In February 1945, some 80,000 U.S. Marines attacked the heavily 
defended fortress that the Japanese had constructed on the tiny 
Pacific island of Iwo Jima. Leaders of the Army Air Forces said 
they needed the airfields there to provide fighter escort for their B-
29 bombers. At the cost of 28,000 American casualties, the 3rd, 
4th, and 5th Marine Divisions dutifully conquered this desolate 
piece of hell with a determination and sacrifice that have become 
legendary in the annals of war, immortalized in the photograph of 
six Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi.

    But the Army Air Forces' fighter operations on Iwo Jima 
subsequently proved both unproductive and unnecessary. After the 
fact, a number of other justifications were generated to rationalize 
this tragically expensive battle. Ultimately, misleading statistics 
were presented to contend that the number of lives saved by B-29 
emergency landings on Iwo Jima outweighed the cost of its 
capture.

    In The Ghosts of Iwo Jima, Captain Robert S. Burrell 
masterfully reconsiders the costs of taking Iwo Jima and its role in 
the war effort. His thought-provoking analysis also highlights the 
greater contribution of Iwo Jima's valiant dead: They inspired a 
reverence for the Marine Corps that proved critical to its 
institutional survival and its embodiment of American national 
spirit. From the 7th War Loan Campaign of 1945 through the flag-
raising at Ground Zero in 2001, the immortal image of Iwo Jima 
has become a symbol of American patriotism itself.

    Burrell's searching account of this fabled island conflict will 
advance our understanding of World War II and its continuing 
legacy for the twenty-first century. At last, the battle's ghosts may 
unveil its ultimate, and most crucial, lessons.

_________________________________________________________

Since 1989, Marine Captain ROBERT S. BURRELL has served in 
various enlisted and officer assignments, at home and overseas. He 
holds a Masters degree in history and has taught naval history at 
the U.S. Naval Academy. His published research on Iwo Jima has 
received awards from both the Society of Military History and the 
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.


Number 102: Texas A&M University Military History Series


What people are saying about this book

". . . thoughtful and carefully researched. . . ."—Marine Corps 
Gazette, July 2007

" . . . fascinating . . . exceptionally well-researched. . . . The Ghosts 
of Iwo Jima is  first and  foremost a superb book providing fresh 
insight into a frequently studied battle. Yet it is much more. Burrell's 
description of the strategic intrigue, compromises, and deal-making 
associated with this operation is neither pretty nor appealing. 
However, at  the end of the day, these decisions and their outcomes 
are reflective of the tough challenges faced by strategic leaders then 
as well as today. The book illuminates the human dimension of 
strategic leadership and exposes the challenges associated with 
performing in a strategic environment characterized by volatility, 
uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. While Burrell's research and 
presentation reveal unflattering aspects associated with the battle 
for Iwo Jima, it does not denigrate or diminish the personal courage, 
sacrifice, and valor demonstrated by so many who participated, and 
rightfully  so."—Parameters, Summer 2007

". . . profoundly well written and thoroughly researched."—Robert E. 
"Bob" Allen, author and former member of the 1st Battalion, 28th 
Regiment

"[Burrell's] analysis and conclusions will revolutionize current 
scholarship in this area and have a significant impact on a wide 
range of issues, including topics beyond Iwo Jima . . . This book 
should have a dramatic impact on scholarly and public views of the 
campaign and larger issues such as strategic planning and decision-
making during the war."—Col. Jon T. Hoffman, USMCR, former 
deputy director of the Marine Corps History and Museum Division 
and author of Chesty: The Story of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Puller