Entertainment, Books - Navy Times

'Portrait of a Battle' goes inside Iwo

As a young student in the years after World War II, Eric Hammel's fascination with the battle of Iwo Jima began with Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal's iconic portrait of the second flag-raising atop Mount Suribachi.

But when the military historian and author of 30 books finally tackled the telling of that tale, he went beyond the story of the six Marine and Navy flag-raisers.

The resulting work, "Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle," is a valuable addition to the catalog of books devoted to the bloodiest battle of the Pacific island-hopping campaign, one that features more than 500 photographs -- including many never before published.

Where most Iwo examinations begin with the Feb. 19, 1945, amphibious assault and give the reader only a cursory glance at the bombing campaign that preceded the ground fight, Hammel examines the air interdiction effort that began in June 1944.

Military history buffs will also appreciate his close look at the Japanese buildup on Iwo.

And while the bulk of the book covers the battle itself, Hammel also takes a chapter to address the debate over the strategic value of the Iwo assault. In all, 6,821 U.S. troops were killed and 19,217 were wounded in the monthlong fight to claim the island as a U.S. staging site for aerial attacks on the Japanese home islands; Hammel addresses the questions surrounding the price we paid for the volcanic rock-turned-airfield.

Perhaps most intriguing, though, is his closing chapter, which includes eight photos of the island as it looks today. The photos, taken during a March 2005 visit, show an island covered in scrubby green vegetation that hides many of the scars of battle.

With hundreds of photos that bear close examination and essays that will satisfy those who already know the battle well, "Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle" is a welcome addition to any military history buff's library.

‘Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle.’ By Eric Hammel. Zenith Press. 256 pages. $40.