because they would be blocking access to gibraltar, to the colonies, to the caribbean. and the most interesting that i find is that they somehow created, i suppose, an illusion. i don't know what else to call it. the allies, in this case france and spain, would attack -- actually, the united kingdom would attack their country, so they have part of their fleet always guarding their coast. there are just so many places you can be at one time, and this was the case. it took time to plan that strategy to say, yes, we are joining france against england. that was the thing they never said, we are fighting for the colonies. because that was not in their own interest. but they say, we are joining france in the fight against england. that is how they gradually developed. it is such a broad topic, and wanting to write a small book written for the average reader, not for the scholar, i had to select certain issues that i felt i had to bring to light about the role of spain and make people understand exactly what happened. i focused a little bit on the armada. i focused a little bi

the gibraltar of the pacific. a legendary battle in world war ii that cost the lives of nearly 6,000 combatants in a scant 76 hours. how could so much blood be shed over an island the size of new york's central park? japanese commander bragged with weapons like this artillery piece and that tank, he could hold tarawa against a million americans for 100 years. but we proved him wrong. one survivor said that every participant became a hero in spite of himself. gruesome images of death from this tiny issand stunned our nation and forever changed the way americans looked at the realities of war. this is the story of 12,000 courageous marines and sailors who wouldn't accept defeat in capturing this island from a determined enemy for whom surrender was an option. summer 1943. america was waging war on two fronts. from north africa, the allies were battling toward sicily, the in the pacific, america was firmly on the road the tokyo and ending the crushing tide of japanese eepansion. decisive victory if june of '42 left t

we're going to put you in charge of a woman will take you to spain or gibraltar.don't act like an american. the big problem was, you had to take your uniform off. the minute you take your uniform captured, youe could be a spy. the gestapo could kill you. they would put their dog tags, sew them into their arm so that if they were caught, they'd pull the dog tag out and say, army, air force. a lot of these women were caught by the gestapo. some of them died in concentration camps under torture. a lot of guys thought about escape and evasion. any questions up until now? this is the moment when the air war changes. we get through the 12:00 high period. the 8th continues to flight unescorted missions into germany. they are getting pummeled. the 20 strikes -- the twin strikes. here is october. the entire war is in the balance. february,january, march, april, may -- five months. they have to achieve air security. -- air superiority. they are losing and that is when panic sets in. arnoldin the sense that, from washington replaces him with doolittle. what saves them is not

we're going to put you in charge of a woman will take you to spain or gibraltar. and don't act like an american. the big problem was you had to take your uniform off. the minute you take your uniform off, if you're captured, you are considered a spy. the gestapo could kill you. if you're captured in uniform you are a prisoner of war. they would put their dog tags, sew them into their arm so that if they were caught, they'd pull the dog tag out and say, army, air force. maybe that would work. a lot of these women were caught by the gestapo. to a concentration camp for women. some of them died in there under torture. a lot of guys thought about escape and evasion. they would think about dying and getting wounded but nobody thought about what would happen if i land and i'm ok and i try to get out. what happens when i become a prisoner. any questions up until now? this is the moment when the air war changes. we get through the 12:00 high period. all that summer the 8th continues to fly unescorted missions into germany. they are getting pummeled. the twin strikes. the