Their Backs Against the Sea, Bill Sloan
Their Backs Against the Sea, Bill Sloan
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Their Backs Against the Sea
The Battle of Saipan and the Greatest Banzai Attack of World War II

Author: Bill Sloan

Narrator: Dan Woren

Unabridged: 8 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 06/27/2017

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

In the midst of the largest banzai attack of the war, US Army Lt. Col. William O'Brien, grievously wounded and out of ammunition, grabbed a sabre from a fallen Japanese soldier and flailed away at a small army of assailants, screaming to his men, "Don't give them a damn inch!" When his body was recovered the next day, thirty dead enemies were piled around him.

The Battle of Saipan lasted twenty-five hellish days in the summer of 1944, and the stakes couldn't have been higher. If Japan lost possession of the island, all hope for victory would be lost. For the Americans, its capture would result in secure air bases for the new B-29s that would put them within striking distance of the Japanese homeland. The outcome of the war in the Pacific lay in the balance.

In this gritty, vivid narrative, award-winning author Bill Sloan fuses fresh interviews, oral and unit histories, and unpublished accounts to describe one of the war's bloodiest and most overlooked battles of the Pacific theater. Combining grunt's-view grit with big picture panorama (and one of the ugliest inter-service controversies of the war), Their Backs against the Sea is the definitive dramatic story of this epic battle -- and an inspiring chronicle of some of the greatest acts of valor in American military history.

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About Bill Sloan

Bill Sloan is renowned military historian and the author of more than a dozen books, including The Ultimate Battle and Brotherhood of Heroes. During his ten years as an investigative reporter and feature writer for the Dallas Times Herald, he covered many of the major events and personalities of the second half of the twentieth century and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Dallas, Texas.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tami R on June 28, 2017

It is often the case that the lesser known battles of World War Two can have an impact far beyond what has been originally recognized. This was the case with the 25-day Battle of Saipan covered in Their Backs Against the Sea. Though the fighting on Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal are more recognized and di......more

Goodreads review by Arthur on January 13, 2023

An 8 and a half hour unabridged audiobook. I found it to be adequate in describing these battles, and was pleasantly surprised by the section on PTSD the veterans suffered. So often overlooked for WW2 veterans.......more

Goodreads review by WW2 on June 28, 2017

It is often the case that the lesser known battles of World War Two can have an impact far beyond what has been originally recognized. This was the case with the 25-day Battle of Saipan covered in Their Backs Against the Sea. Though the fighting on Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal are more recognized and di......more

Goodreads review by Ashley on February 27, 2025

Book #7 of 2025: Their Backs Against The Sea Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Military History/Biography Started on 2/15/2025 Finished on 2/27/2025 One Sentence Review: A gripping account of the Battle of Saipan that showcases first-person telling of the American fighting spirit, the ferocity of Japanese soldie......more

Goodreads review by Fredrick on May 15, 2018

Based on interviews of survivors sixty years after the Battle of Siapan in World War II, the book describes the battle involving the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions and the Army's 27th Infantry Division. Attention is given to the relief of Army General Smith by the Marine's General Smith. Althoug......more