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Book Review By Andrew Pickle
Flags of Our Father by James Bradley

Flags of our Fathers follows the story of the six soldiers who raised the flag in the famous photo from Iwo Jima. The men and their family backgrounds are introduced. They go through basic training and are then sent to Iwo Jima.

The invasion and battle of Iwo Jima is a turning point in the men's life. 2 of them do not make it off the island alive. They fight fierce Japanese resistance until, after approx. 36 days, they conquer the island, killing 20,000 Japanese in the process.

Once the survivors and back home, they are used, along with the famous picture, to raise money for war bonds. They deal with emotional and physical issues after the war.


Kind Of History
Time of history: - 20th century
History of military? Yes
Armed Forces: - Army - Navy - Marines
History of a people? Yes
Nationality?
Specific war? - World War II

Subjects of this Historical Account
Is the portrayal sympathetic? - Somewhat sympathetic
From a certain profession/group? - land soldiers
Intelligence of subject of history: - Smart

Main Adversary
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
Nationality? - Japanese
Ethnicity? (if plays big part) - Asiatic
Is the portrayal sympathetic? - Somewhat Unsympathetic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast - West - Northeast - Midwest
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Pacific Islands
If applicable, liberal/conservative? - Historian is very moderate

Writing Style
How much gore? - 3 ()
How fast-paced is the book? - 4 ()
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Book makes you feel... - thoughtful
How much focus on stories of individuals? - Focuses mostly on history of key players
How much romance? - 1 ()
Minor characters feature lots of:
Is this a kid's book? - Ages 16-Adult
Pictures/Illustrations? - One or two
Maps necessary? - Necessary maps provided
Length of book - 250-300 pages
How much emphasis on small details? - 5 ()
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