A Close Encounter: The Marine Landing on Tinian

"A Close Encounter: The Marine Landing on Tinian" by Richard Harwood is a historical book that tells the true story of the U.S. Marine Corps’ attack on the island of Tinian during World War II. The book explains the careful planning and fighting that went into taking the island from the Japanese, who had made it a very strong base. Readers see how the Marines thought about what went wrong in previous battles, like the one on Saipan, to help them make better choices for this new attack. The story starts by showing why Tinian, which sat only three miles away from Saipan, was so important. Key people like Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner and Captain James L. Jones are introduced, highlighting their important decisions and actions. The story describes the secret missions to learn about the island, showing how hard it was to find good places to land. Readers also learn about different Marine groups, their pasts, and how ready they were to fight. First looks at the island by scouts paint a picture of a difficult and dangerous place, building up to the big fight that was about to happen.