Book Review of
The Storm on Our Shores
May 1943. The Battle of Attu—called “The Forgotten Battle” by World War II veterans—was raging on the Aleutian island with an Arctic cold, impenetrable fog, and rocketing winds that combined to create some of the worst weather on Earth. Both American and Japanese forces tirelessly fought in a yearlong campaign, with both sides suffering thousands of casualties. Included in this number was a Japanese medic whose war diary would lead a Silver Star–winning American soldier to find solace for his own tortured soul.
The doctor’s name was Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi, a Hiroshima native who had graduated from college and medical school in California. He loved America, but was called to enlist in the Imperial Army of his native Japan. Heartsick, wary of war, yet devoted to Japan, Tatsuguchi performed his duties and kept a diary of events as they unfolded—never knowing that it would be found by an American soldier named Dick Laird.
Laird, a hardy, resilient underground coal miner, enlisted in the US Army to escape the crushing poverty of his native Appalachia. In a devastating mountainside attack in Alaska, Laird was forced to make a fateful decision, one that saved him and his comrades, but haunted him for years.
Tatsuguchi’s diary was later translated and distributed among US soldiers. It showed the common humanity on both sides of the battle. But it also ignited a fierce controversy that is still debated today. After forty years, Laird was determined to return it to the family and find peace with Tatsuguchi’s daughter, Laura Tatsuguchi Davis.
Grace's Review
The Storm On Our Shores by Mark Obmascik is a book about the Battle of Attu, also known as The Forgotten Battle, during WWII.
History classes just miss so much of history. I only knew that the Japanese invaded the USA via Alaska because I read weird history facts. There is though not much written about the Japans invading several islands of Alaska, the plan behind it, and how the US reacted to it.
I don’t think this was the best written book. However, being the first book I have read on the Battle of Attu, I appreciate Mark Obmascik for writing about this little-known part of WWII. I wanted to know about the battle and men who fought there, so I am glad I bought this book. I recommend people read it because it not only shares the war but also how Japanese propaganda worked, and how those in the Japanese military and those in World War II were dealing with mental difficulties.
I believe all the sacrifices and battles need to be remembered. This is why I look for and read books on lesser known battles, not just the major ones.
If you like to read books about battles that are not as well known I recommend The Storm On Our Shores by Mark Obmascik.