"When the Americans invaded the Japanese-controlled islands of Saipan and Tinian in 1944, civilians and combatants committed mass suicide to avoid being captured. This book draws on United States National Archives documents and photographs, as well as veteran and survivor testimonies, to provide readers with a better understanding of what happened on the two islands and why"-- Provided by publisher.

Part 1. Before 1944 -- Prehistory and European colonization -- Japanese takeover of Saipan and Tinian -- Cultures and societies of Saipan and Tinian -- The Asia-Pacific war and islands' militarization -- Part 2. 1944 -- Saipan and Tinian invasions -- Mass civilian suicides -- Causes of the mass civilian suicides -- Non-suicide deaths and atrocities -- Civilian internment camps -- Number of civilian deaths and suicides -- Conclusion: aftermath.