Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII

I'd heard of code talkers before, but I'd never really dived into their history. I found this book, written by one of the original 29 (or 32 if you go by Chester's numbers). Code talkers were a group of brave Native Americans who used the Navajo language to make sure the Japanese didn't know what the Americans were doing in the Pacific during WWII. The code was never broken and was much quicker and more efficient than what was being used previously. I like how the memoir went through almost his entire life. It covers his childhood up until 2011. Chester passed away in 2014 and was the last surviving member of the original code talkers. He lived quite a life and went through so much. I have the Kindle version and wanted to mention a few things. The text for the book ends at page 276. Acknowledgements, Navajo dictionary for the code, Bibliography, an index, maps of the islands Chester helped conquer, and pictures fill the rest of the book. The pictures start on page 347. The code was small and hard to read on my Paperwhite, but that's something I could fix. This is one of the better memoirs I've read. The writing was easy to read, there were enough breaks if you wanted to stop for a while, and the subject matter was super interesting to me. I believe this is an important part of WWII history that shouldn't be forgotten. The impact these men had was so important to the Pacific theater, and it was a secret for so long. If you're at all interested in a life lived the Right Way, I recommend this book.

Fascinating true story- well worth reading.

This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in this topic or certainly the history of the war. The code talkers were neglected for so many years - and one could certainly digress as to why, but that is fodder for another day. This memoir is a good start on the road to rectifying that wrong. The memoir could have concentrated just on the war years, but that would have been a mistake. Any good historian knows, as the late R.G.L. Waite used to say, that in order to study World War II you must look back as far as possible. And in order to look back at the late Mr. Nez's experience in the war, it is imperative that he fully discuss his life with the reader- which he wisely did in this volume. We are introduced to his life before the war - beginning as a young child, including when he was forced to attend boarding school for many years, away from his family, where English was rammed down his throat and his native language was forbidden. If you are unfamiliar with the legalized repression of the Navajo culture in American history, this is yet another reason why you absolutely must read this book. It is perfectly understandable why it was co-written by a professional writer, who spent countless hours interviewing him in depth. Our code talker never pretended to be a professional writer, nor should he have spent years writing a memoir at his advanced age. I am sure he had better things to do. His co-writer was smart in that she allowed him to retain his voice almost always throughout the book. You note that I said "almost always." There are times in the book - even sentences and paragraphs - where it is clear that the writing is in an entirely different voice, and as an experienced reader that may jangle your nerves. Their editors should have caught that and fixed it. However, any memoir that is cowritten with a professional writer usually has this as an Achilles heel, and one must suppress one's perfectionism as a reader because the story itself is so compelling. Certainly the story within Code Talkers is extraordinarily compelling and the writing, quite good. I read it very quickly within a couple of days - and you probably will as well. I recommend it highly.

Navajo Chester Nez has bad memories of boarding school. But without boarding school, he never would have become a code talker, because boarding school is where he learned to speak English. As a small child, he spoke only Navajo. Nez’s 2011 memoir about his experiences as a code talker during WWII utterly absorbed my attention from the first pages. At Guadalcanal in WWII, the 1st Marine Division is battle weary. The guys that began talking to themselves in a steady stream “weren’t going to last,” Nez writes. He prays for safety to the “Navajo Gods” and to the “Anglo God.” Constant rain falls in thick sheets. There are clouds of insects, and crocodiles and huge crabs that bite. Bombs and bullets are flying. Almost everyone suffers from sores that fester on their bodies, dysentery, and typhus. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes attack in swarms, so the men are given bitter yellow pills—atabrine. The smell of death is everywhere. Men grow emaciated and weak. When the division is finally awarded some R&R in Australia, the code talkers aren’t allowed to join their comrades, because having the code talkers around to keep manning their radios is vital to the campaign’s success. But the Navajo men accept their fate with stoicism. The Japanese have no clue how to break the code. Nez and his partner are sent to another island called Bougainville. At one point, a sniper’s bullet whines by Nez’s head. One of the code talkers is shot and killed by friendly fire, having been mistaken for a Japanese suicide warrior, or Banzai. Time and time again, on different islands, Nez also faces death. He describes the horrors of war—dead bodies, screaming Japanese soldiers running from bunkers with their uniforms on fire—and his own emotional reactions. One time, Nez himself was mistaken for a Japanese soldier, and nearly shot by one of our own soldiers. What was most interesting to me was Chester Nez’s spiritual beliefs and the mythology of his people, the “Diné.” The Navajo believe in the “Right Way” of life. They hold ceremonies conducted by a medicine man or woman, with sand paintings, singing, chanting, rattles and drums. After the war, when Nez says he suffers from attacks by “the devil spirits of my dead enemies,” he believes that only a special ceremony can cure him—one of the “Bad Way” ceremonies. I highly recommend this memoir to anyone interested in the Navajo culture, the code talkers and the history of World War II.

My husband is a retired Master Sgt in the Marines. He was enjoying this book as I noticed signs of reading. He took it to “his throne” to read! lol! UNFORTUNATELY, we just had a house fire recently, and lost everything. I hope to replace it for him eventually so when we get a new to us home, it will be”feel like home” again! Unfortunately it will be quite awhile as it is a non essential n we can’t right now.

Very interesting description of how the Code Talkers came to be, and how valuable their services were in saving lives during WW II. Unfortunately their mission was confidential and they could not tell anyone what they did during the war. Finally with declassification decades later these dedicated Native Americans received their just recognition. Many interesting insights throughout the book.

This is a remarkable story centered on the intriguing life of a World War II U.S. Marine veteran who was skilled and dedicated enough to earn a place among the so-called Navajo code talkers. In my years long fascination with the Allied fight against the Axis powers, only brief if any mention of these brave men was typically made. In this fascinating book, the reader is invited to come along with the author and his compatriots into some of the most fiercely fought combat in the Pacific Islands, including Guadalcanal, Guam and Peleliu. Mr. Nez’s story includes detailed descriptions of his upbringing in New Mexico and deep cultural heritage. The reader is brought into a world alive with a stunning appreciation and respect for nature, ancestral customs and unshakable lifelong responsibility. Code talkers like Mr. Nez were a vital asset during a war that placed extreme importance on the transmission of key strategic information, including enemy troop movements and threats. We are all in his debt, not only for his stunning bravery, but for having the wherewithal to tell his unique story in riveting detail. This is truly a book for the ages.

If you are looking for a one of a kind history book this is it. There really is only one book written by a Code Talker and this book he explains how the famous talkers where formed and where they served. One of the more interesting aspects of this book concerns the man’s life and culture. The author spends a lot of time explaining Navaho traditions and beliefs. He does a priceless job of interweaving this into the history of the second world war. This is truly what makes his book special. I enjoyed these moments learning about the Navaho as much as I enjoyed the sections dealing with the war in eh Pacific. None-the-less a sense of modesty of the author leaves out specific details regarding his personal performance in the war. But he showers his contemporaries with praise for their action. I would have liked more detail about the specific battles. This may be a cultural thing as he says his people are very private people who do not boast of their personal accomplishments. This book has a priceless place in history. I was amazed to find that native American languages had been used in WWI to confuse to Germans. However, they were not used to a higher level until World War Two. There are many great personal accounts of World War Two. But there really isn’t anything to compare this one to. It is really the only book written by a Code Talker. If you want to know more about the war in the Pacific in general I would recommend, “With the Old Breed,” by E.B. Sledge an, “Helmet for my Pillow,“ by Robert Leckie. Both of these men fought in battles that would have had code talkers serving win the ranks.

Book arrived as stated. Book in great shape. This book is one I will have to read .

Very interesting!

Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo... Chester Nez ok, welldone ok ok ok

The book revealed exactly what the title said. Along with many photos I enjoyed it thoroughly and as a WWII history buff I was very pleased with this book

This is a well-written account of the way that the language of the Navajo Indians formed the basis of a code to encipher secret messages. Despite the efforts of the Germans the code proved unbreakable. The book is written by a man belonging to the Navajo Indian tribe who was in the navy and whose identity was kept secret. I give it five stars because of the unique and authentic story, and because of the quality of the writing, but I confess that it went on a little too long for me and I skipped the last part.