Navajo Code Talkers

by Nathan Aaseng, Roy O. Hawthorne (Introduction)

Overview

Navajo Code Talkers tells the story of this special group, who proved themselves to be among the bravest, most valuable, and most loyal of American soldiers during World War II.

On the Pacific front during World War II, strange messages were picked up by American and Japanese forces on land and at sea. The messages were totally unintelligible to everyone except a small select group within the Marine Corps: the Navajo code talkers-a group of Navajos communicating in a code based on the Navajo language. This code, the first unbreakable one in U.S. history, was a key reason that the Allies were able to win in the Pacific.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802776273
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	01/01/1994
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.95(h) x 0.35(d)
Lexile:	1170L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 15 Years

About the Author

Nathan Aaseng grew up in Minnesota and worked as a microbiologist for four years before becoming a writer. He has written over ninety books for young readers. He lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with his wife, Linda, and their four children.

Editorial Reviews

Few books so concisely summarize the Japanese advance and the American response to it, while none provides the same depth of insight into the conditions faced by these Navajo. . . . An important story, compellingly told.” —Kirkus (pointer review)

“A fascinating account that sheds light on a little-known contribution of the Navajos during World War II.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Gr 5-9-- A fascinating account that sheds light on a little-known contribution of the Navajos during World War II. A civil engineer who spent his childhood among them suggested that their language be used as a perfect unbreakable code. The result was one of the most secret and important aspects of U. S. intelligence work against the Japanese--Navajo code talking. Aaseng details the process by which native-speaking volunteers developed, learned, and used the complicated coding process to send and receive vital information even when the Japanese were intercepting the messages. He gives many examples of the dangers and prejudice the Native Americans faced in the armed services, as well as the special hardships they endured because of their cultural differences. The short, readable chapters are illustrated with photographs from the National Archives and the Library of Congress. This is a book that will appeal to a wide range of students--those interested in army intelligence and cryptography, and in World War II or Native American history. It should prove helpful for reports, but is interesting enough to recommend for recreational reading. --Yvonne A. Frey, Peoria Public Schools, IL

School Library Journal