On November 20, l943, in the first trial by fire of America's fledgling amphibious assault doctrine, five thousand men stormed the beaches of Tarawa, a seemingly invincible Japanese island fortress barely the size of the Pentagon parking lots (three-hundred acres!). Before the first day ended, one third of the Marines who had crossed Tarawa's deadly reef under murderous fire were killed, wounded, or missing. In three days of fighting, four Americans would win the Medal of Honor and six-thousand combatants would die. Based on exhaustive research, Alexander present never-before-published accounts from Marine survivors, and new evidence from Japanese sources. Colonel Alexander captures the grit, guts, and relentless courage of United States Marines overcoming outrageous odds to deliver victory for their country.

Title from Playaway label. Published in print by the U.S. Naval Institute Press, 1995. Issued on Playaway, a dedicated audio media player. In container (21 cm.). One set of earphones and one AAA battery required for playback (included).