'We had to take that island to speed the end of the war against Japan.'



But the capture of Iwo Jima had come at great cost. Sixty-thousand marines had landed on the barren, volcanic island that was five miles long and two and half miles wide. For five weeks these men would become involved in some of the bloodiest and fiercest fighting of the Second World War.



One third of them would end the battle either dead or wounded.



The U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima, written by five official marine combat writers who personally saw action on the island, provides vivid insight into the battle that was described as 'a nightmare in hell.'



Henri and his fellow correspondents provide a step-by-step chronological overview of the battle as it was fought.



They begin with an outline of the months of preparation that were undertaken before the first gun was fired before providing details on how the generals and admirals put their plans into action.



Every aspect of the conflict is covered by the authors who interviewed many of the frontline troops to gain a sense of what the battle was like witnessed from the marines on the ground.