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Peleliu

byAaron Young

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An in-depth exploration of one of the little known battles of World War II. It began as a routine attempt by the US to take a small and negligibly strategic airstrip on a remote island in the Pacific and ended up as a blood-soaked battle of over two months which left tens of thousands dead and a scar on the American drive to victory. It is to the Pacific War what Passchendaele was to the Western Front in WW1. In the pivotal battle between the Americans and the Imperial Japanese Army, both sides would learn invaluable lessons that would prove vital in the battles that would follow - in Iwo Jima, Okinawa and, ultimately, in the final days of the Pacific War.

This book would be the first to explore this battle in any detail, drawing upon never-before-translated Japanese language sources that provide an account of the battle thus far unknown to the West. And like the best single battle narratives, will shed light on the macrocosm of how the war in the East was fought, which ultimately necessitated (in the US’ mind) the detonation of two atomic bombs.

© Aaron Young 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

About Aaron Young

Aaron Young was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and read Politics and Communications at The University of Liverpool. He is a BAFTA-nominated director, producer and executive producer with over 20 years of experience across projects for the BBC, PBS, Channel 4, Channel 5, UKTV, UK Film Council and Arts Council England. A long-time collaborator of acclaimed historian, James Holland, he is the producer and director of the BAFTA-shortlisted BBC titles ‘Battle of Britain: The Real Story’ and, ‘Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the German Dams’, as well as ‘The Battle for Malta’, ‘Normandy ’44: The Battle Beyond D-Day’, the RTS-nominated ‘Imphal & Kohima: Britain’s Greatest Battle.’, and the 3-part series, 'Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France. His most recent credits include 'Hidden Histories of WWII', 'Lost Temples of Cambodia', the RTS-winning ‘Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany’, and ‘Prue Leith: Journey with My Daughter’. Aaron was named in the inaugural list of BAFTA ‘Brits to Watch.’ He is the co-owner of award-winning film and television production company, Bright Button Productions, and lives with his wife and children in Poundbury, Dorset.
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