Mass suicides occurred during World War II when the Americans invaded and captured the Japanese-controlled islands of Saipan and Tinian in 1944. Though these mass suicides have been mentioned in documentaries, historical scholarship on the topic is almost non-existent.

This book draws on United States National Archives documents and photographs, as well as veteran and survivor testimonies, to provide readers with a better understanding of what happened on the two islands and why. The author also details the experiences of the people of the islands from prehistoric times to the present, with an emphasis on the islands’ civilians during the invasions and occupations of Saipan and Tinian.