The gripping historical novel of the invasion of Tarawa by US Marines in
World War II, from bestselling author, journalist, and historian Larry
Alexander.
The island of Tarawa, a tiny spit of sand out in the middle of the
Pacific, teemed with five hundred pillboxes filled with artillery pieces
and highly motivated Japanese soldiers. Their commanding officer
encouraged his troops, saying, "It would take one million men one
hundred years" to conquer Tarawa. They were convinced that the Americans
would be slaughtered before they ever got ashore.
Private Pete "Hardball" Talbot was one of the US Marines tasked with
taking the island. A cocky, tough street kid from Philadelphia, Pete
joined up to escape his abusive father. In his mind, nothing the
Japanese could throw at him could be as bad as what his father dished
out. He was angry, and more than willing to take it out on the enemy.
But once he climbed over the side and into the landing craft, and once
the Japanese artillery and machine guns opened up in defense of the
island, Pete knew this was going to be different. It would take all his
training, and all his street smarts to stay alive while those around him
got blown to bits.
Despite Japanese predictions, it took the United States Marines
seventy-six hours to take Tarawa. It was a walk in the park ... if the
park were in the middle of hell itself.
