In The Ghosts of Iwo Jima, Dr. Robert S. Burrell masterfully reconsiders the costs of taking Iwo Jima and its role in the war effort. His thought-provoking analysis also highlights the greater contribution of Iwo Jima’s valiant dead: They inspired a reverence for the Marine Corps that proved critical to its institutional survival and its embodiment of American national spirit. From the 7th War Loan Campaign of 1945 through the flag-raising at Ground Zero in 2001, the immortal image of Iwo Jima has become a symbol of American patriotism itself.

Burrell’s searching account of this fabled island conflict will advance our understanding of World War II and its continuing legacy for the twenty-first century. At last, the battle’s ghosts may unveil its ultimate, and most crucial, lessons.

Despite numerous popular accounts that reinforce Marine Corps heritage, scholarly interpretation of this institution's history has emerged fairly recently. Crucibles fills this pervasive void in instructional resources on the Corps. The readings in this text offer differing arguments about this unique institution's most important turning points. Articles by foremost historians such as: Allen Millett, Joseph Alexander, Jack Shulimson, Graham Cosmas and Jon T. Hoffman and other up-and-coming researchers.