Product Description
I'M STAYING WITH MY BOYS... is a first-hand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation. Sgt. John Basilone was lauded by General Douglas MacArthur as ...A ONE MAN ARMY and awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic defense of a vital airfield early in World War 2. It was the turning point of the war and Basilones foxhole was the site of the turning point in that battle. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is narrated by Sgt. Basilone himself allowing readers to experience the development of Johnny Basilone, the aimless youth, into Gunnery Sergeant MANILA JOHN Basilone, the clear-eyed warrior, undefeated light-heavyweight boxer and nationally revered war hero. This publication is the only family-authorized biography. The story is woven with surprising personal details such as Sgt. Basilones uncanny premonitions. Three times he confided to his family unlikely visions of his future. All three times the visions came to pass - including the final one that foretold his death. In spite of his final revelation, and true to his unwavering dedication to his men, he returned to battle and was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima - an emotional true story
Customer Reviews:
A MUST READ ! ! !.......2005-09-15
My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.
It sounds so prophetic.......2005-01-26
He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.
A must read.......2005-01-06
Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.
Excellent.......2004-10-25
If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.
Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.
Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.
An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War.......2004-08-28
Author and Film Producer Jim Prosser has created a richly detailed, raptly written, devastatingly powerful book about the life of American War hero John Basilone. This book is especially pungent at this time in history because it revives a lost tradition of the country's view of maritime heroism. Since the atrocities of the Vietnam mistake to the present harrowing details of a similar (or worse) war in Iraq the concept of war is now very much in a negative light. Even the words 'war hero' seem an oxymoron, so strident are the feelings about America's latest aggressions. But to appreciate this fine book requires a return to the mindset of the US during World War II when not only was Europe under the vile threat of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Japanese warriors were annihilating China, Korea, and ultimately the Philippines in the mission to own the Pacific Ocean. And even in those early years the threat seemed frightening but distant until the Japanese successfully decimate the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. That incident unified the country, creating a fighting force and support system at home that eventually resulted in the defeat of the massive evil outside the borders of the USA.
Given that atmosphere of over a half century ago, author Proser has created one of the most convincing portraits of a military hero in literature. And the intensively researched and detailed approach results in a biography that fully restores the ambience of WW II. John Basilone was a nice Italian boy form Raritan, New Jersey, a lad who quit school to follow his recurring visions. He caddied for Japanese businessmen at a country club, seeing in his prophetic mind that at some day he would be at war with Japan. After trying multiple jobs he finally enlists in the Army, makes the best of boot camp by gambling and boxing, and is shipped to the Philippines where he spent time waiting, boxing (becoming a champion nicknamed Manila John), running a little bar with his Island sweetheart, and finally returning home. Frustrated once again with the boredom of work and the embarrassment of not having finished his education, Basilone finally returns to the military by signing on with the USMC, trains hard at Quantico, Cuba, and other US training camp swamps, and finally is shipped to Guadalcanal where his brilliance and dedication to his commanding officer ("Chesty" Puller) through one of the most devastating battles in the Pacific arena earned him not only the respect of his men, but also the Medal of Honor - the highest commendation offered by his country. Returning home form this mission he ride the waves of adulation form the American people, hobnobs with movies stars, sells War Bonds, and falls in love, only to be shipped out once again to the Pacific where he is killed in action in the battle for Iwo Jima.
The amazing (that is, ONE of the amazing) aspect of this book is that Proser has elected to write it in the first person of John Basilone. Everything is told as Basilone perceives it, lives, feels, and survives it. Rarely has a story been written with such clarity and perception: we truly feel that Basilone has written his memoirs. The language of the period is exactly right, the descriptions of the various battles and conditions of being a soldier under tremendously adverse conditions are vivid, and the soldiers' mentality of being in the thick of war are written with such bulls-eye focus that no matter what the reader's opinion of War might be, this book makes it all understandable form the point of view of the soldiers who fought. Some of the battle passages are tough to read: "On October 23, a light tank and infantry attack across the mouth of the Matanikau ran right into the teeth of Vandegrift's defenses. It was chewed up in short order with over 600 Japs killed, many of them trapped in a jungle clearing where US tanks just drove over them instead of wasting ammunition. They ground the poor bastards up like sausage under the tank treads until the entire clearing was covered in gore and left to rot in the sun." And a soldier's impressions: "We all heard a lot about the bravery of the Japanese soldier before we got on the island. They were supposed to be the most fearless warriors ever to fight. But I kept thinking what kind of bravery it was that sent them, one after the other, right into the same guns that mowed down dozens before them. I don't know if that was bravery. I don't know what it was. Either they were crazy or they just didn't care. So I didn't care either. They weren't even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends."
Proser very cleverly weaves snippets of Iwo Jima from the opening of the book to its finish, which in an act of brilliance makes the whole story more pungent in retrospect. There is little doubt the Sgt. John Basilone was an extraordinary soldier and military hero along with the thousands of others who lost their lives in the incomprehensibly vast WW II. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read, and I say that as a pacifist, as a Vietnam Veteran convinced that war on any level is simply not an option. This book is vastly important, well written, and contains a story and moment of history we all should face and incorporate. And perhaps then we can all better empathize with soldiers form throughout history to the very present. Recommended without reservation!
Product Description
In May 1942 the Japanese landed on a number of southern islands in the British Solomons and began constructing an airfield on Guadalcanal. Their actions threatened Australia and her vital American supply lines and could not be tolerated by the Allies. The 1st Marine Division, with its attached 1st Marine Parachute Battalion, was directed to spearhead the assault on Gavutu Island and take the Guadalcanal airfield, even though it was not prepared for such an offensive action. The result was a bloodbath, and when it was over, less that one in five of the Marine paratroopers walked off Bloody Ridge.
Although crucial to the action, the 1st Parachute Battalion is rarely credited for its part in what Gen. Alexander A. Vandergrift, USMC, called the key battle of the Guadalcanal campaign. Here, James F. Christ draws not only on government documents but also on hundreds of hours of interviews with the men who were there to tell their remarkable story. It is a story of how in the face of overwhelming odds and seemingly irrational decisions from above, the battalion fought heroically, accepting orders without question and adapting to circumstances beyond its control despite sickness and a critical shortage of resources. In bringing public attention to the contributions made by these men during the first amphibious assault by U.S. forces in World War II, this book adds significantly to the history of the war in the Pacific.
Customer Reviews:
My favorite World War II book.......2007-05-07
I highly recommend reading this book! It is a gripping account of the 1st Marine Paratroopers at Gavutu, and Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal. The author's style combines meticulous historical detail with the feel and emotion of a great novel. The author knows his subject, and in turn I got to know and care about these incredible, courageous marines. The battles are intense and you feel like you are right there. I also appreciated his ability to inject humor amid the heavy drama of the battle field. I also recommend his first book, Mission: Raise Hell, which follows the 2nd Marine Paratroopers diversionary raid on the island of Choiseul. Both are a great read!
A great read about a legend........2007-04-20
When I first noticed this book, I rushed to buy it, because my motivating thought was, "At last, someone wrote the story of the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion at Guadalcanal." Much has been written about the Guadalcanal campaign but little is available about the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion that participated in the bloodiest fighting of the campaign. This book walks the reader through two of the para-marine heroic battles. Battles where outnumbered Marines fought their way to victory at a cost that decimated the battalion.
The author has managed to find and interview the small number of remaining battalion survivors. His discussions with these survivors provides the author the ability to bring the reader down to the individual and small unit level and explain how their actions contributed to the fight.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the US Marines organization is rapidly expanding from two light regiments into division and corps size units. The reader discovers that most of the members of the parachute battalion have already served an enlistment before the war and before the battalion is formed. These men were professionals and experienced. Today's Marines will want to call them "Old Corps" but the Corps did not exist when most of these men enlisted. It is that experience and dedication the author captures in this book that provides the essence of victory.
This story is how Marines, out numbered, starved, sick and short supplied, managed to prevail over a numerically superior enemy in historically critical battles. As they say; "It is the stuff that makes legends." I think the author has provided a book for the record that truly captures the bravery of the Marines of the 1st Parachute Battalion and establishes their legend. The author not only captured what makes a great military unit, but also the essence of why men fight and win desperate battles.
"You are there" feelong........2007-04-18
This is an excellent book written in a style to make you feel like you are actually there. Knowing a Marine who was actually on Gavutu was the main reason I bought this book but I will be sure to purchase more from this author.
Book Description
On what was a virtually unheard of Pacific island, the United States shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility. In the first American amphibious assault of the Second World War, the US Marines and Army halted the apparently irresistible Japanese advance in its tracks. Over 30,000 American and Japanese casualties were suffered in five months of bitter fighting. From the ranks of the units that contested this campaign a seasoned fighting force of US veterans was created that would, island by island, sweep the Japanese back across the Pacific.
Customer Reviews:
For modelers.......2000-05-31
Even if you didn't much care for "The Thin Red Line", you should get this book for general information (though a bit short) on the Guadalcanal long drawn battle.
In the usual Campaign series format, highlights from the book are the topological maps in 3D and the uniforms and equipment sketches. (These drawings actually come from other Osprey series, such as WARRIORS, MEN AT ARMS, or ELITE.)
You could also get MIDWAY 1942 from the same series, to get more information on Pacific battles during that year of WWII.
Book Description
John Hersey (1914–93) was a correspondent for Time and Life magazines when in 1942 he was sent to cover Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands in the Western Pacific. While there, Hersey observed a small battle upon which Into the Valley is based. While the battle itself was not of great significance, Hersey gives insightful details concerning the jungle environment, recounts conversations among the men before, during, and after battle, and describes how the wounded were evacuated as well as other works of daily heroism.
Customer Reviews:
War is Hell.......2007-09-25
That's the bottom-line message of this short, artfully written book by a distinguished writer who served as a war correspondent in the Pacific early in his career.
America had no choice but to fight World War II, and the Marines profiled in this book had to be where they were. But Hersey shows you the war from close up, not from the lofty vantage point of the generals, with their maps, strategic theories and neatly prepared statistical tables.
These are real people being blown to bits. Human lives and humanity itself are expendable in the quest for a few yards of territory.
You will come away from this book hating war, however necessary it may be under certain circumstances.
The same author capped off his message some years later with his classic account of the Hiroshima bombing and its aftermath. If you haven't read that one, your education isn't complete.
Great for what it is.......2007-04-06
I was pretty surprised by how short this book was -- not counting illustrations, there are maybe 45-50 pages of content here. That said, it gives a really good perspective on being in battle and how the every-day must have been. It feels a little "cleaned up" and therefore slightly propagandistic (e.g., no one swears, no one is lazy, everyone is helpful to the writer, etc.), but for me at least, that's also helpful in understanding the time and place. The other issue is that you never for a moment forget that this is being written by a journalist (and not by an infantryman) -- the book never pretends to be anything else, though, and the reporter's POV is still useful and in some ways perhaps better for its "objective" third-partyness.
All-in-all, worthwhile for anyone interested in the subject matter.
bkd
Told As It Was.......2003-09-01
Please do not be put off by fours stars: this is a superb book about early WWII written by someone who 'was there'. The lack of a fifth star merely reflects my desire to have seen a longer, even more in-depth, book. I was born in 1950, so my knowledge of those days is gained mostly by people like John Hersey. Also, my uncle (and namesake) was a member of Edson's Raiders--and he was there, too. I have had the great good fortune to have met many of the Raiders and others on Guadalcanal and I find "Into the Valley" to be most accurate of the descriptions told to me by these veterans. All human, the Marines had to draw on their training and leadership to get themselves through the bitter fighting and to prevail against unsettling odds on Guadalcanal. Hersey allows us to see the Marines as human--young boys and men, for the most part. He paints success and he paints failure with an honest brush. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in WWII and the South Pacific.
Average customer rating:
- Unheralded Heros
- On Target
- A story that should have been told.
|
Marine Pioneers: The Unsung Heroes of World War II (Schiffer Military/Aviation History)
Kerry Lane
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Papua New Guinea
| Australia & Oceania
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ships
| Transportation
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Naval
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Narratives
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0764302272 |
Book Description
Marine Pioneers: The Unsung Heroes of World War II is a personal history of a young Marine during World War II. This book tells a powerful story that has never been told before and documents a rare look into a "Pioneer Unit", integrated with an infantry unit in the First Marine Division. Kerry Lane tells the riveting true story of his experiences as a Sergeant while serving with a Marine Pioneer Battalion during the Battle of Guadalcanal and the swamp battle known as "Suicide Creek" in the jungles of Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Assisted by the Marine Historical Center and other Pioneers, Kerry Lane has gathered numerous battlefield stories, anecdotes, and experiences told by those who were there and who lived them. With his own battlefield experiences providing an understanding of men in war, he has crafted an interesting book that tells those stories of marine pioneers in battle. Weaving these stories and vignettes together into the framework of the overall battle, this book honors the many marine pioneers, their companies and battalion, that contributed greatly to the victory that changed the course of the Pacific war., over 100 b/w photos, 6" x 9"
Customer Reviews:
Unheralded Heros.......2002-03-31
There are many books written about recognized Marine heros. There were many. There were many men that were not singled out, Units that were not considered Elite as we might classify them today. They were the "Everyman's Marine" that performed as part of a team so the goal of victory could be met. These men unloaded the supplies, drove the trucks, resupplied the combat units, constructed roads and causeways that permitted heavy weapons to be utilized.
This is the book that gives them a voice. Col Lane was a SSGT in the Pioneer and Engineer Batallions of the First Marine Division in the South Pacific. Doesn't sound very glamorous, Heh? Tell that to the tank commander that went across "Suicide Creek" on Cape Glouster after SSGT Lane was shot from the seat of a bulldozer(as several Marines were)attempting to build a path for the tank to cross while under intense enemy fire.Another Marine finished the job so the tanks could be brought into action against the Japanese troops.
I have a feeling that the Marines in those tanks had a different perspective on heroism than most of us have gained by our previous reading.
Col Lane unselfishly describes the events and lauds the actions of these comrades that most of us have never read about.Now their time has come in Marine Pioneers-The Unsung Heros Of World War Two. A story too long in waiting to be told. He has spoken for men that would not or could not speak for themselves, and I thank him for this.
An excellent read, written as I would have like to have heard it through my Father's words. He too was a Pioneer that served with Col Lane from Guadalcanal through Cape Glouster and New Britain.
A unique view of uncommon men.
On Target.......1998-08-23
An excellent first-person account of USMC elite in the Big War.
Lately, I've grown tired of the general histories of WWII and its various subjects, and have been seeking personal accounts in the style of "Company Commander." In this book, Lane does not disappoint. His narrative is very compelling and well illustrated from his personal collection.
If you are interested in WWII, the Pacific island-hopping campaigns, or the USMC from one who lived through it, this is a must have.
Semper Fi
A story that should have been told........1997-12-30
A very good narative of all events.
Amazon.com
In the summer and fall of 1942, American Marines landed on the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal and began the slow, bloody work of defeating the Japanese empire. Their landing was significant not only for the outcome of World War II, but also for the conduct of war ever since, for the invasion of Guadalcanal marked the first time that a combined air, sea, and land assault had ever been attempted. It is for that reason that tacticians and military historians study the months-long battle today, and their primary guide to that conflict is Richard Tregaskis's extraordinary Guadalcanal Diary.
A volunteer combat correspondent, Tregaskis braved much danger to bring the story of the fighting to American readers. But he was not one to celebrate his own exploits, and in the pages of his book, he centers on the brave young men from all over the United States who fought and died in appalling numbers. His attention to detail yields arresting descriptions of attacks and counterattacks, of moments of low morale and of exaltation, of moments of quiet behind the lines and of sheer terror at the very point of engagement. Tregaskis's style is unadorned and matter-of-fact, and his present-tense narrative places the reader in the thick of the battle during those "hopeless weeks."
The direct literary ancestor of books of military reportage such as Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down and Michael Herr's Dispatches, Guadalcanal Diary is an exemplary work of journalism, and as vivid a portrait of men under fire as has ever been committed to print. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
history U.S.A. $14.95
Canada $22.50
This celebrated classic gives a soldier's-eye-view of the Guadalcanal battles--crucial to World War II, the war that continues to fascinate us all, and to military history in general. Unlike some of those on Guadalcanal in the fall of 1942, Richard Tregaskis volunteered to be there. An on-location news correspondent (at the time, one of only two on Guadalcanal), he lived alongside the soldiers: sleeping on the ground--only to be awoken by air raids--eating the sometimes meager rations, and braving some of the most dangerous battlefields of World War II. He more than once narrowly escaped the enemy's fire, and so we have this incisive and exciting inside account of the groundbreaking initial landing of U.S. troops on Guadalcanal.
With a new Introduction by Mark Bowden--renowned journalist and author of Black Hawk Down--this edition of Guadalcanal Diary makes available once more one of the most important American works of the war.
Customer Reviews:
Puts you on the Front Lines... .......2007-01-04
This is a gripping first-person account of the battle of Guadalcanal. War correspondent Richard Tregaskis describes landing with the marines on August 7, 1942, in what was the first U.S. offensive of World War II. Readers see how the intial island landings caught the Japanese napping, and the marines quickly grabbed the air field. But within days Japan launched furious counter attacks by land, sea, and air, leaving the battle's outcome and the survival of the marines in doubt. The author paints a stark picture of what the marines experienced - malaria, disease, and deadly combat in a steamy, jungle island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And this battle occurred while the Allies were losing; Japan held half of China and much of the Pacific, while Nazi Germany had most of Europe, North Africa, and was battering the Russians near Stalingrad. Tregaskis left Guadalcanal in late September with the fight raging and unsettled, but by February of 1943 Japan withdrew and the marines had a key victory.
Richard Tregaskis (1916-1973) was a war correspondent who wrote easy reading copy. This was probably the most famous of his many war books, and it was soon adapted into a 1943 movie starring Anthony Quinn, William Bendix and Lloyd Nolan.
An enjoyable and important read...........2006-11-08
An outstanding piece of combat reporting written in an easy to read format. This gives the reader an insight into what the initial period of the campaign was like, from the front line!
This book is very difficult to put down and by drawing reference to the names of combatants and their home City and State brings the amazing exploits of our citizen soldiers to life.
Anyone with an interest on combat reporting, life in the front line of the South Pacific combat theatre or the battle of Guadalcanal should read this. Many of these veterans will soon be gone forever and this book is a worthy testament to their sacrifices.
Inspirational testimony of the Marines winning the battle that turned the war........2006-05-29
The Marines landed at Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942 and then withstood every counterattack the Japanesse could throw at them. The Japanesse Midnight Express made almost nightly runs to Guadalacanal. They land troops and supplies that were dispatched to destroy the Marines. To assist them the Japanesse navy conducted night bombardments and by day, they threw their airforce against the Marines. Reacting with the spirit of American's, the Marines withstood every attack. The Marines opened the airfield (Henderson) that the Japanesse had started. Marines Air (plus some army) then owned the skies. Then step by bloody step the Marines went onto secure the island. Guadalcanal was the decisive battle that turned the war.
I purchased this book in the Third Grade (it was my first ever book purchase). Richard Tregaskis's book inspire's me to always do more. I am still proud of the Marines (my dad was one) and the USA.
A classic WWII story.......2005-08-07
This was one of the earliest & realistic books about America's first offensive operation against the Japanese Empire during WWII.
While the book lacks in details in some places due to Wartime censureship. It still is a great book about our fight in one of the most hellish places in the world against one very tough foe & where we could not lose.
Too dated.......2005-04-08
It may have been a good book in its day, but is far too dated for a modern reader. There are many far more up-to-date type books about the war in the Pacific. The "Diary" is just that and gives too little detail about the actual battles or men who fought them. He states that there was a "bombing" or "strafing" by the Japs, but he gives no further detail. If you want an actual, detailed, first-person account of the many battles in the south Pacific, try "With the Old Breed" or "Into the Rising Sun". Both are excellent accounts of battles in the south Pacific during WWII.
Book Description
A straightforward, gripping tale from the Marines that stormed ashore on Guadalcanal in World War II. Told with humor and honesty in a no-holds-barred approach that only a Marine who was there could tell. Excerpt on firing a rifle grenade: "I jammed the rifle stock tight against my shoulder, raised myself up off the ground to a kneeling position, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle went bang! And the recoil jarred it loose from my grip. The rifle smacked me hard in the jaw. With that, I went down on my face while the little bluebirds started going tweet, tweet, tweet around my head. 'Did I hit it?' I asked. 'Yeah, you hit it,' Flash said. 'The damn thing just didn't work. 'We finally ran into somebody from another unit, a guy who really understood how the new style grenade was supposed to work. We explained our misfortune to him, and he asked us did you pull the firing pin out . . . The god damn pin!"
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Account.......2007-07-29
This was a gripping, fascinating read. I read this immediately after reading Eugene B. Sledge's _With the Old Breed_ (also very highly recommended) and it was hard not to compare the two. Unlike _Old Breed_, _On the Canal_ is a series of essays (many of which originally appeared in the "Guadalcanal Echoes" newsletter). This is occasionally confusing since the book goes back and forth in time quite a bit as a result. Also unlike Sledge's book, Marion's recollections are occurring well after the fact. As a result, you don't get so much of the wild-eyed awe of youth, but instead get a lot more of an adult's understanding of what he did as a kid. Whereas _Old Breed_ is almost always serious and traumatic (also very possibly the result of Peleliu and Okinawa being bloodier than Guadalcanal), _On the Canal_ is often humorous, though serious enough when necessary.
This book is a great way to get to know Guadalcanal from the POV of a rifle platoon Marine. I'm very happy it got put together.
Good book! but sad...............2007-05-23
My grampa ed wrote this book. I REALLY recemened this book from peaple that like to read about world war 2, although the book is sad. (well of course its sad)I never met my uncle ore (my dads, moms, brother) even though i was born 1995 and he died 2003..... even though war is a terrible thing.... this book is very good.
Get the real story.......2004-06-15
Unlike other books I've read on the Guadalcanal campaign, this book is unique in that it covers the battle from the perspective of the individual marines who fought and died in their "spider-holes." Like Ambrose's BAND OF BROTHERS, the stories help one understand how battle and war forge unbreakable life-long bonds of friendship amongst soldiers on the company, platoon and squad levels. Fought in the most primitive of circumstances, with little food, ammo, or basic necessities, these marines made a stand that turned out to be a critical turning point in the War in the Pacific. Marion recounts the fierce fighting that took place, as well as the more mundane and humorous aspects of life as a common marine trying to survive this hell-hole. It's filled with the usual grousing about rear echelon officers and navy brass that give it an authentic feel.
ON THE WATER.......2004-05-28
This book is a must read for those interested in World War 11 history. It is a true story as told by M.Sgt.Ore J. Marion, USMC, of the retaking of Guadalcanal from the Japanese, a pivotal battle. Beyond that all Americans should read it because it clearly relates the horror of war.
"On the Canal" is a day-to-day accounting of a company of Marines who were deserted by the Navy after being dropped off on this jungle island on August 7, 1942. They were left without reinforcements, ammunition, medical supples, clothing and most of all food. After they exhausted their food supply, they existed on rice filled with maggots. By late September their clothes were rags, they all suffered from malaria or diarrhea, and they were physically weakened from lack of food and sleep. The battle stories in the newspapers never mentioned the conditions the Marines existed under.
Marion tells about the bonding between the Marines and how they knew each other so well that they instinctively knew every other man's moves whether on patrol or in battle. They knew very well that their lives depended upon each other and they all suffered from the terrible loss of comrades in batle.
They were also at times subjected to the actions or lack of action of an imcompetent officer whose decisions could lead to deadly consequences. In spite of all this their morale remained high and they never lost their determination to succeed. And succeed they did four months later.
We read and hear daily about our troop in Afghanistan and Iraq but we know little about their daily life. Hopefully there has been improvements over the last 62 years but as the Marines on Guadalcanal quickly discovered, in war, the best laid plans can quickly go awry.
Book Description
The gripping true account of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion -- from its formation and training to its heroic baptism under fire in the battles of Tulagi and Guadalcanal.
No campaign in World War II was undertaken with as many shortcomings as Operation Watchtower -- the invasion of Guadalcanal in the summer of 1942. Rushed into action with little training, virtually no enemy intelligence, and using equipment left over from World War I, the gutsy-but-green men of the 1st Marine Division and its attached units were thrown headlong into what would become one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
During almost four trying months of constant shelling, bombing, and ground attacks, the 1st Marine Division defied all the odds and somehow managed to beat the hardened Japanese troops at their own game. No campaign in World War II was conducted with as much ferocity. No campaign saw such sustained violence on land, at sea, and in the air. And no other campaign hung in the balance for so long -- to finally be won by the unrelenting courage of a group of American heroes who never gave up the fight.
Download Description
"The gripping true account of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion -- from its formation and training to its heroic baptism under fire in the battles of Tulagi and Guadalcanal. No campaign in World War II was undertaken with as many shortcomings as Operation Watchtower -- the invasion of Guadalcanal in the summer of 1942. Rushed into action with little training, virtually no enemy intelligence, and using equipment left over from World War I, the gutsy-but-green men of the 1st Marine Division and its attached units were thrown headlong into what would become one of the bloodiest battles of the war. During almost four trying months of constant shelling, bombing, and ground attacks, the 1st Marine Division defied all the odds and somehow managed to beat the hardened Japanese troops at their own game. No campaign in World War II was conducted with as much ferocity. No campaign saw such sustained violence on land, at sea, and in the air. And no other campaign hung in the balance for so long -- to finally be won by the unrelenting courage of a group of American heroes who never gave up the fight. "
Book Description
The Marine is Colonel James 'Oliver' Cromwell, a warrior forged at Notre Dame and the Berlin of Hitler's Olympics, and honed by combat in WWII. In 1950, with the world at peace, Cromwell is ordered to fresh duty beyond the seas, as military attache to the American ambassador in Korea. But at dawn on a June Sunday, Korea erupts and he is caught up in the early, panicked rout. Through the war-hardened Marine, we experience the dramatic First Hundred Days of a brutal three-year Korean War, the last-ditch gallantry of the Pusan Perimeter, MacArthur's brilliant left hook sending Marines against the deadly seawall at Inchon, and the bloody assault to liberate Seoul. In The Marine, James Brady crafts a powerful novel of one man's service to his country and Corps.
Customer Reviews:
good story bad details.......2004-12-18
Once again Mr Brady writes agood story, but gets some details screwed up. [1] A Marine CWO is referred to as GUNNER, not chief or gunny; [2] Marines do not wear fatigues, they wear utilities.
vERY GOOD ACCOUNT OF MAKIN ISLAND FIASCO, HOWEVER HE NEGLEGLECTED TO MENTION THAT THE RAIDERS' REMAIN WERE BURIED IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY BEFORE THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN, ABOUT 60 YEARS TO THE DAY OF THE RAID. BIG ERROR1
The Marine.......2004-08-24
James Brady's novel is a good read. It follows the World War 2 to Korean War fictional career path of a U.S. Marine Colonel named James "Oliver" Cromwell. A military boxing champion, he serves with a marine raider battalion, and later serves as an ambassadors aide; many traditional marine officers view his career with envy and suspicion. Therefore, Colonel Cromwell never realizes a personal goal to command a battalion in combat. The author does not pull his punches in describing the 1942 flawed Makin Island raid by Carlson's Raiders. Brady also ignores political correctness by pointing out the dismal combat record of the Army's 24th Infantry Regiment during the Korean War, "an all black unit with mostly white officers and lousy morale." Brady does error in citing the 4 th Marines "as men who would die" during the infamous World War 2 Bataan Death March. The 4 th Marines were defending Corregidor Island at the time of the Death March. Brady also errors citing Marine paratroopers making a combat jump and "floating down" over Guadalcanal. These marines fought with great valor on Guadalcanal, but "floated in " and hit the beach by boat.
A terrific read........2004-01-08
Brady's latest work, The Marine, is a spectacular novel. I fully enjoyed reading it the entire time. It begins as the main charachter, Lt. Col. James T. Cromwell, is heading for college at Notre Dame, and follows him through his days as a boxer, and then as a raider and as a regular marine. His charachter inspired me and fueled my interest in the Marines with his life like bravery and fearlessness. While the main charachter is quite unorthodox, Cromwell is exactly what the marines want in their men. This is a must read for any war novel buff.
"Smoke if you got 'em . . . ".......2003-11-03
A central issue to the novelist's tools is that you like the main character. This is nearly a responsibility more than just a style. In fiction, certainly the tale can be told with a main character you wouldn't want go on vacation with. But generally, you should feel some passion about him/her and about the struggles they endeavor to resolve. Not so with Lieutenant Colonel Cromwell.
I have enjoyed many of the Jim Brady books. I thoroughly liked the wry humor and courage and depth and loyalty of Billy Port in "Warning of War," and read the final 25 pages of "The Marines of Autumn" with a lump in my throat recognizing the pain and suffering of Tom Verity and his Marine translators during the breakout from Chosin Reservoir.
I couldn't replicate those feelings for Jim Cromwell. Here was a man about whom an epic could have been written. If there were novels about men at war that we wanted shorther, here was one we clearly wanted stretched. It had all the earmarks of an epic: New York to South Bend to Berlin to Camp Pendleton to Makin to Tarawa to Iwo, then to South Korea.
But instead, Colonel Cromwell is shallow, almost superficial. He has the feelings, he just can't express them. We're not expecting 'it was a dark and stormy night,' but in 20 years he has 3 contacts with women that last less than 2 pages, and his most insightful dialogue about the meaning of what Orwell's 'the hard men' do, is with Gunnery Sergeant Arzt, who, like Cromwell's eventual injuries, dies offstage somewhere with litle pomp nor circumstance.
Overall, it had great potential and I can't help but think it could have been longer and more substantial, instead of leaner and more sparse.
I'll still read Jim Brady; this one fell short of his own standards.
I've seen better..........2003-09-09
James Brady knows more than I ever possibly could about being a Marine and fighting a war. I read Brady's Parade column every week, I know he served in Korea as a rifle company commander and he would know best what life was like in the Korean War, but this book is just awful. Imagine several hundred pages of the same choppy newspaper style writing he uses in his columns. Add to this a soulless main character, a tiresome running joke about meeting Hitler and no suspense or drama in the story and you have a disastrous book.
Product Description
"My Father's Keeper" is the powerful story of Jack Macmillan, the middle-aged son of a WWII veteran, who travels to the island of Guadalcanal seeking answers to the distant and strained relationship he shared with his recently deceased father. Having been fascinated with the war all of his life, Jack decides to visit and camp out on the site of one of the most famous battles of the campaign. He experiences more than he bargained for though, as he awakens the next morning to discover that he has slipped back in time over six decades, and now finds himself amongst young men half his age, engaged in a desperate struggle on this miserable South Pacific island during WWII. Jack is not the only Macmillan on the island -- his nineteen-year-old father is there as well. After fully accepting his incredible fate, and new role as a member of the U.S. forces fighting against Imperial Japan, Jack cautiously 'stalks', then, ultimately encounters and befriends his teen-age father. The Macmillans experience the horrors of war together as Navy medics and finally grow to become close friends and confidantes. "My Father's Keeper" is a fast reading trek through hardship, desperate heartbreak, youthful hilarity, and unspoken devotion. Although fiction, it is filled with historic fact, and is a profoundly accurate and moving portrayal of the sacrifices made, and the hardships endured, by the U.S. forces during WWII. "My Father's Keeper" is a brilliant tapestry, interweaving fiction with historic figures, places, and events, while taking its readers on a deeply moving and emotional journey of enlightenment, spiritual awakenings and self-discovery. Ultimately though, it is a story of redemption and unconditional love, albeit belated, between an unknowing teen-age father and his middle-aged son. -- "You brought me back 60 years. I was a kid again on Guadalcanal, and it seems as I read the book, that somehow, you were actually there." (John Joseph, G Company Marine)
Customer Reviews:
Top Notch Fiction.......2007-05-02
My Father's Keeper is first rate historical fiction. Set on the island of Guadalcanal during World War II, the story is fast-paced, emotional and totally fresh and original. The characters are well-written, believable and often inspiring. As a reader, I became very attached to most all of them. I very much enjoyed the author's use of creative spelling in the dialog sections to denote the various accents of different characters. Though the previous reviewer obviously took these to be typos, it was clear to me that they were a clever tool the author used to further flesh-out his characters, particularly those with heavier regional accents. I very much enjoyed the history that was incorporated into the story. The high quality of research was evident. Significant events and major historical characters flow in and out of the story throughout the book, and add to the very authentic feeling one gets while reading it.
My book club recently read this. We had one of the better discussions we have had in quite a while. They rated it 4 1/2 stars. My World War II buff husband and I give it 5 stars.
I almost gave up on it..........2007-04-08
...in the first chapter. There were two things. One, which persist through the book, is the numerous typos and misspellings. The other was that the central character, Jack, was apparently a middle-aged guy even though he had very young kids, but yet he thought and acted like an immature and rather unlikable 20-year-old, wandering around alone in the moonlight getting drunk and lost in fantasy.
But I'm glad I stuck with the story. When the fantasy turns real, Jack turns out to be very likable, even noble. In fact, aside from the time-travel stuff (which just has to be accepted), Jack's turnaround from self-centered jerk in the 21st century to self-sacrificing hero at Guadulcanal is the most improbable thing in the book. Whenever Jack does reflect back (or ahead?) on his 21st century life, he *still* comes across as one of the more clueless people in the world: "Hmmm, I've spent my life using people to get ahead, I've fired faithful workers of 30 years just to get richer, I've completely neglected my wife and kids, and oh, yeah, I get drunk every chance I get. Now, I wonder if possibly I could have been doing something wrong?"
Fortunately, the author makes it quite possible for us to forget about 21st-century Jack as he pulls us into the grim, horrible, fast-moving details of a long-ago battle.
The time-travel stuff is handled as well as it could be, I think. If a reader starts really pondering it, he/she will probably see a lot of ways a time-traveler in 1942 could have probably actually changed history for the better. But the author does bring that up and keeps ruling it out, pretty convincingly.
The battles are absolutely the most appalling scenes I've ever read (though to be fair, I usually avoid reading war books). Though in 2002 the author couldn't have been thinking of Iraq's current bloody chaos, most readers will be probably thinking of nothing else as they read of death and dismemberment, brains spattered over the living, clouds of flies gorging on heaps of corpses, bombs so loud they paralyze young men with terror, and carnage so extreme it drives healthy men insane.
At the same time, the author writes vividly convincing dialogue (with the "f-word" a staple) that shows the intense comraderie that men develop under fire. The friends Jack makes are distinct and believable, including his young father, to whom the middle-aged time traveler Jack serves as a sort of mentor. One of his new friends is "in on" the time traveling, which provides Jack with a space to talk about his feelings and his knowledge.
I finished this book understanding a good deal more about how returning veterans must feel, about the impossibility of talking about war with someone who hasn't been there. I understand better why they must cut themselves off emotionally in order to survive, and how hard that must make their necessary "readjustment" to normal life which has now become utterly alien to them.
my father's keeper.......2007-02-27
I think I have read every book written about Guadalcanal, my favorite being Richard Frank's. I decided to try a novel. Am i lucky this is a great read, I couldn.t put it down. It is a fantastic concept with an incredible ending. I wish they would make a movie about this book. I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys reading about the battle for Guadalcanal.
Exceptional historical novel.......2007-02-09
This is one of the best books I have read in years. "My Father's Keeper" is the story of Jack Macmillan and his unintentional, yet incredible, journey back in time. Jack's father, Tom, is a 19-year-old medic on the island of Guadalcanal during World War II. Jack is 43 and visits the island in August of 2002 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Marines landing on Guadalcanal. Having studied World War II for much of his life, Jack decides to tour some famous battle sites and even camp out at one. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, for him, he wakes up after the first night and it is no longer 2002. He has somehow gone back in time, it is 1942, and he is smack dab in the middle of the World War II Guadalcanal campaign. The story that unfolds from there is a gripping, action-packed and gritty tale of sacrifice, devotion and redemption. It is the story of a son's second chance.a second chance to know the father he never really knew and to become the son, the man,
he always wanted to be.
The characters in this book are an original and endearing group. They are developed brilliantly and the dialog is first rate. Jack, although at first misguided, is a riveting character and his journey of self-discovery and redemption is inspiring. He grows on you with each passing page and by the end you are hoping against hope for him to make it back to his wife and children. Jack's relationship with his 19-year-old father is completely intriguing. Imagine getting to know your father as a teenager when you, yourself, are middle-aged. It is a fabulously original concept and one that the author pulls off brilliantly.
The pacing of the story is pitch perfect. Tension builds from the first page to the last, the kind of book that you want to "read just one more chapter" and before you know it, it is 4:00 a.m. By the time you are a third of the way though the book, you just can't put it down. You have to know what happens to Jack and the boys.
The backdrop of World War II is tremendously interesting. I have always enjoyed historical fiction, and the actual historical figures and events that are woven throughout the book are fascinating. It gives the book a very authentic feel. The author's descriptions and imagery are superb and allow the reader to really see and feel the events almost as if they were there. Obviously a very well-researched book, with impeccable attention to detail.
All in all this is a superb work of historical fiction. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story as well as to those who have an interest in World War II.
So disappointing!.......2007-02-06
After reading so many positive online reviews of this book I was truly excited to receive it in the mail. I love both 'time travel books' and WWII books. I think the premise of this book is fantastic so I thought it would provide both adventure and great emotional drama.
Unfortunately, the great adventure and emotional drama in this book are simply drowned in pages and pages of whining and psychobabble. The 43-year-old hero has lived a rather shallow life. He put profit and a country club lifestyle ahead of family and human connections. I get it. I don't need 400 pages of endless whining to beat that into my head.
I kept wanting to slap the whiner and yell "get a grip" or "buck up and get on with it." This guy simply wallows in self-pity and self-doubt, ad nauseum. He also has a strange habit of whispering peptalks to himself that I found somewhat disturbing.
The end of the book was gratifying (hence I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1) and the level of detail and atmosphere are really wonderful. I just felt the hero was so annoying I that I barely cared what happened to him.
Books:
- In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment (Meyer, Joyce)
- In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts
- Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web
- Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape
- Kit Carson and the Indians
- LeMay (Great Generals)
- Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong
- Life and Campaigns of Stonewall Jackson (Battlefield Evangelism)
- Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
- Mischling, second degree: My childhood in Nazi Germany
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- On Call In Hell: A Doctor's Iraq War Story
- First Meals
- The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These
- They Called Him Wild Bill
- What Would Wally Do
- Contemporary College Physics, Third Edition, 2001 Update w/ updated CD-ROM
- Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- The Accidental Zillionaire: Demystifying Paul Allen
- The Arnold Encyclopedia of Real Estate, 2nd Edition
- Getting Started with Pro/ENGINEER: Wildfire
The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima
Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944--The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War
God Isn't Here: A Young American's Entry into World War II and His Participation in the Battle for Iwo Jima
The Last Lieutenant: A Foxhole View of the Epic Battle for Iwo Jima
The Pacific Warriors: The U.S. Marines in World War II: A Pictorial Tribute
