82 Days on Okinawa: One American's Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War's Greatest Battle

Art Shaw

ISBN 10: 006290745X / ISBN 13: 9780062907455

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2021

About this Item

"A gritty, first-person account. . One can hear Shaw?s voice as if he were sitting beside you." ?Wall Street JournalAn unforgettable soldier?s-eye view of the Pacific War?s bloodiest battle, by the first American officer ashore Okinawa. On Easter Sunday,April 1, 1945, 1.5 million men gathered aboard 1,500 Allied ships off the coastof the Japanese island of Okinawa. The men were there to launch the largestamphib­ious assault on the Pacific Theater. War planners expected an 80 percentcasualty rate.The first Americanofficer ashore was then-Major Art Shaw (1920-2020), a unit commander in the U.S. Army?s361st Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division, nicknamed theDeadeyes. For the next three months, Shaw and his men served near the frontlines of the Pacific?s costliest battle, their artillery proving decisiveagainst a phantom enemy who had entrenched itself in the rugged, craggy island.Over eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in acampaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. When the finalcalculations were made, the Deadeyes were estimated to have killed 37,763 ofthe enemy. The 361st Field Artillery Battalion had played a crucial role in thevictory. The campaign would be the last major battle of World War II and a keypivot point leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to theJapanese surrender in August, two months after the siege?s end.Filled withextraordinary details, Shaw?s gripping account gives lasting testimony to thecourage and bravery displayed by so many on the hills of Okinawa.

Seller Inventory # 00098847910

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 82 Days on Okinawa: One American's Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War's Greatest Battle
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006290745X
• ISBN 13: 9780062907455
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

"A gritty, first-person account. ... One can hear Shaw’s voice as if he were sitting beside you." —Wall Street Journal

An unforgettable soldier’s-eye view of the Pacific War’s bloodiest battle, by the first American officer ashore Okinawa. 

On Easter Sunday,
April 1, 1945, 1.5 million men gathered aboard 1,500 Allied ships off the coast
of the Japanese island of Okinawa. The men were there to launch the largest
amphib­ious assault on the Pacific Theater. War planners expected an 80 percent
casualty rate.

The first American
officer ashore was then-Major Art Shaw (1920-2020), a unit commander in the U.S. Army’s
361st Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division, nicknamed the
Deadeyes. For the next three months, Shaw and his men served near the front
lines of the Pacific’s costliest battle, their artillery proving decisive
against a phantom enemy who had entrenched itself in the rugged, craggy island.

Over eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in a
campaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. When the final
calculations were made, the Deadeyes were estimated to have killed 37,763 of
the enemy. The 361st Field Artillery Battalion had played a crucial role in the
victory. The campaign would be the last major battle of World War II and a key
pivot point leading to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to the
Japanese surrender in August, two months after the siege’s end.

Filled with
extraordinary details, Shaw’s gripping account gives lasting testimony to the
courage and bravery displayed by so many on the hills of Okinawa.

About the Authors

COLONEL ARTHUR “ART” SHAW (1920–2020) was a Field Artillery Unit Commander for the 361st Artillery Battalion of the 96th Division during the battles for Leyte and Okinawa. His numerous medals include the Bronze Star.

ROBERT L. WISE is the author of 34 books, including five which cover the World War II period.