Facing Fearful Odds - by Gregory J W Urwin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Although the siege of Wake Island was not one of World War II's biggest campaigns, it had a profound psychological effect on the course of the nation's struggle. This was the battle that first raised American spirits in the dark weeks following Pearl Harbor. For sixteen suspenseful days, 449 U.S. Marines, assisted by a handful of sailors and soldiers and a few hundred civilian construction workers, withstood repeated attacks by numerically superior Japanese forces. Although Wake finally fell on 23 December 1941, its garrison made the Japanese pay an embarrassingly high price for a tiny coral outpost. Based on interviews with over seventy American and Japanese participants, the riveting, you-are-there narrative pulsates with the crack of rifles, the stutter of machine guns, the roar of cannon, and the concussion of bombs. This is a military history from the bottom up, an unforgettable reading experience told from the perspective of enlisted men and junior officers who served on the front lines. Gregory J. W. Urwin is a professor of history at Temple University. His many books include Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General George Armstrong Custer, available in a Bison Books edition.

Review Quotes

"An excellent work of military history, Urwin's book should be the last word on the subject for quite a while."--"Choice."

"Distinguished by thorough historical and technical detail, and rich in human color throughout, this is a masterful narrative of 16 grim days and nights when the American spirit gleamed forth."--"WWII History"

"Emphasizing individual accounts, the narrative is dramatic and well told. The desperate courage and determination of these men deserve to be remembered, as they now are. Urwin does not, however, pull his punches. Actions are analyzed and mistakes are pointed out and acknowledged, although with a realistic understanding of the situations and options.. In summary, this is a long book and an expensive one, but it accomplishes what the author intended -- to tell the stories of the men who were there, warts and all, in and engrossing style. They and their descendants will treasure this book; the nation they served should also find much of value here. Lastly, for those with a particular interest in coast defense, this is a detailed account of one of the few actual battles between coast artillery and naval ships. As such, it is particularly valuable."

"Gregory Urwin reports this story with impressive technical thoroughness, placing it in the framework of the Pacific War's early months. . . . "Facing Fearful Odds" is a well-organized and extremely well-written piece of history."--"Sea History."

"The gallant stand by a beleaguered group of Americans on Wake Island in the central Pacific during the opening salvos of the Pacific War remains an enduring epic. . . . The author has succeeded superbly in bringing the myriad of facets together while never losing his focus on the human drama."--"The Journal of Military History."

"Urwin pieces together the story of the battle from the bottom up, recounting the siege from the perspective of the enlisted men and junior officers who fought so valiantly against overwhelming force. His book explains clearly how the war in the Pacific, combined with the rising importance of airpower, made the barren coral strip known as Wake Island so strategically important."--"Sea Power"

About the Author

Gregory J. W. Urwin is a professor of history at Temple University. His many books include Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General George Armstrong Custer, available in a Bison Books edition.