Wake Island, first published in 1947 as "The Story of Wake Island," is the gritty account by commander James Devereux of the outnumbered and outgunned U.S. Marines stationed on tiny Wake Island during the Second World War. Fighting a large Japanese invasion force, the Marines inflicted heavy casualties (more than 5,700 enemy casualties vs. only 96 American) before being forced to surrender. Following the men's surrender, they were shipped to prisoner-of-war camps in China. The book, filled with accounts of the heavy combat on the island, follows the men until their release from the prison camps in 1945. "Wake Island" remains a moving, inspirational story of the heroism displayed by the U.S. Marine Corps in the face of overwhelming odds.