever read, and probably the best WWII book I have read!

Having recently studied World War II in my American History class, this book helped to bring the facts down to a personal level. Until opening this book, the famous Iwo Jima picture was just that- famous. I had never heard any of the names of the men in the picture. I simply had memorized all of the necessary information needed to pass the Pacific theater test. This book put a face behind the facts. I learned how passionate these men were about their country. Men (or actually children, I guess) were lying about their age so they could be sent overseas to fight for their country! Boys younger than I were giving up their life for their country. That's insane! I guess I simply cannot understand the feeling. This book helped me to begin to understand. The pain and suffering that these men felt, and continue to feel is unimaginable. No wonder they didn't want to talk. No wonder many of them came home and just wanted to get on with life.
An issue that was touched upon several times throughout the book was the concept of being a hero. These men are heroes. No matter what anyone says and no matter how many times each of the flag raisers denied it, I believe that they are heroes. But these six aren't the only heroes. Every American that risked their life for freedom is a hero. And until I read this book, I didn't understand the price of freedom.

Flags of Our Fathers painted a vivid picture in my mind of what soldiers went through during the battle at Iwo Jima.

Having just learned about WWII in history class, some of the information in this book wasn't new to me. However, James Bradley focuses the book on six soldiers who fought in this battle and are seen throughout the United States in the famous photo of six young men raising the American Flag on top of Mount Suribachi. Bradley gives us the background of each of these six heroic men, and tells about all their battles and how they all end up together in Iwo Jima. He gives you an inside look at the tragedies that Americans not in the war did not know about.

It is also easy for a reader to see what the effects of war are on the brave souls that risk their lives to protect. James Bradley, who's father was John Bradley, one of the six flagraisers, experienced his fathers behavior after he returned from the war. He talks about how the photo becamse seen all over the USA but how his father never mentioned it, or talked about it. The thought of the war was too much for him to relive.

Overall, Flags of Our Fathers gives readers an inside and deeper look into what the Battle at Iwo Jima and the rest of the war was like. It shows you how these 6 normal men, ended up being seen all through the USA and how they were forever remembered through the statue built to resemble them putting in the flag. The book is history with heart. It draws the reader in, and provokes feelings for these men and others that fought in the war. Even for teenagers like myself, this book painted a vivid picture of what it was like to experience a tragedy such as war and then have to live the remainder of your life with those images in your head. All Americans should take time to read this amazing book.

Having just studied WWII in class, reading this book was educational, and most of all, inspiring. The boys who fought this war were no longer images, they became real people to me as I read. I came away with a more appreciative feeling towards our veterans. They fought so hard for their country, against a relentless and, at times, cruel enemy. Yet they gave all that they could for their country.

James Bradley is the son of Navy Corpsman Jack "Doc" Bradley. On February 19, 1945 Doc stormed the beach of Iwo Jima with the U.S. Marines amphibious landing units. Shortly thereafter, Doc Bradley was frozen in time by "The Photograph" taken by John Rosenthal of the Associated Press. "The Photograph," of course is of the six gung ho men who raised the replacement flag on Mount Suribachi.

"Flags of Our Fathers," is about the Marines bloody battle for Iwo Jima where uncommon valor was common. This book is also about the six men who raised the flag...how only three survived the battle...and how the others survived after the war was won. All in all, the American victory at Iwo Jima hastened the end of the war in the Pacific. But the price was horrific. American soldiers killed about 21,000 Japanese on Iwo Jima but suffered more than 26,000 casualties doing so. Making it the only battle in the Pacific where the invaders suffered higher casualties than the defenders.

The author does extensive research and interviews. To this end, this book captures the tremendous bravery of the young men who fought in the battle for Iwo Jima. In the process, the author discovers after his father's death that "Doc" was awarded the "Navy Cross" but modestly never mentioned it to his family.

The six flagraisers: Mike Strank, Marlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Jack Bradley and Franklin Sousley are given special attention. Author James Bradley retraces the lives of his father and the other five flagraisers in great detail. The result is a sensitive and fascinating narrative. This is a special book that properly documents that the generation of men and women who united to win the war in the Pacific were indeed the best we have ever seen. The author also graciously adds to the legendary glory of the U.S. Marine Corps. Recommended.

Bert Ruiz