Wake Island 1941 ─ A Battle to Make the Gods Weep

During Wolrd War II (1939-1945), on the same day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they also launched air attacks on Wake Island, an American marine and naval base in the Pacific. Three days later a Japanese invasion force stormed the island, but were bloodily repulsed by the scratch force of marines, sailors and even service personnel who defended it. Despite US attempts to relieve the island, the Japanese launched a much greater invasion a few weeks later and, despite gallant resistance, eventually caused the US Forces to surrender. This book tells the complete story of the vicious fighting on Wake Island, one of the near-legendary 'last stands' made by US military forces.

Jim Moran has written extensively on the uniforms, equipment and history of the United States Marine Corps. He is an enthusiastic collector of Marine Corps memorabilia and a member of the 2d Marine Division Association. When his is not accompanying USMC veterans on trips to the battlefields of WWII, Jim lives with his family in South Yorkshire.
Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group until reassigned to the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969-70. A highly respected and established author, Gordon is now a civilian contract Special Operations Forces Intelligence Specialist at the Army's Joint Readiness Center, Ft Polk.