This volume investigates the tactical, logistical, and human costs of the Battle of Okinawa, the final major amphibious assault of the Pacific War. Roy E. Appleman, a historian for the United States Army, utilizes official military records, after-action reports, and primary source documentation to construct a comprehensive account of Operation Iceberg. The work argues that the intensity of the fighting on Okinawa served as a critical indicator of the potential scale of a full-scale invasion of the Japanese home islands.

Historians and military researchers recognize this volume as a foundational, primary-source-heavy account of the Okinawa campaign. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous attention to operational detail provided by the author.