The Devil's Anvil: The Assault on Peleliu

(Hardback)

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Description

On September 15, 1944, General William Rupertus and the 16,000 Marines of the US 1st Marine Division moved toward Peleliu, an island 500 miles east of the Philippines. Rupertus anticipated a quick, two-day crush to victory, strengthening General Douglas MacArthur's flank in his drive on the Philippines. Instead, as this book reveals, American forces struggled for more than two months against 10,000 Japanese soldiers who had spent six months preparing for the battle. By the time the Americans could claim a victory, the fight had become one of the war's most costly successes. Even more tragic, Peleliu was later deemed a more or less unnecessary seizure. In "The Devil's Anvil", Hallas reports on the personal combat experience of officers and enlisted men who were at Peleliu. These men describe the loss of friends, the pain of wounds, and the heat, dirt and exhaustion of a fight that never seemed to end.

Reviews

I highly recommend The Devil's Anvil for anyone interested in World War II military history. By relying on the oral accounts of survivors, Hallas paints a particularly vivid portrait of a very violent struggle accentuated by many individual acts of heroism.-Military Intelligence
James H. Hallas has performed a service by adding to the limited amount of good material available on Peleliu.-Leatherneck
The author has skillfully woven together both operational facts and personal recollections to create a highly readable story of the battle.-Marine Corps Gazette
The Devil's Anvil brings to the forefront the human struggle that is indicative of not only war, but of a battle that was forgotten even before it was printed in the annals of history. From the eyes of famous men like Colonel Lewis Puller down to the lowest private, Hallas has offered military buffs and serious academicians alike an opportunity to experience what it was like to be a U.S. Marine in the South Pacific. This book is an essential part to any WWII library.-Military
"I highly recommend The Devil's Anvil for anyone interested in World War II military history. By relying on the oral accounts of survivors, Hallas paints a particularly vivid portrait of a very violent struggle accentuated by many individual acts of heroism."-Military Intelligence
"James H. Hallas has performed a service by adding to the limited amount of good material available on Peleliu."-Leatherneck
"The author has skillfully woven together both operational facts and personal recollections to create a highly readable story of the battle."-Marine Corps Gazette
"The Devil's Anvil brings to the forefront the human struggle that is indicative of not only war, but of a battle that was forgotten even before it was printed in the annals of history. From the eyes of famous men like Colonel Lewis Puller down to the lowest private, Hallas has offered military buffs and serious academicians alike an opportunity to experience what it was like to be a U.S. Marine in the South Pacific. This book is an essential part to any WWII library."-Military

Author Bio

JAMES H. HALLAS is the publisher of the Glastonbury Citizen, a newspaper in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He has published articles in Yankee Magazine.