Crucible of Hell

by Saul David

ISBN: 9780008342517

Published: 2021-04

'Excellent' Antony Beevor 'Saul David is a brilliant historian ... In shocking and jaw-dropping detail, he brings a battle that deserves far greater prominence and understanding vividly back to life' James Holland From award-winning historian Saul David, an action-packed and powerful new narrative of the Battle of Okinawa - the last great clash of the Second World War, and one that had profound consequences for the modern world. For eighty-three blood-soaked days, the fighting on the island of Okinawa plumbed depths of savagery as bad as anything seen on the Eastern Front. When it was over, almost a quarter of a million people had lost their lives, making it by far the bloodiest US battle of the Pacific. In Okinawa, the death toll included thousands of civilians lost to mass suicide, convinced by Japanese propaganda that they would otherwise be raped and murdered by the enemy. On the US side, David argues that the horror of the battle ultimately determined President Truman's choice...