About the book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect gift for Father’s Day, this is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America
In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima—and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island’s highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag.
Now the son of one of the flagraisers has written a powerful account of six very different young men who came together in a moment that will live forever.
To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following these men’s paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific’s most crucial island—an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo—three were killed during the battle—were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley’s father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: “The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn’t come back.”
Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with keen insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.
Editions of Flags of Our Fathers
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780553111330
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780553380293
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780553589085
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780553589344
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780739326596
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780553384154
- EBook
- ISBN 9780553902761
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9780553527469
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9780739314715
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9781415928332
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781415928356
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781415944752
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780739314722
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780553752816
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780553712469
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9781415928349
Read an Excerpt
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect gift for Father’s Day, this is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America
In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima—and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island’s highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag.
Now the son of one of the flagraisers has written a powerful account of six very different young men who came together in a moment that will live forever.
To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following these men’s paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific’s most crucial island—an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo—three were killed during the battle—were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley’s father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: “The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn’t come back.”
Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with keen insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flags of Our Fathers about?
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect gift for Father’s Day, this is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America
In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima—and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island’s highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag.
Now the son of one of the flagraisers has written a powerful account of six very different young men who came together in a moment that will live forever.
To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of Easy Company. Following these men’s paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific’s most crucial island—an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo—three were killed during the battle—were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley’s father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: “The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn’t come back.”
Few books ever have captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with keen insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Flags of Our Fathers?
History and Archaeology > History > Military history > Specific wars and military campaigns > Second World War
Where can I read a sample of Flags of Our Fathers?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780553111330
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Flags of Our Fathers?
James Bradley, Ron Powers
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Flags of Our Fathers is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780553111330) and paperback(ISBN 9780553380293) and paperback(ISBN 9780553589085) and paperback(ISBN 9780553589344) and paperback(ISBN 9780739326596) and paperback(ISBN 9780553384154) and ebook(ISBN 9780553902761) and audiobook(ISBN 9780553527469) and audiobook(ISBN 9780739314715) and audiobook(ISBN 9781415928332) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781415928356) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781415944752) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780739314722) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780553752816) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780553712469) and audiodisc(ISBN 9781415928349)
Where can I buy Flags of Our Fathers online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Flags of Our Fathers from below
Where can I buy Flags of Our Fathers?