The detailed action-packed narrative, told by Ned to his grandchildren, reveals the injustice the United States government to Native Americans and the horror of battles in Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Guam and Okinawa that Ned experienced. During World War II, the Navajo Code Talkers devised and employed a secret code using their native tongue, a code which proved totally undecipherable to the enemy, enabling American forces to prevail in the South Pacific. By focusing on one main (fictional) character and following his way through World War II in the Pacific Ocean, the enormity of the conflict is condensed to a size that is manageable for a novel. Because some of them don´t know English, so they would might have a rough time speaking and understanding and they would be shy and fear the big powers of other people who have something against their team their helping. He gets to go to war but he relizes that its not all fun and games. On the Pacific front during World War II, strange messages were picked up by American and Japanese forces on land and at sea. Navajo code talkers is a great book for those people who are highly interested in war strategies. I chose this book because I love wa books and it sounded interesting. Informative read. The Navajo Code Talkers. I also like how they needed to learn the code names for things that were gonna happen in the war. While the US marines confronted directly with the ferocious Japanese soldiers island by island, the Navajo warriors added impetus to the US war effort by transmitting valuable information to the front line in a coded language, which even the most intelligent Japanese code experts could not decipher. The book shows what the life of a Indian during the war from and Indians prospective. I thought it was very interesting and readable. But when bed got home he almost forgot that Indians didn’t have the same rights as whites,but came to relize that even tho he served not many things changed while he was gone. The main character is a Navajo that is fluent in both English and the language of the Navajo's which he calls the sacred or pure language. The book did a little of everything, but I wish it had developed some ideas more fully. There is nothing like reading a history or biography book and being so completely transported to another time and place that you find... On the Pacific front during World War II, strange messages were picked up by American and Japanese forces on land and at sea. 3 stars for being informative, especially about an aspect of WWII with which I was unfamiliar. The sacrifice and dedication of so many who were treated so marginally by the nation they served is deeply moving. I was so excited to read this because I have forefathers who were themselves code talkers, but I guess I will have to look elsewhere for that. Here is another book by an award-winning children's author, that must be considered a book for everyone. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. This makes me think of myself when I played basketball for the school because we had to learn everything before we played in a game. Part of literature unit: This informational book about the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II gives insight to both how the idea to use the Navajo language as a code developed to facts about the Navajo Indians. Not only did you learn about the code talkers themselves, but there was a lot of information on decoding and the war itself. Short informative book. The best part of the story is how the Navajo learned the code. Fun read. There are some good photographs in here that depict the Navajo Code Breakers. This book does a good job of giving a concise history of the Navajo Code Breakers from conception to the end of the war. Speaking English and emulating the white man is the only way to get ahead, or so they are told. 32 New Historical Fiction Novels Readers Are Raving About. Suribachi (Iwo Jima). Tales of island hopping are accurate, even if the main character's two friends are caricatures. Great history resource for WWII studies. Start by marking “Navajo Code Talkers” as Want to Read: Error rating book. They were entirely left out of any news reports applauding their help. I'm so glad that their langague was helpful in WWII and that the Navajo people were finally recognized for their contribution to the war and to society. But the author manages to distill something clear and valuable and even lovely out of that. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. This was an easy to understand and well written history of the Navajo Code Breakers and their role in WWII. Navajo code talkers is a great book for those people who are highly interested in war strategies. I really enjoyed learning the story of the Navajo code talkers. An unbreakable code is being developed using the Navajo language and the Marines are recruiting men fluent in Navajo and English to come and fight the Japanese. It's heartbreaking, the discrimination and abuse before the war, the horrors of the war which had to be kept secret until 1969, and the discrimination after the war. Eeeeh, I hate giving bad reviews. When considering this book for a classroom, consider reading sections of it or using it with your most accomplished readers. Start by marking “Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two” as Want to Read: Error rating book. It is ironic that historical fiction can be more real than just dry history. The book 'Navajo code talkers' provides the readers valuable information about the past tragic history as well as the age old culture of the Navajo tribe . by Speak, Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. There is an i. If you’re looking for a book on strategical operations during specific island skirmishes. Welcome back. Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. It was just an awesome read. But after Pearl Harbor he wants to enlist into the Marines and does as soon as it was made possible. If you already know the basic outlines of the story (US Marines used Navajo Marine to transmit messages during WWII because the Japanese couldn't even transcribe their language) then you probably won't pick up a lot of new facts from this quick tour of the Pacific theater and its major campaigns. I highly recommend! A wonderfully concise and well flowing (be it short) look at the impact and contribution of the Navajo during WWII. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. It is ironic that historical fiction can be more real than just dry history. This was the Japanese last stand and the war was event. Throughout the book Ned Begay the main character attends school and unlisted into the military a year before he was supposed with his parents permission. Why I waited so long to read about this integral part of American history is beyond me. It comes to show that Navajos had some courage and great loyalty to their home country. As one reads about the Navajos a question comes to mind, why would they help the united states after what the USA has done to them? There is an index in the back of the book for those who want to dig a little deeper into the topics the book covers. There were few in charge in the military who acknowledged the Navajo’s value and showed them any respect at all. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. The messages were totally unintelligible to everyone except a small select group within the Marine Corps: the Navajo code talkers-a group of Navajos communicating in a code based on the Navajo language. It was just an awesome read. If you already know the basic outlines of the story (US Marines used Navajo Marine to transmit messages during WWII because the Japanese couldn't even transcribe their language) then you probably won't pick up a lot of new facts from this quick tour of the Pacific theater and its major campaigns. I enjoyed learning about these remarkable people who helped us tremendously to win World War II. The United States showed them no respect or appreciation for their contribution to our war effort until 1982. They were entirely left out of any news reports applauding their help. As one reads about the Navajos a question comes to mind, why would they help the united states after what the USA has done to them? I've been interested in the history of code talkers since I first heard about them and this was a great read for adults or kids. In the later chapters of the book the outstanding. And given that the Navajos who served in the war were heroes...that the book was clearly sympathetic toward their side felt justified. Bruchac was not as successful at that as he was at just presenting information. Eeeeh, I hate giving bad reviews. Great information. Some even accused those men of being fakers and cowards. Welcome back. I learned a lot about the actual building and implementation of the Navajo Code Talkers. Read this about four years ago in seventh grade. However, even with these serious themes, the character is interesting and his story of developing and using the code during WWII is inherently compelling. The story becomes alive and real through the fictional protanongist. I thought the title of the book was interesting when I first started reading it but when I got more into the book the phrase Code Talkers came up pretty often. The story touches on issues with the Indian Schools, language extinction, stereotypes & cultural awareness, the irony of a government trying to stamp out a language and then needing it for military security, etc. For a number of years I have been curious about the soilders from the Navajo Nation and how they were used in the Pacific campaingn of WWII as Code Talkers. At the mission school, all the Navajos are told to forget their language, to forget everything about being Navajo. I have nothing against non-fiction, but a writer of fiction has the opportunity to enhance the dry facts and really connect the reader to what was going on, the feelings, the action, the impact. This book was really interesting and I liked it. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Interesting. January 1st 1994 This was the Japanese last stand and the war was eventually declared won. Fascinating look at World War II from a totally unique perspective. Reviewed spring/summer 2014. His younger years are spent at boarding school or on the preservation where the Navajo live in poverty and aren't treated well by other Americans. Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Here is another book by an award-winning children's author, that must be considered a book for everyone. But it is important to understand their culture to fully appreciate the sacrifices they made to serve in the battles of the Pacific. I read this book while researching a chapter for my book, "Invisible Heroes of World War II" and I came to have the highest regard for the integrity of these men and the gentleness of their spirits. He and his Indian allies are hired for a specific reason to be a code talker and this was a very beneficial. . Bruchac was not as successful at that as he was at ju. At the mission school, all the Navajos are told to forget their language, to forget everything about being Navajo. When I was a little girl I remember how much I loved my Dad singing the Ants Go Marching one by one in Navajo. They chose Navajo because the language wasn't written it was taught orally and was hard to speak unless the person was trained from when they were young. This book was really interesting and I liked it. .". There are still many who treat minorities this way and it is embarrassing for a country as great as ours to show racism and bias for our own citizens who don’t deserve it. Also, since they were the secret weapons, they would not want to talk about their real job and scared about if their boss finds out if they told all of their secrets, even if the war is already over.