Hell Is Upon Us cover art

Hell Is Upon Us

D-Day in the Pacific - Saipan to Guam, June to August 1944

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Hell Is Upon Us

By: Victor Brooks
Narrated by: Peter Ganim
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About this listen

 June 14, 1944, just nine days after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, another mighty fleet steamed towards its own D-Day landing. A huge U.S. flotilla of 800 ships carrying 162,000 men was about to attempt to smash into the outer defenses of the Japanese Empire. Their target was the Marianas Island group, which included Saipan, home to an important Japanese base and a large population of Japanese civilians, and Guam, the first American territory captured in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. During the next eight weeks, tens of thousands of men, hundreds of airplanes, and dozens of major warships were locked in mortal combat. When it was over, 60,000 Japanese ground troops and most of the carrier air power of the Imperial Navy were annihilated; Japan's leader, Tojo, was thrown out of office in disgrace; and the newly captured enemy airfields were being transformed into launching bases for the B-29s that would carry the conventional and, later, atomic bombs to Japan, turning the land of the Rising Sun into a charred cinder. After the U.S. victory in the Marianas campaign, the road to Tokyo was clearly in sight.©2007 Victor Brooks (P)2009 Audible, Inc. Americas Military United States World War

Critic reviews

"This opinionated, profane, and confrontational sailor was a brilliant naval strategist who has rarely received the acclaim he deserves. This is an excellent account of a campaign that guaranteed final victory in the Pacific theater." (Booklist)
All stars
Most relevant
This is a well written and narrated account of war in the pacific following Pearl Harbour (Harbor) up to the atomic bomb. It is a balanced account highlighting US mistakes and internal politics alongside successes. Apart from the continual use of the word 'However' and many comparisons to the American civil war which seem out of place I would thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who wishes to know about war in the pacific. Fascinating.

An Excellent account

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This is a very detailed account of the battle for the Marianas islands in 1944.Coverage is given to the battles for Saipan,Tinian and Guam.Events leading up to the campaign are covered,the actions themselves as well as the consequences.A well presented account which is very easy to follow.Recommended.

A great account of a largely forgotten campaign

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