Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945
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- Author：Ian W. Toll
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Summary
In June 1944， the United States launched a crushing assault on the Japanese navy in the Battle of the Philippine Sea。 The capture of the Mariana Islands and the accompanying ruin of Japanese carrier airpower marked a pivotal moment in the Pacific War。 No tactical masterstroke or blunder could reverse the increasingly lopsided balance of power between the two combatants。 The War in the Pacific had entered its endgame。
Beginning with the Honolulu Conference， when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with his Pacific theater commanders to plan the last phase of the campaign against Japan， Twilight of the Gods brings to life the harrowing last year of World War II in the Pacific， when the U。S。 Navy won the largest naval battle in history; Douglas MacArthur made good his pledge to return to the Philippines; waves of kamikazes attacked the Allied fleets; the Japanese fought to the last man on one island after another; B-29 bombers burned down Japanese cities; and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were vaporized in atomic blasts。
Ian W。 Toll’s narratives of combat in the air， at sea， and on the beaches are as gripping as ever， but he also reconstructs the Japanese and American home fronts and takes the reader into the halls of power in Washington and Tokyo， where the great questions of strategy and diplomacy were decided。
Drawing from a wealth of rich archival sources and new material， Twilight of the Gods casts a penetrating light on the battles， grand strategic decisions and naval logistics that enabled the Allied victory in the Pacific。 An authoritative and riveting account of the final phase of the War in the Pacific， Twilight of the Gods brings Toll’s masterful trilogy to a thrilling conclusion。 This prize-winning and best-selling trilogy will stand as the first complete history of the Pacific War in more than twenty-five years， and the first multivolume history of the Pacific naval war since Samuel Eliot Morison’s series was published in the 1950s。
Beginning with the Honolulu Conference， when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with his Pacific theater commanders to plan the last phase of the campaign against Japan， Twilight of the Gods brings to life the harrowing last year of World War II in the Pacific， when the U。S。 Navy won the largest naval battle in history; Douglas MacArthur made good his pledge to return to the Philippines; waves of kamikazes attacked the Allied fleets; the Japanese fought to the last man on one island after another; B-29 bombers burned down Japanese cities; and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were vaporized in atomic blasts。
Ian W。 Toll’s narratives of combat in the air， at sea， and on the beaches are as gripping as ever， but he also reconstructs the Japanese and American home fronts and takes the reader into the halls of power in Washington and Tokyo， where the great questions of strategy and diplomacy were decided。
Drawing from a wealth of rich archival sources and new material， Twilight of the Gods casts a penetrating light on the battles， grand strategic decisions and naval logistics that enabled the Allied victory in the Pacific。 An authoritative and riveting account of the final phase of the War in the Pacific， Twilight of the Gods brings Toll’s masterful trilogy to a thrilling conclusion。 This prize-winning and best-selling trilogy will stand as the first complete history of the Pacific War in more than twenty-five years， and the first multivolume history of the Pacific naval war since Samuel Eliot Morison’s series was published in the 1950s。
Reviews
Jeff Morse
，
Fantastic， fun read！
Josh
，
A fitting end to a masterful trilogy。 Thoroughly enjoyed these volumes。
Patrick Figorito
，
A comprehensive history of tha last year of war with Japan。 Good but quite a few repeating passages。
Ronald Golden
，
If you are interested in a detailed account of the final years of the Pacific War， the third volume of this trilogy by Ian Toll is for you。 It covers detailed aspects of the war including the Philippines campaigns， the mid-Pacific island battles， as well as some of the political aspects of the war from both the American and Japanese prospectives。 I thought I knew a lot about this piece of history but I learned a lot more from this book。 Going on to read volume one now。
Karl Hafer， Jr。
，
928 pages covering just one year？ After reading this， I marvel at how he kept it that "short。" "Twilight of the Gods" is among the finest works of military history I have read and it also ends a remarkable trilogy covering the Pacific War （"Pacific Crucible” （2011） and “The Conquering Tide” （2015） cover the first years of the war）。 One of the skills the author uses with great effect is his ability to provide the reader with a sense of scale。 While the pacific campaigns were nominally a theater o 928 pages covering just one year？ After reading this， I marvel at how he kept it that "short。" "Twilight of the Gods" is among the finest works of military history I have read and it also ends a remarkable trilogy covering the Pacific War （"Pacific Crucible” （2011） and “The Conquering Tide” （2015） cover the first years of the war）。 One of the skills the author uses with great effect is his ability to provide the reader with a sense of scale。 While the pacific campaigns were nominally a theater of a much larger， global war， Toll is quick to point out how very little most rank and file soldiers fighting throughout the Pacific cared。 The Japanese were their enemy and this was their war。 The book is also imbued with a keen understanding of where scholarship has changed or matured in the recent past。 Either by a reexamination of previously known works， or new sources that have not， until this book， had great influence on the history of the war。 There are so many aspects of this book that have lodged in my mind， particularly the context provided around major decisions: both Allied and Japanese。 。。。more
Dennis L。 Roberts
，
Great Historical SeriesI thoroughly enjoyed this series， it gave me a more complete understanding of the Pacific war。 This filled in my knowledge of the war and the empty spaces in my understanding of it。 My father served in the Pacific on a heavy cruiser and an escort carrier， reading this series greatly enhanced the stories he related to me about his service in the navy。
Jonathan
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The culminating volume of Ian Toll's magnificent trilogy on the naval war against Japan in WWII by the US Navy， and his works are certainly worth the time taken to read them。 The vast theater with vast forces deployed isn't an easy war to sum up， complicated as it was with a divided American command structure， enormous and ever-growing forces， and the fact that the region's lack of development made logistical support difficult， which the Americans duly solved with what can only be called brute f The culminating volume of Ian Toll's magnificent trilogy on the naval war against Japan in WWII by the US Navy， and his works are certainly worth the time taken to read them。 The vast theater with vast forces deployed isn't an easy war to sum up， complicated as it was with a divided American command structure， enormous and ever-growing forces， and the fact that the region's lack of development made logistical support difficult， which the Americans duly solved with what can only be called brute force logistics。 The book covers Leyte Gulf， Iwo Jima， the liberation of the Philippines， Okinawa and the Kamikazes， and the atomic attacks。 Toll takes the time to describe what the Americans' experiences in this strange new world （give or take Australia and New Zealand） were like， and his narrations of the battles are amongst the best。 Naval history at its finest。 。。。more
Matthew De
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I really enjoyed reading Twilight of the Gods。 It was very researched and well written。
J。S。
，
This is an outstanding finale to Ian Toll's 3 volume history of WWII in the Pacific。 It covers roughly from mid 1944 to the atomic bombs， with some follow-up on the occupation。 Specifically it covers Peleliu and Ulithi Atoll， the Battle of Leyte Gulf， Surigao Strait， and the Battle off Samar， the re-taking of Manilla and Luzon， Iwo Jima， Okinawa， and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki。 There is also a lot of political background on FDR and the Joint Chiefs of Staff， as well as Truman' This is an outstanding finale to Ian Toll's 3 volume history of WWII in the Pacific。 It covers roughly from mid 1944 to the atomic bombs， with some follow-up on the occupation。 Specifically it covers Peleliu and Ulithi Atoll， the Battle of Leyte Gulf， Surigao Strait， and the Battle off Samar， the re-taking of Manilla and Luzon， Iwo Jima， Okinawa， and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki。 There is also a lot of political background on FDR and the Joint Chiefs of Staff， as well as Truman's role after the President's death。 Toll delves into the kamikazes， both from the Japanese perspective as well as the American's， as well as the political situation in Japan and the wishy-washy overtures for peace。 The role of submarines is also covered quite well， both while targeting warships and their effect on shipping and the supply line of natural resources。As usual with Toll's books， he is very thorough with the history and explains the different ships， planes， and weapons used - and it's all made very understandable。 I've read a number of histories of the Pacific War and Toll is one of my favorite authors。 He includes information on what went into the decisions and why the leaders thought as they did， as well as what it was like for the soldiers on the islands or the sailors on the navy ships。 At nearly 800 pages （before the notes and appendix） it's a lengthy read， but I never tired of reading it。 A definite must-read for those wanting to understand the war better。 。。。more
Rhonda Ketterling
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Just as good as the previous two volumes。 I hated to see it end。 A masterful writer。
Jeff Dow
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Final volume of this trilogy。。。an outstanding and in depth look at the Pacific war。
Frank Theising
，
I really enjoyed this book and thought it a fitting conclusion to the trilogy。 Both my grandfathers served in the Pacific during WWII， one was the radioman on a sub tender， the other served in the Army’s 23rd Infantry Division （aka the Americal Division） that fought in the Philippines and later served as the occupation force in Yokohama， Japan。 As such， this book in particular resonated with me and I learned many things I did not previously know。 I would highly recommend the whole series by Ian I really enjoyed this book and thought it a fitting conclusion to the trilogy。 Both my grandfathers served in the Pacific during WWII， one was the radioman on a sub tender， the other served in the Army’s 23rd Infantry Division （aka the Americal Division） that fought in the Philippines and later served as the occupation force in Yokohama， Japan。 As such， this book in particular resonated with me and I learned many things I did not previously know。 I would highly recommend the whole series by Ian Toll。 5 stars。What follows are some of my notes on the book:This third installment in the Pacific War Trilogy is by far the longest and broadest in scope。 While the first two installments were more tightly focused on the military events in theatre （with some exceptions like Churchill interactions with FDR）， this one routinely covered the political events of the day （principally FDR’s run for a 4th term in 1944） and how the War and politics influenced one another in 1944-45。 Similarly， the inter-service rivalry and role （and censorship） of mass media also receive greater emphasis （and for good reason…MacArthur was a self-aggrandizing， public relations genius while his Navy counterparts were largely stand-offish with the press）。 When the admirals did intervene， it was often to sensor or significantly delay the public release of any ships sunk in the Pacific， which further damaged their credibility。 Over time， the Navy eventually adapted and did a better job adjusting to managing both a war and the media。 Sadly， this inter-service rivalry and desire for favorable press coverage had real-world implications， some tragic （including Nimitz’s decision to invade the strategically-worthless Peleliu and the Palau island chain at great cost in American life （lest he be forced to turn over his ground forces to MacArthur’s campaign in the Philippines） and failing to fire Bull Halsey （who made very questionable decisions in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and twice blundered his entire fleet into a typhoon costing hundreds of American lives）。 On the flip-side， the author also extensively covers Japanese media and their over-the-top propaganda， where every Japanese loss was accompanied by absurdly exaggerated losses inflicted upon the Americans or spun to suggest this was all part of the plan to draw the US into Japanese waters where they would be hamstrung by their long supply lines and unable to fend off their final defeat。 All the while food， fuel， and life in general continued to deteriorate in the Japanese home islands。The book covers in detail the debate on whether or not to invade Formosa （Taiwan） or the Philippines。 While MacArthur pushed heavily for the Philippines， the author does a great job explaining how the decision was made based on sound strategic reasoning， not from any pressure brought by MacArthur。 As before， the author covers all the major battles in this last year of the war including the Battle of Leyte Gulf， the invasion of Luzon， the fight for Manila， capturing the Northern Marianas （principally the island of Tinian and its role in the B-29 bombing campaign）， and the push through the Iwo Jima and Okinawa。 In many of these later campaigns， the Japanese had changed tactics。 Rather than the foolish bonsai charges into machine gun and mortar fire， they retreated into caves and other fortifications that sheltered them from air and naval bombardment， opened up innumerable opportunities for ambushes and snipers， greatly increased American casualties。 The author again covers the unrestricted submarine warfare campaign that was so successful they essentially ran out of targets and began to take greater risks， including sneaking into the Sea of Japan to hit the last remaining targets of value。 As the Japanese realized they were seriously outmatched， they implemented a series of Special Tactics Units （aka suicide squads） using aircraft， small sea craft， and even divers with explosives attached to their bodies。 Prior to reading this， I wrongly assumed that the kamikaze attacks were spontaneous， individual decisions， not a fully planned and coordinated effort of the Japanese armed forces。 The author explains in great detail how this was both a last gasp in a losing war effort and a significant leap forward as the world’s first guided weapons。 The use of kamikaze probably only further reduced any moral objections to the upcoming firebombing campaigns and eventual dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima。 If Japanese fighters are willing to kill themselves in this manner， how zealous were the remaining people on the home islands？ Would they fight on to the last man， woman， and child？Similarly， the internal debates among the last operational fleet of the Japanese Navy were absolutely fascinating。 They were headed for a battle off the Philippines that they were certain to lose。 Yet they pressed forward， not in hopes of winning their long sought after decisive battle， but as an act of self-immolation， to die with honor。 The fighting in the last several islands was absolutely horrific （which I had previously read in Eugene Sledge’s With the Old Breed。 The author cites this work several times not only to recount the harrowing ordeal of our soldiers， but the behavior of the Japanese Army towards the Okinawans who were left to fend for themselves and who believed the Americans were coming to torture and rape them。 Thousands of these poor souls would die in the crossfire。 Similarly， the section covering the battle for Manila and the treatment of the Filipinos （many used as human shields） was equally tragic。 The B-29 firebombing campaign is covered in detail。 The descriptive writing and perspective of those who survived the fires in Tokyo was terrifying， yet also so compelling I couldn’t put it down （partially because I kept imagining what it would’ve been like had it been my family there）。 The author argues that the firebombing of Tokyo likely killed more people than either of the atomic bombs did。 Likewise， the narrative surrounding the dropping of the atomic bombs is covered very matter-of-factly。 The author engages in no debate over the morality of either firebombing or the use of atomic weapons。 The events are simply related in their context at the end of a very long and brutal war that tended to dehumanize the adversary and its citizens。 Everybody was simply ready for this to be over。The book has a rather lengthy epilogue covering the aftermath of the war both in the US and in Japan。 The Japanese in large part were shocked by the measured American occupation。 Americans weren’t the devils portrayed by their own propaganda and even shipped in food to feed the Japanese people who were on the cusp of starvation。 Of course， there were many on both sides who committed crimes after the war， but in general， the post-war occupation was much smoother than many had predicted given the Japanese zealousness and ferocity during the war。 In the US， bacchanalian parties/riots broke out in major cities after V-J Day。 For many Pacific veterans， their return to the States occurred after the celebratory atmosphere had passed。 The points system used to determine when soldiers would be demobilized， returned home， and released from the service was a huge source of frustration to soldiers who simply wanted to get on with their lives。 The brewing rivalry with the Soviet Union after their behavior and broken promises in Eastern Europe made rapid demobilization in the Pacific very risky。 This further delayed the demobilization of soldiers and sailors in the Pacific。 。。。more
Brian
，
This last book of Ian Toll's trilogy of the Pacific War is probably the best of the three， and the first two were simply outstanding。 I am very interested in WWII and thought I knew a lot about it。 But after reading this book， I realize there is so much more to learn。 Toll's accounts of the island invasions by the U。S。 forces （Saipan， the Philippines， Iwo Jima， Okinawa） were riveting; but why they were conquered （for use as B29 Flying Fortresses） was equally interesting。 His descriptions of the This last book of Ian Toll's trilogy of the Pacific War is probably the best of the three， and the first two were simply outstanding。 I am very interested in WWII and thought I knew a lot about it。 But after reading this book， I realize there is so much more to learn。 Toll's accounts of the island invasions by the U。S。 forces （Saipan， the Philippines， Iwo Jima， Okinawa） were riveting; but why they were conquered （for use as B29 Flying Fortresses） was equally interesting。 His descriptions of the kamikaze missions was fascinating， a strategy ahead of its time and which would be replaced in the future by guided missiles。 His accounts of the personalities of the U。S。 commanders （MacArthur， Nimitz， Halsey， Spruance） are extremely revealing for the way the war was conducted。 His epilogue about the winding down of the war， the cessation of hostilities， and the return of American soldiers was also great - my only complaint being that it was just too short。 。。。more
Benny Long
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Excellent Detailed History， Longest of the set of 3
The Real Boba Fett
，
An absolutely magnificent trilogy。 Previously， I had read far more about the North African and European theaters than the Pacific but Toll’s books ignited a drive to learn more about this”other half” of WW2。 There was a good mix of ground， air， and naval combat and the maps provided helped to tell the story。 If I could give more than 5 stars， I would。 Must read。
Jason Sands
，
Loved itThis was one of the best WWII history books that I’ve read。 It gives good coverage of the individual on the battlefield while also giving a great view of the broader picture
David Brush
，
An amazing conclusion to the Pacific War Trilogy。 I would highly recommend this series to anyone who has any interest in World War 2。
Patrick Pillow
，
Ian Toll’s Pacific War Trilogy is one of the best collections written in modern times。 “Twilight of the Gods” is a fitting end to one of the finest works of history I have ever read。 Toll begins by admitting that this final volume， covering the aftermath of the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot to the end of the war， initially led him to believe that he bit off more than he could chew。 However， the author brilliantly weaves the tale of air， sea and land seamlessly。 His prose wraps the reader into a na Ian Toll’s Pacific War Trilogy is one of the best collections written in modern times。 “Twilight of the Gods” is a fitting end to one of the finest works of history I have ever read。 Toll begins by admitting that this final volume， covering the aftermath of the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot to the end of the war， initially led him to believe that he bit off more than he could chew。 However， the author brilliantly weaves the tale of air， sea and land seamlessly。 His prose wraps the reader into a narrative straightjacket that propels you quickly through this 800+ page tome。 The work is brilliant。 The author makes a strong case about the origins of the Special Attack Groups and the rise of the kamikaze。 Toll invites the reader to understand the need for the use of atomic weapons; citing the change in Japanese tactics on Peliliu， the Philippines， Iwo， Okinawa and the uniquely flawed military and political structure to be found in the Japanese mainland。 As the grandson of a Navy veteran who was aboard USS Intrepid during many of the aforementioned engagements， I for one was touched and moved by this book。 The epilogue challenges us to consider the “what-ifs” while also understanding how the Second World War was the seminal moment in human history。 I’ll end by offering a quote from one of the final sentences in the book; one returning pilot mentions to his commanding officer that “they don’t realize it yet， but all these guys will look back and see they’ve just been part of the biggest event of their lives。” If I could give it 6 stars I would。 Easily now one of the best works I’ve ever read。 Bravo Mr。 Toll。 。。。more
Frank Minich
，
This book explained things about the war in the Pacific that I had not been exposed to previously。 It's kind of a 'grand strategy' approach， together with a 'personalities' touch。 I found it enjoyable。The first copy that I received repeated 32 pages （somewhere around page 655） and left out 32 pages （somewhere around page 687， i。e。， bad binding）， but we contacted Amazon and they reimbursed us （even though almost six months after the purchase date） and we bought a second copy - very responsible on This book explained things about the war in the Pacific that I had not been exposed to previously。 It's kind of a 'grand strategy' approach， together with a 'personalities' touch。 I found it enjoyable。The first copy that I received repeated 32 pages （somewhere around page 655） and left out 32 pages （somewhere around page 687， i。e。， bad binding）， but we contacted Amazon and they reimbursed us （even though almost six months after the purchase date） and we bought a second copy - very responsible on Amazon's part。If I had one nit to pick， it would be with the paucity of the maps in the book， of which there were around a dozen。 OK， nowadays， I can read with my iPad ready to show maps or satellite imagery， but that takes away from the reading flow。 I also recommend that the editor double-check that the names of places in the text are actually identified on the corresponding maps in the book。 。。。more
Joe
，
I'm going to begin with one of my quibbles。 In the discussion of the snafu， that led to the Admiral Halsey's incompetent blunder of breaking off the pursuit of the Japanese main carrier fleet， Toll fails to bring up the date， October 25th 1944 which was the 100th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade。 That was the reason the communication officer added the phrase "all the world wondered" at the end of the communique （it's the refrain of the Tennyson poem）。Having said that。 This is an ex I'm going to begin with one of my quibbles。 In the discussion of the snafu， that led to the Admiral Halsey's incompetent blunder of breaking off the pursuit of the Japanese main carrier fleet， Toll fails to bring up the date， October 25th 1944 which was the 100th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade。 That was the reason the communication officer added the phrase "all the world wondered" at the end of the communique （it's the refrain of the Tennyson poem）。Having said that。 This is an excellent work as were the two previous volumes。 In the final stage of the war， US Marines and Army units were now up against regular Japanesse Army units that were better trained and equipped then the Naval infantry they had previously encountered。 It became clear that Japanesse knew that the situation was desperate。 Their use of the kamikaze was understandable not only in the context of a culture that put a premium on sacrifice and noble death but also given the realities of the war in the air at the time。 The chances of a conventional Japanesse bomber actually hitting an American ship were small。 The Americans were employing proximality fuse antiaircraft shells and Hellcat fighters by that time。 They slaughtered Japanesse planes in the battles for the Philippines， the last ones in which the kamikaze made no major appearances。 The bombing campaign against Japan was also discussed。 B-29 bombers based in the Marianna Islands could now hit all of the main islands of Japan regularly。 The problem the Americans faced was distance （1500 hundred miles each way） and weather。 The cloud cover over Japan changed rapidly due to the Pacific Ocean and there was large jet stream in the high altitudes over much of the nation。 Inevitably， the Americans were forced to use the area bombing at night that they had so criticized the British for in Europe。 This was more deadly to the Japanesse than the Germans due to the construction of their houses （light wood and paper） and the crowded conditions of their cities。 Those who read the Volume one of this series may recall that Admiral Yamato had advised a geisha friend of his to sell her Tokyo property because the Americans were going to fire bomb the city。 That was in 1942。This leads to the discussion of whether it was necessary to drop the Atomic bombs。 Prior to reading this book I was certain the answerwas yes。 Now I don't。As best as I can determine from everything I've read， only Nimitz and MacArthur were brief prior to Hiroshima and then only shortly before the bombing。 However for weeks prior to that， the top American Admirals and Army Air Force Generals were unanimous in their rejection of the necessity of an invasion of Japan。But there was also in Toll's book a lot of information on Japan's Government's deliberation。 One incident stands out。 In June of 1945， the battleship Yamato was sent on a suicide mission to attack the American Invasion fleet at Okinawa。 The Admiral in charge of the Yamato pointed that this was stupid。 They wouldn't get close to Okinawa。 Far better to leave the battleship and her escorts in Japanese waters where it might have complicated the American invasion of the home islands。In response， the Admiral who gave the orders in person said words to the effect，" Listen this war is not going to going to end with the Yamato riding peacefully at anchor in a safe harbor！"Why would he say that？ Obviously the Yamato would have been used to fight an invasion of the home islands。 So this statement only makes sense if TOKOYO ALREADY HAD ACCEPTED THAT IT WAS GOING TO SURRENDER PRIOR TO AN INVASION。Further the Atomic bombing did not impress the Japanese overly much。 Like the Americans， who justified the bombings morally in the context of their prior fire bombings， the Japanese somewhat justified the damage they received in the same context。 Further a commission they had quickly put together to study the bombing of Hiroshima correctly deduced that the Americans only had two or three more A Bombs。 It is of course true that the Emperor did hang his hat on the A bombs to justify the surrender in his announcement。Did the American know this？ Probably not。 The American government sent four long radio messages to Japan in July of 1945 and received only a marginally hopeful response。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Tom
，
Brilliant trilogy。 Read this。Phenomenal accomplishment by Ian Toll - the sweep of 1941-45 from grand global strategy to frontline soldiers， Tokyo to Washington。 Brilliant popular history writing。
Ilán Himel
，
The trilogy is well over 1，600 pages long; it's worth reading every single one！ The trilogy is well over 1，600 pages long; it's worth reading every single one！ 。。。more
Jack Laschenski
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Massive scholarship。Horrifying carnage。Evil Japanese leadership。Mccarther: Bad general， brilliant king of Japan。
Jim Vander Maas
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The last part of the Pacific War trilogy is meticulously researched and well written。 My only complaint was that it is too detailed in parts but I am not well versed in Military history。 I imagine it is great for those who study military history。 My favorite chapters are on the Japanese perspective of the war and the propoganda that deceived their citizens。 There was an incredible waste of life for a war that should have been over 2 years earlier。 I especially liked the Japanese perspective of t The last part of the Pacific War trilogy is meticulously researched and well written。 My only complaint was that it is too detailed in parts but I am not well versed in Military history。 I imagine it is great for those who study military history。 My favorite chapters are on the Japanese perspective of the war and the propoganda that deceived their citizens。 There was an incredible waste of life for a war that should have been over 2 years earlier。 I especially liked the Japanese perspective of the surrender and the importance of not allowing Russia to take over too much territory before the war ended。 I could empathize with the American soldiers who still had to serve away from home after this terrible war was over。 A long read but well worth it 。。。more
Fordan Bonardi
，
Ian Toll’s trilogy of the Western Pacific war during WWII I thought was so well done。 To keep the reader engaged for for over 2，000 pages is quite a feat。 I recommend this to any and all who have interest in the history of WWIi。
Barksdale Penick
，
An absolutely terrific history， covering the period when the writing was on the wall for Japan's military but there was much hard fighting and brutality to come。 It was sobering to be reminded of the war crimes committed by the Japanese。 I don't know that I had ever read of their atrocities in Manila as the US conquered the Philippines--they killed almost all civilians who were caught behind their lines。 For no reason whatsoever。 I knew of their atrocious behavior in China and Korea but this was An absolutely terrific history， covering the period when the writing was on the wall for Japan's military but there was much hard fighting and brutality to come。 It was sobering to be reminded of the war crimes committed by the Japanese。 I don't know that I had ever read of their atrocities in Manila as the US conquered the Philippines--they killed almost all civilians who were caught behind their lines。 For no reason whatsoever。 I knew of their atrocious behavior in China and Korea but this was new ground for me。 I suppose historical study is always evolving and a new book has access to more sources and analysis than those that preceded， but I can't imagine another work surpassing the breadth and scope of this riveting work。This was especially gratifying as the heroism of my grandfather， E。 John Weil， was set forth briefly。 He was a naval aviator and sunk Japanese ships with little regard for his own safety。 Just one of many heroes in this book， but the one that matter most to me。 He was so mad when I bought a Toyota。 This book helped to understand that more completely。 。。。more
David W。 Sharp
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This is volume three in Toll’s history of the war in the Pacific。 Like the other two volumes it is well researched and extremely well written。 His writing style is both erudite and exciting。 I am sorry that I have finished the series as I now have not got this to look forward to each day！
Jon Harayda
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Simply outstanding。
Delilah Brinkerhoff
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Amazing history will writtenAll three books brought me closer to my dad and his brothers。 He had 5 brothers and two sisters。 All the brothers served during the war。 2where in the navy， three were foot soilders， one fixed airplanes Guam。 My dad fought at Leyete island。 He never talked about the war ever。 His younger brother served in Korea。 They all drank and smoked。 All are dead。 They came back， married several times except my dad， whose wife could swear like a sailor and could hit like a man。 H Amazing history will writtenAll three books brought me closer to my dad and his brothers。 He had 5 brothers and two sisters。 All the brothers served during the war。 2where in the navy， three were foot soilders， one fixed airplanes Guam。 My dad fought at Leyete island。 He never talked about the war ever。 His younger brother served in Korea。 They all drank and smoked。 All are dead。 They came back， married several times except my dad， whose wife could swear like a sailor and could hit like a man。 He knew better than upset her。 Together all brothershad 21 children。 My dad had 8 of those 21。 Excellent reading。 Thank you for your work。 All books should be on “must read” list 。。。more
Bill
，