The Final Storm by Jeff Shaara Following his trilogy on the war in Europe, Shaara wrote this historical novel about the Okinawa campaign. The story principally follows Clay Adams of the Sixth Marine Division. But other historical figures make appearances such as Admiral Chester Nimitz, Generals Curtis LeMay and Simon Bolivar Buckner, and also the Japanese General Mitsuru Ushijima. After an opening chapter which tells the story of a submarine attack on a Japanese ship, the author moves to the preliminaries of the Okinawa invasion. Shaara follows Adams through the landing and the Marine attack to clear northern Okinawa. In part II, the action moves south with the Marines to the Shuri Castle Line. After the end of the battle on Okinawa, part III focuses on the Enola Gay and the mission to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This is a great novel, with sections that are fantastic, but I felt the author spent too much time on the less consequential battles in northern Okinawa, particularly at the expense of action in the air and at sea that were more significant. The only view of the Kamikaze onslaught is that held by the soldiers and Marines ashore.
Slay, it was an excellent book, realistically written. I am just starting the second book in the 3 book series, "One year after"
War Beneath the Waves by Don Keith. "In Combat, there are many surprises. Personality traits come to the fore. One's own behavior might bring unsuspected bravery or unsuspected fear. Men who had been shipmates for years found it almost impossible to believe on reacted in a specific manner. Cover was stripped away. Some hard rock toughs wilted temporarily while meeker shipmates might become leaders. Men who face death together are more tolerant of each other. We were thankful that we had control over fear and rage." -- Chief Petty Officer Charley T. Odom. On a dark night in November 1943, somewhere south of hell in Makassar Strait, the submarine USS Billfish experienced a deadly depth charge attack by Japanese anti-submarine vessels. The first six charges caused critical damage, complicating the task of evasion and survival. Then matters grew worse. The captain and the executive officer fell apart as they stood watch in the conning tower. The third officer went berserk and had to be sedated. That left the 4th officer, the engineer and diving officer, to take control, to save the ship and evade the enemy. Meanwhile Chief Odom and Chief John Rendernick performed the ordinary miracles of damage control in the after torpedo room and the engine spaces. Thanks to these men, USS Billfish and her crew would live to fight another day. But the secret of what really happened would not be revealed for almost 60 years. Only then would the three men most responsible for saving their submarine get the recognition they deserved. A fascinating story and an excellent book.
Unfinished Tales. J.R.R Tolkien. Bit of a very heavy read. been reading it along with a far less indepth book as its too much to read in one go.