LIBRARY JOURNAL MARCH 15, 2000

Bradley, James with Ron Powers
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
Bantam, May 2000

This is the touching and emotional story of the most famous photograph to come out of World War II, the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945. Bradley is the son of one of the six men immortalized in that remarkable photo, and his gripping narrative, vivid descriptions and heartfelt style make this a powerful story of courage, humility and tragedy.

Bradley not only tells the epic deadly battle for that fortified volcanic island, he focuses on the lives of the six men whom fate placed together for the brief moment it took photographer Joe Rosenthal to snap that legendary picture. Three of the Marines were killed in combat just days later, the other two Marines and Navy Hospital Corpsman John Bradley survived the war only to face unwanted fame as reluctant heroes.

More than just a history of a famous battle, this is a poignant and fitting tribute to a loving father, to all Pacific War veterans and to the memory of those for whom "uncommon valor was a common virtue."

This book packs both a literary and historical punch and is highly recommended.