{"product_id":"82-days-on-okinawa-one-americans-unforgettable-firsthand-account-of-the-pacific-wars-greatest-battle-isbn-9780062907455","title":"82 Days on Okinawa: One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A gritty, first-person account. ... One can hear Shaw’s voice as if he were sitting beside you.\" —\u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn unforgettable soldier’s-eye view of the Pacific War’s bloodiest battle, by\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e the first American officer ashore Okinawa. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Easter Sunday,\u003cbr\u003eApril 1, 1945, 1.5 million men gathered aboard 1,500 Allied ships off the coast\u003cbr\u003eof the Japanese island of Okinawa. The men were there to launch the largest\u003cbr\u003eamphib­ious assault on the Pacific Theater. War planners expected an 80 percent\u003cbr\u003ecasualty rate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first American\u003cbr\u003eofficer ashore was then-Major Art Shaw (1920-2020), a unit commander in the U.S. Army’s\u003cbr\u003e361st Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division, nicknamed the\u003cbr\u003eDeadeyes. For the next three months, Shaw and his men served near the front\u003cbr\u003elines of the Pacific’s costliest battle, their artillery proving decisive\u003cbr\u003eagainst a phantom enemy who had entrenched itself in the rugged, craggy island.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in a\u003cbr\u003ecampaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. When the final\u003cbr\u003ecalculations were made, the Deadeyes were estimated to have killed 37,763 of\u003cbr\u003ethe enemy. The 361st Field Artillery Battalion had played a crucial role in the\u003cbr\u003evictory. The campaign would be the last major battle of World War II and a key\u003cbr\u003epivot point leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to the\u003cbr\u003eJapanese surrender in August, two months after the siege’s end.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFilled with\u003cbr\u003eextraordinary details, Shaw’s gripping account gives lasting testimony to the\u003cbr\u003ecourage and bravery displayed by so many on the hills of Okinawa.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“A comprehensive and action-packed memoir of the Battle of Okinawa…This dual perspective gives the book a wide-angled view that’s unusual in a soldier’s battle memoir…a satisfying presentation of the bloodiest battle in the Pacific Theater of WWII.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A vivid re-creation of a campaign so vicious that the soldiers involved rejoiced when they heard about Hiroshima.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A gritty, first-person account remembered from the vantage point of 75 years later. One can hear Shaw’s voice as if he were sitting beside you reminiscing through misty eyes about the defining moments of his youth.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"World War II aficionados will love this book.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003e82 Days on Okinawa\u003c\/em\u003e is a personal view of war that is heartfelt and poignant. Col. Shaw’s account of the day-to-day grind brings new life to the historical record. His reflections of home and his longing to return, interspersed with the upcoming engagements, make for an impactful narrative. A fine autobiography\/history book for all to enjoy.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePortland Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889431441637,"sku":"NP9780062907455","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062907455.jpg?v=1730231239","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/82-days-on-okinawa-one-americans-unforgettable-firsthand-account-of-the-pacific-wars-greatest-battle-isbn-9780062907455","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}