Flags of Our Fathers (2001)
James Bradley with Ron Powers
Non-Fiction
4.5/5 stars
Warning: Very Realistic of WWII
James Bradley is the son of Jack Bradley, one of the 6 men that raised the flag at Iwo Jima. About 60 years after the war, James Bradley travels to Iwo Jima then tells the story of his father and their victory there at Iwo Jima. Not only does it tell what happens during the event pictured at the US Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, but it also tells about the events leading up to and after in a "behind the scenes" way that you can only get from a source such as James Bradley. This is a very intresting and emotional book which tells the tragic story perfectly.
There are so many great things that can be learned from this book but throughout all of it there was one main idea that I found. It is that 1 person or little group really can make a difference. Despite the battle and war that was going on, when the entire American nation saw the picture of the flag being raised it gave them all a sense of hope. It changed the entire outlook of the people just through 6 men's efforts to raise a flag and fight for what they stand for.
Flags of Our Fathers was written by James Bradley and it is the story told through his eyes. It starts with a first-person point of view and it tells his part of the story. The book then shifts to a third-person limited point of view and stays there for a big portion of the book. It tell the story of Iwo Jima as it happend. It is very precise and thorough. The book the switches back to first-person at the end at finishes up by James telling what happened with him at the end of the war and later on. It all works very nicely and fits together to make a great book.
This book is kind of advanced. The reading itsself is not all that hard, but the subject and everything that goes on is definitely not for young kids. I would say its written mostly for highschool students and young adults to read but it also works greatly for older readers or younger readers that are suitable and mature enough.
I thought that Flags of Our Fathers was a great book. I would reccomend it to most people in highschool and older unless they really do not like war stories. I would especially reccomend it to anyone that is interested in WWII because it is very thorough and realistic. Booklist says about the book, "A riveting read that deals with every detail of the photograph--its composition, the biographies of the men, what heroism is, and the dubious blessings of fame." I find that statement to be very true and accurate about the book. The Inside Flap says "Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers." They are completely right. Flags of Our Fathers is a very good book.
