Two Flags Over Iwo Jima

“An authoritative look at an event that has taken on a legendary status . . . [an] essential history for those wanting the truth behind the legend” (Publishers Weekly). Joe Rosenthal’s “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” photo is one of the best-known images of US war history—and a powerful symbol of patriotism. But the story of how the flag got there, and even the identity of the soldiers in the photo, has been muddied by history. Here, military historian Eric Hammel sets the record straight—viewing complex events through the lens of the story of the infantry company in which all the flag raisers served. The photo captures the moment that the first American flag flew over the core of Imperial Japanese territory on the top of Mount Suribachi. The focus of this book lies on the 28th Marine Regiment’s self-contained battle in February 1945 for Mount Suribachi, the 556-foot-high volcano on Iwo Jima. It was here that this one regiment defeated more than 1500 heavily armed Japanese combatants who were determined to hold the highest vantage point on the island. Two Flags over Iwo Jima reveals the all-but-forgotten first flag raising and the aftermath of the popularization campaign undertaken by the post-WWII Marine Corps and national press. Hammel attempts to untangle the various battles that led up to the first and second flag raisings, as well as follow the men of the 28th Marine Regiment in the events that took place after. The full story behind one of the most iconic photographs ever taken is revealed—along with the real heroism and stories of the men behind a dramatic moment captured in time. “A richly illustrated account . . . A must for World War II buffs.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America In this unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America. In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima—and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island's highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag. Now the son of one of the flagraisers has written a powerful account of six very different young men who came together in a moment that will live forever. To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following these men's paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific's most crucial island—an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man. But perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo—three were killed during the battle—were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley's father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: “The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn't come back. ” Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with keen insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.

Provides first-hand accounts and recollections of the two flag raisings on Iwo Jima during World War II.

Together, Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima tell the story behind one of history's most famous photographs, Leo Rosenthal's 'Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima'.

A member of the 28th Marines regiment that fought at Iwo Jima and raised the flags on Mt. Suribachi, Tedd Thomey offers here a fascinating, very personal story about the two photographers whose camera artistry captured the historic second flag raising. He describes with great sensitivity the triumphs and humiliations of Joe Rosenthal, the Associated Press photographer who became well known to the public but endured years of abuse from the media, which claimed he had staged his famous photo. A modest, highly ethical man, Rosenthal tried for years to ignore the unjust accusations but finally fought back. Thomey also tells the tragic story of the other photographer, Sgt. Bill Genaust, a Marine cinematographer whose immortal motion picture of the flag raising has been seen world-wide for half a century. Killed in battle nine days after the flag went up, Genaust was not publicly identified by the Marine Corps or given credit for his film classic, Thomey explains, until another Marine movie cameraman and Iwo survivor, Sgt. Harrold Weinberger, mounted a decades-long campaign. His efforts eventually succeeded in bringing honor to Genaust and in 1995 a bronze plaque atop Suribachi. The poignant story of Genaust's widow, Adelaide, is also told. A series of photos reproduced from Genaust's motion picture illustrates the book along with photographs by Rosenthal and of Iwo Jima today, taken by the author on a recent visit.

The New York Times bestselling chronicle of one of the most famous moments in American military history--the raising of the U. S. flag at Iwo Jima during World War II--now adapted for young adults. Read the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and strength of America and its armed forces. This is a penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, told with keen insight and enormous honesty —also a major motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood. In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima–and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire, they battled to the island’s highest peak. And there, they raised a flag, signaling a historic step towards the eventual defeat of the Axis powers of World War II. A powerful account of six very different men--three of which were killed in battle-- who came together in the heroic fight for the Pacific’s most crucial island. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the legacy of a hero, and the brutal cost of war.

"Investigating Iwo encourages us to explore the connection between American visual culture and World War II, particularly how the image inspired Marines, servicemembers, and civilians to carry on with the war and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure victory over the Axis Powers. Chapters shed light on the processes through which history becomes memory and gains meaning over time. The contributors ask only that we be willing to take a closer look, to remain open to new perspectives that can deepen our understanding of familiar topics related to the flag raising, including Rosenthal's famous picture, that continue to mean so much to us today"--