The Memoirs of Fighting Spirit; The Memoirs of Major Yoshitaka Horie and the Battle of Iwo Jima

Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2011. Presumed first English language edition. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xxix, [1], 224, [2] pages. Includes Editors' Preface to the English Edition, Foreword, Afterword, Appendix I (Explanation of Japanese Defense Plan of Chichi Jima, December 23, 1945); Appendix II (Explanation of Japanese Defense Plan and the Battle of Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima, January 25, 1946); Notes, and Index. Yoshitake Horie, a Japanese field-grade Army officer who served as a liaison officer with the Japanese Navy, was in a unique position to describe in detail the respective positions, ideas, and assumptions that both services had about the Pacific War. A specialist in logistics and head of the headquarters on Chichi Jima, Horie was intimately involved with the battle plans. Robert D. Eldridge has served as the deputy assistant chief of staff, G-5, Marine Corps Bases Japan, and was a tenured associate professor at the School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, in Osaka, Japan, from 2001-2009. He earned his Ph.D. in Japanese political and diplomatic history at Kobe University. Charles William Tatum (July 23, 1926 - June 22, 2014) was an American World War II veteran and bronze star recipient. On February 19, 1945, he was among the first wave of Marines to land on the Japanese island stronghold of Iwo Jima. Tatum's war memoir is Red Blood, Black Sand. Tatum was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for saving a Marine buddy, Steve Evanson, during fighting at Hill 362 on Iwo Jima. Tatum was subsequently wounded in action and evacuated from the island. This is the first memoir written by a Japanese military officer (Major Yoshitaka Horie) who helped plan the Battle of Iwo Jima, to be published in English, and it is one of the few known accounts by a Japanese survivor of the battle. In his memoir, Horie frankly reveals the limitations of Japan's military strategy in World War II and provides insights into the personalities of his superiors. In addition to Horie's original work, the book includes an Editors' Preface, which provides biographical information on the author and the context of the book, as well as two appendices of materials prepared by Horie shortly after the end of the war. Horie's account of Iwo Jima is important because it discusses in a rational manner the Japanese defense of the island, and the reasons the cost of taking it was so high for the United States. His book offers major insights from the other side of the hill. Fighting Spirit is essential reading for anyone interested in the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Pacific War. Maj. Horie was one of only four Japanese field grade officers directly associated with the Battle of Iwo Jima who survived. He was the only officer known to have left memoirs. Having served as a liaison officer with the Navy, Major Horie described in detail the respective positions, ideas, and assumptions that both the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy had when executing the Pacific War, the personalities involved, and the challenges they faced. He was a specialist in logistics and headed Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi's detached headquarters on Chichi Jima, located between Iwo Jima and mainland Japan. He was however intimately involved in planning the battle, and used his experience as a liaison to the Imperial Navy to share information and insights through his contacts. He was also very much aware of the limits to Japan's strategy. Fighting Spirit is an annotated translation of the memoirs of Imperial Japanese Army Major Yoshitaka Horie, co-edited by a USMC veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima and an American academic who is a specialist on U.S.-Japan relations. Maj. Horie's book was first published in 1965, on the 20th anniversary of the battle. It was his desire to have it published in English, but he passed away in 2003 before seeing his dream realized. In addition to the 19 chapters of Horie's original work, the book includes an Editors' Preface, which provides biographical information on Maj. Horie and the context of the book, and two appendices of materials prepared by Maj. Horie shortly after the end of the war.