40 Thieves on Saipan

The Elite Marine Scout-Snipers in One of WWII's Bloodiest Battles

By: Joseph Tachovsky, Cynthia Kraack

Narrated by: Qarie Marshall

Before there were Navy SEALs, before there were Green Berets, there were the 40 Thieves: the elite Scout Sniper Platoon of the Sixth Marine Regiment during World War II.

Behind enemy lines on the island of Saipan - where firing a gun could mean instant discovery and death - the 40 Thieves killed in silence during the grueling battle for Saipan, the D-Day of the Pacific.

Now, Joseph Tachovsky - whose father, Frank, was the commanding officer of the 40 Thieves, also called Tachovsky's Terrors - joins with award-winning author Cynthia Kraack to transport listeners back to the brutal Battle of Saipan. Built on hours of personal interviews with WWII veterans, their personal papers, letters, and documentation from the National Archives, 40 Thieves on Saipan is an astonishing portrayal of elite World War II combat. It's also a rare glimpse into the lives of World War II Marines. The poorest equipped branch of the services at that time, Marines were notorious thieves. To improve their odds for victory against the Japanese, they found it necessary to improve their supply chains through "Marine Methods" - stealing. Being the elite of the Sixth Regiment, the Scout-Sniper Platoon excelled at the craft - earning them the nickname of the "40 Thieves" from their envious peers. Upon returning from a 1943 trip to the Pacific theater, Eleanor Roosevelt observed, "The Marines I have met around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marines."

©2020 Joseph Tachovsky (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Excellent

Great untold story at least to my knowledge, great action and narration was a win... for those who gave it all, so we may remember their triumphs.

fantastic

Fantastic book that provides insight into the worst parts of the pacific theater. Being apart of a different generation we don't always understand what they went through. my grandfather fought in Europe and never said a word about what he saw or did. tha k you for writing this book!!

an impressive and immersive account

this was fantastically well researched and very compelling. Lots of detailed accounts of events that brought these young soldiers to life, living through some of the most brutal combat of the second world war.

Amazing Book

It's not a dry telling of history, but a narrative. The book puts you right there with the scout sniper platoon. I read a lot of military books. This is definitely one of my favorites. I highly recommend.

letters need editing.

the personal letters added a "touch " but often were not germaine to the story line.