Romain CansiereTanks in Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company on Tarawa

This book is 100% as detailed of an account as you can expect for a small unit action from 70+ years ago.Which is both the best, and worst parts of the book honestly. There's lots of time spent figuring out which wrecked tank on overhead recon photos is which, and lots of time spent detailing things like uniforms and equipment. But the actual combat is, as it must have been for the Marines involved, a confusing mess of events.Which should not be taken as an issue with the writing, it is quite clear, but we are going off of what a little over a dozen Sherman tanks did/saw within a much larger battle, and specifically interactions with people who were there often many years after the battle, or from sometimes very inaccurate written period accounts. People who were fairly key players simply disappear into history simply because no one kept in touch with PFC Leatherneck after he left the unit in 1944 and lord knows what he did when the war ended.Which makes for a book that spends a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what happened to a very small sliver of the USMC over three days of combat.So in that regard it is not the best book if you're looking to understand Tarawa or armor employment on same. It is a fascinating look into the elasticity of history, and the confusion between event and the "reality" of historical texts though. And it strives, and a I believe does do justice to the tankers on Tarawa in telling just their story and only their story.Just if you expect more than that story, you might want to look into other books.

A riveting history of the background, the combat history, and the aftermath of the men who operated the Marine medium tanks in one of the most savage battles in history. The authors provide views of how the men were trained and the equipment they used and then an almost moment-by-moment flow interspersed with personal narratives by the veterans themselves. The book is interesting and engrossing and flows seamlessly. Tarawa was a continuous horror for everyone who was there and through it all, these tankers did all they could and more to finally break the enemy's strong defenses and triumph. It is an honest and exceptionally well-written history that gives the reader a view that few authors could have pulled off. There is even a section in the back where the authors take the reader through a surviving M4A2 Sherman tank to acquaint the reader with how it worked and what it felt like to fight in one.The only flaws I should mention is the absence of any map of Tarawa (Betio) showing the landing beach designations and compass directions - something the authors refer to throughout the book - and the really fine collection of rare photographs are printed with muddy midtones and grainy detail.Shame on the publisher! These photos are priceless and should have been printed better.Despite these niggles, this is a book that should be read by everyone with an interest in the real story of courageous tankers in a desperate fight.

This is an interesting book, written from the perspective of a Marine tank outfit, about the colossal screw up of the invasion of Tarawa. Very few of the tanks made it into action. The book is one of the few that provides detailed maps in a e-book format to enable the reader to follow along. One does not really get the sense of riding along with a tanker in battle. While there are some narratives by the survivors decades after the conflict, the book is written more at a strategic level. I was hoping for a more in depth perspective in that regard, but it is a worthwhile read in any event.

I have read jsut about everything on the battle of Tarawa...and yet, for reasons unknown, the story of the tanks and the men who crewed them on Tarawa has been somehwo just glossed over. This book comletely, with incredible detail and research fills in all the blanks. I have read hundreds of military histories and personal stories over my life and yet, with the turn of almost every page of this book, I was amazed at the author's devotion to detail and accuracy. The photos are excellent...most never before published (to my knowledge) and the personal rememberances of the men who really fought the battle are told with such human warmth it makes the reader fully understand what the tankers battle on Tarawa was like. Absolutely, if you are a military history buff like me, you must get this book. It is an excellent read. Also, if you are into tanks and tank modeling, the author will greatly enlighten you about the various models of the M-4 Shermans. I study tanks like an entomologist studies bugs...and some of the facts on these tanks the Author puts out in this book I was completely unaware of.

Eye opening account of Tarawa and a the crews of 14 Sherman M4A2 tanks. The M4A2 was a 75mm GM diesel powered variant and the same as used by the UK in By Tank into Normandy. It was surprisingly reliable running in shallow lagoon salt water and taking numerous 40mm hits.Major error Tarawa was the lack of communications at all levels including infantry and tank combat.Comments were made AAF bombing of Tarawa pre invasion.Finish Forty and Home is a description of extensive pre invasion bombing and the B24 units involved.Example is 20 B24's each with nine 500lb GP bombs on one raid did damage the airfield and above ground facilities but didn't damage main defensive positions as discovered in the first assault wave.Like the USN battleship admirals, AAF generals had beliefs of weapon effectiveness that were flat wrong.All of which devolved to the USMC assault units and individuals at the lowest rank to fix.

The author has written a magnificent book detailing the men, who attempted to come ashore during a contested and opposed landing on Tarawa. The detail and research that reveals the identity of so many Marine tankers and their fellow grunts, who not only had to battle the Japanese, but, low tides and exposed reefs. Many lives were lost , as well as graves, and so we are left to wonder if their sacrifices were worth it. I highly recommend this book and let the nest reader reach his own conclusion.

Blow by blow account of the handful of M4s in C company that took part in the Tarawa landings. The book starts with the formation of the tank company and the experiences of its members during basic training, but the real action starts with the landings and subsequent assaults on the Japanese positions. The authors trace the tanks movements literally hour by hour, from perilous journey 'cross the reef, up onto the beaches, over the sea wall and then into battle. The movements are also backed up with several aerial shots taken during the battle itself. Unfortunately the authors do not do such a great job in describing the horrors of Tarawa as John Wukovits did in 'One Square Mile of Hell', but nevertheless the roles of the Shermans are adequately described with some atmospheric first hand accounts, though as the author admits, memories can be deceptive and contradictory 70 years after the event. There are a decent number of shots of the tanks, similar to the one on the front cover, although the ones inside the book have come out a little on the dark side, which is a great pity.

I found this book a bit hard going at times. A bit confusing keeping up with all the units and what location this or that took place. May just be me....

Excellent read, well researched

Like so many self published books, this one couldusee the services of a competent editor. It tends to get mired in pointless details such as colours and styles of uniforms and which tanks had which engines. I read half but gave up as it was too boring

Item as described Very happy