Crucible of Hell: Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of the Second World War


Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
Narrator
Release Date
April 2020
Duration
15 hours 45 minutes
Summary
‘Excellent’ Antony Beevor




‘Saul David is a brilliant historian … In shocking and jaw-dropping detail, he brings a battle that deserves far greater prominence and understanding vividly back to life’ James Holland




From award-winning historian Saul David, an action-packed and powerful new narrative of the Battle of Okinawa – the last great clash of the Second World War, and one that had profound consequences for the modern world.



For eighty-three blood-soaked days, the fighting on the island of Okinawa plumbed depths of savagery as bad as anything seen on the Eastern Front. When it was over, almost a quarter of a million people had lost their lives, making it by far the bloodiest US battle of the Pacific. In Okinawa, the death toll included thousands of civilians lost to mass suicide, convinced by Japanese propaganda that they would otherwise be raped and murdered by the enemy. On the US side, David argues that the horror of the battle ultimately determined President Truman’s choice to use atomic bombs in August 1945.


It is a brutal, heart-rending story, and one David tells with masterly attention to detail: the cramped cockpit of a kamikaze plane, the claustrophobic gun turret of a warship under attack, and a half-submerged foxhole amidst the squalor and battle detritus. The narrative follows generals, presidents and emperors, as well as the humbler experiences of ordinary servicemen and families on both sides, and the Okinawan civilians who were caught so tragically between the warring parties.


Using graphic eyewitness accounts and declassified documents from archives in three continents, Saul David illuminates a shocking chapter of history that is too often missing from Western-centric narratives of the Second World War.
Crucible of Hell: Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of the Second World War
This title is due for release on April 2, 2020.

Enter your email below to be notified as soon as it is available!

By clicking "Notify Me" you consent to receiving electronic marketing communications from Audiobooks.com. You will be able to unsubscribe at any time.

Already a member? Log In to add this title to your wishlist.
Crucible of Hell: Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of the Second World War
This title is due for release on April 2, 2020
We'll send you an email as soon as it is available!

Already a member?
Log in to add this title in your wishlist
Crucible of Hell: Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of the Second World War
Please Log in and add this title to your wishlist.
Crucible of Hell: Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of the Second World War

We will send you an email as soon as this title is available.

1 book added to cart
Subtotal
$0.00
View Cart