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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
This honest memoir commanded my respect from page one. Eugene Sledge retells the story of his experiences in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Through his writing about the Peleliu and Okinawa campaigns, Sledge shows us what life as a Marine was like during the war. His prose is blatant and tells exactly what he wants to tell, in exactly the number of words he wants to use. He describes the horrors he encountered without a lot of flashy vocabulary. You get the sense that he wrote this for himself to get the secrets off his chest. The ending is truly one of the best I have ever read. It sums his ideas up perfectly.
Rest in peace Mr. Sledge.
Rest in peace Mr. Sledge.
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Riveting account of the later period of the Pacific Campaign of World War 2. Makes me very grateful for the life these people gave their lives for me to have.
"With the Old Breed" is both a memoir and a tonic. Eugene "Sledgehammer" Sledge gives us an unvarnished view of frontline warfare without any of the "oorah" or "Curahees" that often pepper tales of blood and battle. Sledge shares little resemblance to the paradigms of dutiful soldiers we see on television or read in books. He doesn't look like Vin Diesel or Dwayne Johnson. He isn't Captain America, nor Jason Bourne. But his mildly sanitized history (the "f" in SNAFU, as defined by Sledge, stands for "fouled," for example) of K/3/5's journey through the campaigns at Peleliu and Okinawa should convince any reader of his duty, bravery, and honesty.
You could summarize Sledge's masterwork in three short words: war is hell. But the brevity of that statement cannot adequately convey the depth, horror, and misery contained within its final word. Sledge experienced anguish on a scale unknown to most other humans. His experiences in the Pacific may even be unknowable to most of us. When HBO adapted "With the Old Breed" into its critically acclaimed miniseries "The Pacific"--which was lauded for its reasonably accurate portrayal of the Pacific War--it avoided some of the more monstrous anecdotes relayed by Sledge. If anything, "hell" feels too sanitary a descriptor.
What makes Sledge's account so extraordinary is that he conveys this horror to the reader without subjecting them to it. If we read his words and internalize them, we need not experience them ourselves. We can learn from his generation; we can be better. If you are concerned about the conflicts around the globe, whether they be in Israel, Ukraine, West Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, or elsewhere, I strongly encourage you to read "With the Old Breed."
You could summarize Sledge's masterwork in three short words: war is hell. But the brevity of that statement cannot adequately convey the depth, horror, and misery contained within its final word. Sledge experienced anguish on a scale unknown to most other humans. His experiences in the Pacific may even be unknowable to most of us. When HBO adapted "With the Old Breed" into its critically acclaimed miniseries "The Pacific"--which was lauded for its reasonably accurate portrayal of the Pacific War--it avoided some of the more monstrous anecdotes relayed by Sledge. If anything, "hell" feels too sanitary a descriptor.
What makes Sledge's account so extraordinary is that he conveys this horror to the reader without subjecting them to it. If we read his words and internalize them, we need not experience them ourselves. We can learn from his generation; we can be better. If you are concerned about the conflicts around the globe, whether they be in Israel, Ukraine, West Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, or elsewhere, I strongly encourage you to read "With the Old Breed."
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
emotional
sad
fast-paced
So many books about WWII European theater, this tells of Marines fighting the Japanese at Peleliu and Okinawa. This was as dirty, ugly and another example of how terrible any war can be and is. Hawks and doves alike should read this one. The things these men must experience are terrible. The fact that at any moment one's life can be snuffed out instantly is on the minds of these men as they fight through mud, all kinds of terrible conditions, watching their friends die just a few feet away or closer. Dead bodies, maggots, days without good food or ability to truly rest for long periods of time is all commonplace. Hatred for the evil Japanese who do unspeakable things to our men as we do much the same to them. There had to be a lot of hatred and some got stressed to the point of being "kill crazy" yet there are moving moments such as the time an old injured Japanese woman is begging a Marine to put her out of her misery and he refuses, calling for a medic instead. However, a minute later the Marine hears a shot, turns around and one of his group has done what he had refused. Kills her with a smile like he's done the right thing. The book allows us to see how cool, clear-headed thinking is not an easy thing. The Japanese fighting culture was one of no surrender. They were probably more willing to die than any other group in the war. Thousands of bodies dead and rotting. It's an ugly picture and told from a regular infantry man. He was just one of the many brave men who went to do a job and did it.
I believe this book is the basis for the HBO mini series The Pacific. I will almost always recommend reading the book over TV or movie versions but I would say that as good as this book is, the TV series was just as good so if you saw The Pacific you pretty much know the book. It's good to experience both but I strongly suggest to read this if you haven't seen nor plan on seeing The Pacific
I believe this book is the basis for the HBO mini series The Pacific. I will almost always recommend reading the book over TV or movie versions but I would say that as good as this book is, the TV series was just as good so if you saw The Pacific you pretty much know the book. It's good to experience both but I strongly suggest to read this if you haven't seen nor plan on seeing The Pacific
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
This is a terrific WWII memoir of someone who has fought two very bloody battles in the Pacific - and survived. Sledge was a US Marine, an elite soldier, and describes in detail his experiences. What makes the book stand out is the way how Sledge is able to cover the misery and horror of what infantrymen were facing directly at the front. Individual live had no meaning so the only words left were "hell", "abyss" or "meat grinder".
He also doesn't leave out the smell of death, dehumanization, desperation and the psychological impact of constant shell and artillery fire. I can't imagine how it must have been to fight all day and then to know that the Japanese will attack in the darkness of the night too. Or to lay down flat on the coral ground without any real cover.
The heavy resistance and commitment of the Japanese to fight to the death throws a different light on the dropping of the atom bomb. Would they have surrendered without it? After reading this book I doubt it.
An intense book that reveals the ugly side of war but also shows that bravery and esprit de corps make a huge difference in fighting.
He also doesn't leave out the smell of death, dehumanization, desperation and the psychological impact of constant shell and artillery fire. I can't imagine how it must have been to fight all day and then to know that the Japanese will attack in the darkness of the night too. Or to lay down flat on the coral ground without any real cover.
The heavy resistance and commitment of the Japanese to fight to the death throws a different light on the dropping of the atom bomb. Would they have surrendered without it? After reading this book I doubt it.
An intense book that reveals the ugly side of war but also shows that bravery and esprit de corps make a huge difference in fighting.