Flags of Our Fathers

Flags of our Fathers

This book retells the renowned story of the six flag raisers on Iwo Jima. They were six simple American boys who were trying to make a difference by fighting in WWII to defend their homes. When the boys were young they didn't know each other, but when heat of war began on Iwo Jima, they soon became brothers for the rest of their lives. They all knew each other and tried to watch over each other during battle. Throughout the book, you learn about all of the challenges that they faced and how they overcame. They grew up apart, but they became one and went down in history together. Throughout this book there is a lot of heartache, but all of the soldiers learn to overcome this pain through unity. Every single soldier learns from day one that everything is about unity. Nothing works as well if it is just an individual. The best success comes from working together and trusting the ones around you. Without your team mates you might end up dead and everyone knew that their brothers needed help just as much as they did. They could always count on each other and always trusted one another. The part that I liked most about this book was the heroic tales. The story of the flag rising on Iwo is a very popular story, but a lot of times you do not hear about what went on before these six boys had the chance to raise this flag. This battle was all about who had more guts and who was willing to go the farthest and sacrifice the most to achieve their goal. Young American men would throw their bodies on live grenades just to save lives. They all knew that the death of one was much better than the loss of twenty. Every single American was fighting for the same things and knew that they would do what they had to do in order to win the war. One thing I didn't like about this book was it was so long. You can't really change that though because you need all that information to be able to know what's going on. I also liked how much detail James Bradley put into this book. I felt like I was there and watching it happen. I couldn't imagine what those soldiers went through when they got home. Seeing that many soldiers die would be traumatic. I thought it was amazing that he got all this information by going around the country looking for people who knew the six flag raisers and then writing a book about it. I believe that someone could easily pick this book up and start reading it because it tells the storey that we all know about, but not in great detail, which is where this novel comes in to fill the gaps. When looking for a book along the same lines as Flags of our Fathers you can pick up Flyboys also written by James Bradley. I would give the book an overall 4.5 stars out of 5 solely because it can get long and dry, but quickly then makes up for it by bringing you back into the heat of battle.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Flags of our Fathers A tale of the greatest generation of American

The memoir Flags of our Fathers, which spent 46 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list by James Bradley, was, in my opinion, a great book. It is not a regular memoir in, but it is a snapshot of an important part of the lives of the people involved. It was pieced together by the author using journals, diaries, pictures, records, and the accounts of eyewitnesses and family members. The Author is not actually part of the story, but the events and facts are true. The book was about the six flag raisers on Iwo-Jima made immortal by the famous photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal. The book tells the story of these inspirational men, and specifically John Bradley, the author's father.
WWII was a war with many remarkable and savage battles, but few match the battle of
Iwo-Jima. Iwo-Jima is an 8 square mile island controlled by Japan, when the U.S attacked, the Japanese fortified the island and swore not to give ground. The fighting conditions were terrible for the marines and morale was low, however, several U.S marines climbed mount Surabachi, a center point of Japanese resistance, and raised an American flag for all to see. The event was captured forever by Joe Rosenthal, who took a photo of the six men hoisting the flag together. The book tells the tale of each of these men's journey in the battle, as they experience the horrors of war in the pacific theater, the brutal part of WWII that took place in the sandy beaches and steaming jungles of the pacific islands, and how they deal with the brutality around them, as described by John Bradley talking about his friend, "The Japanese took him underground and tortured him.it something I've always tried to forget." Several of them simply could not deal with the sights they saw and the things they did, sinking into depression or become dependant on alcohol. Only one man lived a long, untroubled life, and that was by completely locking up the memories of that traumatic chapter of his life, never speaking of it or making public appearances after the war bond drives. This is part of the message of the book: War is a terrible thing, and it affects people very seriously. I would recommend this book to some seventh graders but not all due to the strong violent content.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Reading

This is US History at it's best. This book is about true American's are made of. Nuff said!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

My brother wanted this book so bad so my dad got it for him. I was sitting playing angry birds then i got bored and clicked flags of our father. I started to read it.... it was so intersing. GET IT IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD? I PROMISE YOU. But don't get it if you don't want to thats just my opinom.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Glad to have read this book.

Written by a son of one of the flagraisers and yet he did not glorify those 6. This book is true to the core.

To all those who fight for our country, thank you for your bravery.

Saepe Expertus. Semper Fidelis.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Flags of our Fathers

This book retells the renowned story of the six flag raisers on Iwo Jima. They were six simple American boys who were trying to make a difference by fighting in WWII to defend their homes. When the boys were young they didn't know each other, but when heat of war began on Iwo Jima, they soon became brothers for the rest of their lives. They all knew each other and tried to watch over each other during battle. Throughout the book, you learn about all of the challenges that they faced and how they over came. They grew up apart, but they became one and went down in history together. Throughout this book there is a lot of heartache, but all of the soldiers learn to over come this pain through unity. Every single soldier learns form day one that everything is about unity. Nothing works as well if it is just an individual. The best success comes from working together and trusting the ones around you. Without your team mates you might end up dead and everyone knew that their brothers needed help just as much as they did. The could always count on each other and always trusted one another. The part that I liked most about this book was the heroic tales. The story of the flag raising on Iwo is a very popular story, but a lot of times you do not hear about what went on before these six boys had the chance to raise this flag. This battle was all about who had more guts and who was willing to go the farthest and sacrifice the most to achieve their goal. Young American men would throw their bodies on live grenades just to save lives. They all knew that the death of one was much better than the loss of twenty. Every single American was fighting for the same things and knew that they would do what they had to do in order to win the war. They would not let anyone or anything stand in their way. Personally I loved the book, but I did have one dislike. At points, the book was hard to follow. It seemed to jump around a lot and it was hard to get a grasp on when what they were talking about happened. All of the events were very thought catching, but it could be hard to understand if you were to get lost. I think this book is be very educational. For someone that is not completely sure about what happened on Iwo Jima, this book could help clear up anything that you are confused about. The only reason someone might not want to read this book is because of some of the gruesome depictions. Another book that is good and very closely related to this book is "Letters from Iwo Jima". This book tells the same story, but it is from the Japanese point of view. Overall I would give Flags of our Fathers a five star rating for its excellent ability to keep the reader interested.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Review for Flags of our Fathers

It was only a replacement flag, but became the flag in the most famous photograph in history. Flags of Our Fathers begins in 1998, when James Bradley, son of one of the flag-raisers, travels to Iwo Jima to post a memorial to his father, John Bradley. But where the story truly begins is on a cold February day in 1945. Two days after the Marines landed on Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, five Marines and one Navy Corpsman placed a replacement flag on top of Mt. Suribachi.
The photographer, Joe Rosenthal, wasn't even sure he got the photograph. He wouldn't know for weeks because the film would need to be air-lifted to Hawaii for processing before it was sent back to the States. The photo itself was only of the replacement flag anyway. The commander of the Marine force had ordered the original flag replaced because the Secretary of the Navy wanted it. The commander felt it belonged to the Marines. What happened next would stun the flag-raisers who survived. Days later the photo would circulate the globe, announcing that the Marines had taken Iwo Jima even though the battle had barely begun. For a nation tired of war, this didn't matter. The photo gave them hope, a hope they desperately needed to continue the war. Only three of the flagraisers would survive the battle; three died within days of raising the new flag.

Major Messages and Themes: It is also a very human story. It's a very personal story of how human beings learn to cope with the most horrific events imaginable. While one of these men seeks further fame for his role in the picture, the two remaining survivors struggle to return to "life as normal". Post Traumatic Stress Disorder wasn't a term these survivors knew. They struggled in silence to deal with horrors they couldn't understand.

I liked the book in that it was a true story in what these men had to do for their country and how they had to go through all of the horrors that were on Iwo Jima, everyone who likes to learn about history or just want a good read should read this book to have a good reading experience. My overall rating i would say this book is a 9 out of 10.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Flags of Our Fathers is Amazing

This story brings to life the truth of the flagraising on Iwo Jima. It tells the struggles of the six young men who were captured in a moment in time. How thier lifes seemed to be under the rule of this image that was sadly mistaken by the people of America. It shows how an action can be totally miscontrued by the viewers. Iliked this book because it shows the real stuggles of real people.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Powerful, Hard To Put Down

'Flags of Our Fathers' is one of the most moving novels I have ever read on the subject of World War Two. As a fan of European Theatre battles, I had no idea what I would get into when I bought this book. 'Flags of Our Fathers' touched me like no war novel has ever done. From the beginning chapters to the very end, I found myself glued to the book, finding it difficult to put down. James Bradley should be very proud and honored by the actions of his father and the many men who fought and died to keep this country free. I only wish that I had read this novel sooner.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Abby

I have never read it

awesome

Cool

SEMPER FI

I'm learning about this in History class in 8th grade and my friend is reading this for a project she told me to read it because it helps you to understand what happened during that time better than our text books. My dad was a Marine and my grandfather was in the Navy. I have the greatest respect for those serving to protect our country. SEMPER FI.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Could not put it down

I go to DC every three years and see the Drum and Bugle Corp and the Silent Drill at the memorial. I will see this wonderful memorial in a different light now. Seeing these men as individuals, and the awful things they saw gives me even more appreciation for them!!! This book is a must read before going to DC!

I luv the book but..

OMG u people who abuse the reviews by putting cat crap are annoying! This is to write about what you thought of the book, not what powers a cat has! Anyways, Flags of Our Fathers is an amazing book used to tell the stories of the men who raised the replacement flag on Mt. Suribachi during World War II. But it akso tells of what it really was like on Iwo Jima by having true stories of the hell the Marines on the beach were going through. It provides descriptions of the strategies used by Marines and Japs that made controlling Iwo so hard abd why it was critical that it be captured. It follows the young men from their birth with as much as the author knows to when they die in battle or come home. It tells of the aftereffects that the war has on the people that make it home and why the horrors the witnesed made them. Its awesome.

I found this book to be quite interesting. It covers the horrors

I found this book to be quite interesting. It covers the horrors of war, propaganda and how family members deal with the things that have affected their loved ones. I thought the book was much better than the movie.

Good Read

This book described the trials of war and tribulations of homecoming adjustments.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow

If I get this book will it be good
Alot of seem to like it
I think i will like this book

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Flags Of Our Fathers was a great read!

This book started out by giving a background on all the men that participated in the famous flag raising on Iwo Jima. After that the story got going, and the author narrated the battle on Iwo Jima. The story ended with the lives after Iwo Jima of the 3 men that survived. A major theme in the book was that courage is not always what we see it as; sometimes it is exaggerated, or misunderstood. What, I did not like about this book was how long it took before any action occurred. The background of the soldiers was extremely long, and it seemed that it should have been shortened (I lost focus). Also, the ending of the book is rather repetitive, and things are repeated to the point of monotony. After the boring part in the beginning though, it was very interesting to read about the action, and how all of it played out. I found it hard to put the book down, because I wanted to see what happens next. This book gives you have a whole different perspective on the flag raising statue in that you feel more connected to it, but also you understand that the veterans did not think highly of it, and that it was only a replacement flag, so you will have mixed feelings when you see the statue after reading this. It is hard to follow all of the battle routes and people that James Bradley talks about, but the pictures in the story help, so don't worry when you start reading. If you like hardcore war stories that are filled with action, this is probably not the best book for you. But, if like to read dramatic/powerful stories, this is good for you (other than a bit of a challenge to understand the battle sections) because there is a lot of drama with the young soldiers going to war, some not coming back, and love stories of the survivors coming home. I do not read very many non-fiction books, so I can only recommend a fiction book, but if you like the balance of war and drama, I would suggest reading The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins and the whole series to go with it. The series definitely has drama, but balances it out with action and war.

An awesome read!

I would suggest this book to someone who likes American history. This book goes into depth and talks about the horrors of Iwo Jima. Over all I enjoyed reading Flags of our Fathers and would highly reccomnend reading it.

Amazing book!

If you our someone who loves istory like myself then Flags of our Father is a great read for you. It explains and uncovors one of the greatest moments in American history.This is a great book and i suggest this to almost anyone.