Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians

by Brian Garfield

Book Overview

The Thousand-Mile War, a powerful story of the battles of the United States and Japan on the bitter rim of the North Pacific, has been acclaimed as one of the great accounts of World War II. Brian Garfield, a novelist and screenwriter whose works have sold some 20 million copies, was searching for a new subject when he came upon the story of this forgotten war in Alaska. He found the history of the brave men who had served in the Aleutians...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0912006838
• ISBN13: 9780912006833
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: University of Alaska Press
• Length: 456 Pages
• Weight: 1.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

America's WW 2 Experience in Alaska after it was Invaded by Japanese

For all those born after the "Great Generation", this book covers historical details of a period and time when the US was physically invaded for the third time in it's history. Public education does not teach this any more?

One of the best books I've ever read

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. I picked it up in Alaska on a trip several years ago. It reads like a novel. I couldn't put it down. I'm not a history or a military buff. The descriptions are immersive. I really got the feeling of being there, slogging it out in the mud and the rain and the snow and the ice. It is put together very well, explaining both what it was like for the grunt on the ground and also the political and strategic factors.(Note: it looks like the author gave it no stars either accidentally or to avoid increasing its rating. Otherwise it would be 100% five stars.)

QUIET WAR

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR WWII FANS. IT SEEMS PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTON THE BATTLES THAT TOOK PLACE ON AMERICA SOIL DURING WWII. READ AND ENJOY

An excellent account

Though little remembered in the public consciousness today, the Aleutian islands campaign was an epic struggle that featured some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II. Garfield's account shows how the American efforts there were hampered because military strategests were slow to recognize the strategic importance of Alaska. The Japanese invasion was belatedly countered by an intense American effort to save Alaska from becoming a Japanese base for operations against the mainland. The ensuing struggle was fought in perhaps the worst weather conditions of any campaign in the entire war. Garfield is an excellent writer and this book has the page turning quality of a suspense novel. This is yet another moving tribute to the "Greatest Generation" in action.

Comprehensive, accurate portrayal of the Aleutian Campaign

Having spent three years in peace-time on various Aleutian Islands I was keenly aware of the many relics of war (old quonset huts, hangars, runways, etc.) scattered throughout the chain. What I was not aware of at the time was that actual battles had been fought there. Brian Garfield's "The Thousand Mile War" brought to life the tremendous effort required to remove the enemy from American soil. Having experienced this unique area, it was not hard to match Garfield's descriptions with what I knew of the area. The book is clearly based on considerable research and benefits from interviews with military personnel from both sides of the war. I have collected quite a few books on the Aleutians; this one is by far the best written, most comprehensive and accurate portrayal of events related to the Aleutian Campaign.