Seven stars

"Battle diaries are essential for understanding what generals are thinking as they work their way through the fog of battle. Nicholas Evan Sarantakes juxtaposes the diaries of two very different generals who both fought at Okinawa: Lieutenant General Buckner, a by-the-numbers man who favored the use of artillery and tanks to reduce entrenched positions, and General Stilwell, a prickly outsider who preferred maneuvre to set-piece battles. Sarantakes identifies individuals, includes explanations of important events alluded to by the generals, and provides glossaries of main characters and military terms. The result is a record of how Buckner and Stilwell came to grips with the problems of command on a war-torn island at the end of a long logistical tether."--Jacket.