About the Author

Eric Hammel is a critically acclaimed military historian and author of more than thirty combat and pictorial histories, including the extremely popular Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle (Zenith Press 2006). He lives in Northern California.

Reviews

Army/Marine Corps/Navy/Air Force Times, October 2006"...Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle is a valuable addition to the catalog of books devoted to the bloodiest battle of the Pacific island-hopping campaign, one that features more than 500 photographs--including many never before published. "Where most Iwo examinations begin with the Feb. 19, 1945, amphibious assault and give the reader only a cursory glance at the bombing campaign that preceded the ground fight, Hammel examines the air interdiction effort that began in June 1944. Military history buffs will also appreciate his close look at the Japanese buildup on Iwo."With hundreds of photos that bear close examination and essays that will satisfy those who already know the battle well, Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle is a welcome addition to any military history buff's library."
Leatherneck Magazine, December 2006"Jam-packed with vividly crisp black-and-white images that so dramatically and brutally portray war, hundreds upon hundreds of graphic photos pop out at the reader in this high-quality, state-of-the-art, coffee-table visual history. No muddied photos allowed; all are as clear and as sharps as a ship's bell!...Iwo Jima is a book worthy of any Marine's coffee table, or that of fanatics of things that are simply Marine. Even those who don't bother with all of the text will still 'get it' from reading the captions accompanying the rich array of photos...One viewing of Hammel's book is worth a thousand of anyone's tellings."

World War II, October 2006"Without the right words even the most powerful pictures can lie. Witness the iconic flag raising photograph and its tangled trail of misrepresentations...Eric Hammel understands that, so this is far more than just a picture book--although it's magnificent as that too. "Built around 500 incredible photos, including stills from motion picture footage, the elegantly designed coffee table tome takes us from shipboard to beaches and into tangled lines of engagement. The shots of Marines under fire, wounded and dead are particularly evocative, especially following the sobering pictures of hardened Japanese defensive positions. Just as important: Hammel's straightforward essay and his revealing captions, which filigree detail around the pictures, deepening their visceral resonance yet anchoring them in research. With detailed maps of every stage of engagement and topography and boxed-off reproductions of Medal of Honor citations, the book is beautiful, powerful and stuffed with information."
Purple Heart Magazine, December 2006"The most complete photographic history of this iconic battle ever published, Iwo Jima contains photos and text woven together by acclaimed military historian Eric Hammel...The heroics that led to victory for the Americans are not only captured through the author's text and photos from the depths of Marine historical archives, but in the descriptive details of extraordinary heroism contained in the included citations for the 27 Medals of Honorthat were awarded to Marines and Navy Corpsmen for service in the bloody battle...Poignantly written and illustrated, readers and military historians will not be disappointed with this work...one of the finest pictorials of World War II."

WWII History Magazine, January 2006"...a visually stunning work." Naval History, April 2007"Iwo Jima is well-produced, printed on high-quality paper that renders superior imagery ... The pictures, probably the largest collection of Iwo photos to appear in a single volume, provide substantial detail on the battle. The old standbys are there, but so are many photos not seen before, the result no doubt of extensive research in military archives. Hammel's captions are excellent. They are not mere descriptions of the obvious action, but provide information that embellished the basic text. "Hammel has done his homework. His text, enhanced by several pages of maps, sets the stage for the battle and records its progress in considerable detail ... Iwo Jima provides a single source for much detail - text and pictures - of that faraway conflict and should be included in the library of anyone interested in what has become a memorable time in the American experience."