Amid the shelling and slaughter of World War II, patriots of virtually every race and creed emerged to answer the American call to sacrifice for the preservation of freedom. Among the most vital, unique, and heroic of these people and perhaps the least heralded were the members of the Navajo Indian Tribe, first Americans, who rallied together in a valiant defense of their nation. Now, MGM Pictures has released the major motion picture Windtalkers, directed by John Woo and starring Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Van Holt, Roger Willie, Francis OConnor, and Christian Slater, presenting a fictionalized version of the code talkers story. The film was written by John Rice and Joe Batteer and produced by Woo, Terence Chang, Tracie Graham, and Alison Rosenzweig. The epic film is an action drama centered around several hundred Navajo Americans who were recruited by the Marines and trained to use their language as a code that proved totally indecipherable to enemy cryptographers. In this current era of heightened patriotism, the story of these valiant men and those charged with protecting them is sure to resonate with American audiences. After viewing the dramatic portrayal of Windtalkers, many people will seek to learn more about these real-life American heroes. The critically acclaimed book The Navajo Code Talkers by Doris A. Paul remains the single most comprehensive historical account of the contribution of the Navajo Americans during World War II. First appearing in 1973, now with more than 50,000 copies in print, The Navajo Code Talkers was one of the first published efforts to tackle the fascinating subject of how Navajo Marines developed a code based on their own language. Their code was never broken by the Japanese. From the codes inception by Los Angeles engineer Philip Johnston through its development and ultimate battlefield implementation, The Navajo Code Talkers presents the story of this crucial element of the war effort in a well-organized, thoroughly researched manner abounding with excitement, national pride, and poignant humor. This inspirational work is liberally illustrated with photographs of the men in action in the South Pacific and substantiated by excerpts from official documents, correspondence with officers who worked with the Navajos, and interviews with code talkers. On July 26, 2001, the United States Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the twenty-nine code talkers who developed the heralded, unbreakable military code. President George W. Bush presented the medals to four of the five living code talkers and to family members of the original twenty-nine who had passed away. Doris Pauls story of heroism and staunch patriotism has forever immortalized the bravery and ingenuity of the Navajo, and its timeless themes of pride and sacrifice preserve its place as a classical contribution to Native American history. The Navajo Code Talkers is a book for all times and people. "The Navajo Code Talkers" is the single most comprehensive account of the contribution of the Navajo Native Americans in World War II...Highly recommended!” - Bookwatch "It is perhaps the best and most complete story of the code talkers yet published." - Benis S. Frank, U.S. Marine Corps chief historian "...a book that should be in every patriotic home..." - Gallup New Mexico Independent "...[an] interesting account of that group of Marines who contributed so much to the cause of peace and freedom." - President Richard M. Nixon "Its light, warm, human interest reading is a welcomed relief..." - Marine Corps Gazette "...an out of the ordinary war story..." - The Maui News "...a delightful reading experience as well as a special contribution to the pages of history."- The Journal of Arizona History "...delightful reading for the soldier and civilian alike... [it is] well-balanced in service humor, pride in country and devotion to duty..." - Lloyd R. Moses, Director of the Institute of Indian Studies
