100 Books Like The Mosquito Bowl

Before I began to read this book, I knew it was about the men who raised the stars and stripes atop Mt. Suribachi, a photograph of which became an iconic image of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Pacific War. Indeed, the book meticulously conveys the story of the six flag raisers, men who were representative of the U.S. Marines and those who fought at Iwo Jima.

Their lives are fascinating in themselves. But as I discovered, the book is much more. It a gripping account of the Battle, where the Americans sustained more casualties than the Japanese, a moving tribute to the courage, valor, and camaraderie of the Marines, and a thorough exploration of myths surrounding the flag raising and its effects on the flag raisers.

Brokaw’s book popularized the term “Greatest Generation” for those who came of age during World War II. The book consists of stories of some 50 men, women, or couples who were representative of this generation. Some stories are of  “famous” people, such as George Bush, but most of them are about ordinary people who “were not widely known outside their families or their communities.”

Reflective of this generation, these people interrupted their lives to answer the call to serve, got on with their lives when the war was over, were proud of their service, but rarely talked about the war years. Although aware of challenges to Brokaw’s general portrayal of this generation, I was inspired by the accomplishments of these people and believe they measure up to his label.

This book is about the author’s brother, Elden: life in his hometown of Vega, Texas, and his experience as a Navy seaman aboard the USS Franklin. Elden’s letters provide the framework for the story but consist almost entirely of small talk and gossip. Yet as Rogers expands on the letters, I learned how life in Vega differed from today’s world and how it was affected by the war. Rogers’ reconstruction of Elden’s almost daily experience during the year he served in the Navy was also enlightening.

The Franklin was the most heavily damaged aircraft carrier to survive the war, and Rogers provides gripping accounts of a kamikaze attack at Leyte and a horrific bombing near mainland Japan in March 1945 that killed over 800 seamen, including his brother Elden.

Of the books I have read consisting of collections of World War II letters, this is the best. The significance of mail during the war cannot be overestimated. Mail was a morale booster for the troops and a lifeline between loved ones at home and those on the war front. A massive number of letters—in the billions—were transmitted.

Charles and Barbara’s letters cover over four years in their lives, from August 1941 to November 1945. Mail sustained their relationship when they were often separated during their courtship and early years of their marriage, and during the 18 months that Charles was in Europe. Through their correspondence, I learned about the private lives of ordinary people caught in the sweep of history.

Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction, this book gives the reader an in-depth analysis of the effects of World War II on the political, economic, and social life of the Japanese people. It depicts the ways in which Japan moved into the twentieth century and gave up many of its feudalistic habits – some for the better and some for the worse. 

Unexpected for a book about kamikaze, this is a quiet and gentle story, about two young people—Taro, a kamikaze pilot, and Hana, one of the Nadeshiko Tai, assigned to serve the pilots—who meet through a shared vital love of music. They both know the inevitability and finality of Taro’s upcoming mission; they both are at the mercy of circumstances beyond their control. Yet their hopes and dreams remain larger than the war. This is another one that will stay with you for a long time.

Oral history sources have always been central to my work, both as an author and a documentary-maker. Cook’s account of the experiences of ordinary Japanese people during the Second World War is one of the best. It is both powerful and a lesson about the utter tragedy of war.

Tojo Hideki, a general in Japan’s army, became the country’s Prime Minister in October 1941, was still at the helm when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred on December 7, 1941, and remained in power until 1944. Although Tojo was later vilified as a war criminal, he did take to heart Emperor Hirohito’s request in October 1941 that he explore ways to avoid war with the United States – but soon convinced the Emperor that there was no alternative to war. Butow, a professor of US-Japanese relations at the University of Washington, shows how Tojo rose to power in Japan’s convoluted system of government, how the decision to proceed with the Pearl Harbor attack unfolded, and how that decision affected Tojo.

The masterful Toland weaves a narrative of jaw-dropping detail, drama and complexity that tells the grand and harrowing story of the Pacific War between the United States and Japan from the perspective of the Japanese. The tale takes the reader from Tokyo cabinet meetings to the deck of warships to the frontline of critical battles, to share the experiences of everyone from national leaders to top generals to ordinary soldiers. It’s one of those books that’s so good it leaves you wondering how it was even written.

The Nobel-prize winning laureate has written many more famous books dealing with the human condition, most notably The Remains of the Day and Never Let me Go, but this is, to my mind, his best rumination on humanity's familiar ache. Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day is a flawless book and similarly themed, but there is something about the post-war regrets, delusions, and self-justifications of the aging Japanese artist Masuji Ono that just slay me and make me want to weep. Ishiguro is of course the king of unreliable narrators, so I don't want to give away the big reveal here, but how denial of the truth and self-delusion can misdirect us in life, is at the core of this masterful insight into the human condition.