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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
Fantastisch geschreven, fascinerend verhaal. Voelt aan als fictie, wat het alleen maar indrukwekkender en angsaanjagender maakt. Geen overdreven Amerikaanse moraal, geen overdreven militair gezwets '556mm kogels in men 3.5inch supersoaker met lasersight en tigerstripes'. Een eerlijke vertelling van iemands ervaringen.
With the Old Breed is if nothing else a sobering story of bravery, death, and more than anything the waste that is war. Told through the eyes of Corporal Eugene Bondurant Sledge, also known compassionately by his wartime brothers as Sledgehammer, With the Old Breed talks about Eugene's experiences prior to his service, his training, the invasion and extensive battles in both Peleliu and Okinawa. Eugene's memoir is one of unique status because it shows the side of war that is often not discussed through the eyes of a enlisted man of such low stature in the armed forces.
Sledge is brutally honest in his writings, speaking openly about his fears, his mental state, and the physical state that these men were forced to endure. His candidness is shone throughout and really hits hard when you realize the terror and pain that each man went through, and he glorifies nothing about war.
While reading, it is difficult to not feel weary or choke up. Sledge has a very straightforward prose, that cuts through the reality of the war like a sword. He mentions heroics, and raises up the brave men that he served with, but without deception. The few moments he felt beauty and peace during the war, he mentions them with utmost importance, as the little things and the friendships he developed with his fellow marines of K/3/5 are what allowed him to make it through the war.
He also talks about the difficulty of reintegrating back into society. He talks about the privilege of living in this country, and to be able to avoid such hellish conditions. He mentions how many people are spoiled, and they can never understand the vileness of war.
Eugene Sledge, gave us a most intimate and horrible account of his experiences in the second world war. He gave us many ideas to question and ponder in our comfort. He, along with so many brave men fought so that we may enjoy our privilege, all people, not just some. I thank Corporal Sledge, and all those who served their country, and gave their lives so that we may enjoy ours!
Sledge is brutally honest in his writings, speaking openly about his fears, his mental state, and the physical state that these men were forced to endure. His candidness is shone throughout and really hits hard when you realize the terror and pain that each man went through, and he glorifies nothing about war.
"To me, artillery was an invention of hell. he onrushing whistle and scream of the big steel package of destruction was the pinnacle of violent fury and the embodiment of pent-up evil. It was the essence of violence and of man’s inhumanity to man. I developed a passionate hatred for shells. To be killed by a bullet seemed so clean and surgical. But shells would not only tear and rip the body, they tortured one’s mind almost beyond the brink of sanity. After each shell I was wrung out, limp and exhausted. During prolonged shelling, I often had to restrain myself and fight back a wild, inexorable urge to scream, to sob, and to cry."
"War is such self-defeating, organized madness the way it destroys a nation's best."
While reading, it is difficult to not feel weary or choke up. Sledge has a very straightforward prose, that cuts through the reality of the war like a sword. He mentions heroics, and raises up the brave men that he served with, but without deception. The few moments he felt beauty and peace during the war, he mentions them with utmost importance, as the little things and the friendships he developed with his fellow marines of K/3/5 are what allowed him to make it through the war.
"Friendship was the only comfort a man had."
"The stench of death was overpowering. The only way I could bear the monstrous horror of it all was to look up ward away from the earthly reality surrounding us, watch the leaden gray clouds go skudding over"
He also talks about the difficulty of reintegrating back into society. He talks about the privilege of living in this country, and to be able to avoid such hellish conditions. He mentions how many people are spoiled, and they can never understand the vileness of war.
"We didn't want to indulge in self-pity. We just wished that people back home could understand how lucky they were and stop complaining about trivial inconveniences."
"Sitting in silence, we remembered our dead. So many dead. So many maimed. So many bright futures consigned to the ashes of the past. So many dreams lost in the madness that engulfed us. Except for a few widely scattered shouts of joy, the survivors of the abyss sat hollow-eyed and silent, trying to comprehend a world without war."
"Until the millennium arrives and countries cease trying to enslave others, it will be necessary to accept one's responsibilities and to be willing to make sacrifices for one's country - as my comrades did. As the troops used to say, 'If the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for.' With privilege goes responsibility. "
Eugene Sledge, gave us a most intimate and horrible account of his experiences in the second world war. He gave us many ideas to question and ponder in our comfort. He, along with so many brave men fought so that we may enjoy our privilege, all people, not just some. I thank Corporal Sledge, and all those who served their country, and gave their lives so that we may enjoy ours!
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Well written
Exceptional and Heatbreaking
I picked up this book wanting to learn more about my grandfather, a decorated Marine in the 3rd Battalion. I left with respect and awed reverence for the man who survived two Pacific campaigns and the bombing of his ship, the USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor. Thank God for those with the courage and determination to tell these men’s stories.
I picked up this book wanting to learn more about my grandfather, a decorated Marine in the 3rd Battalion. I left with respect and awed reverence for the man who survived two Pacific campaigns and the bombing of his ship, the USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor. Thank God for those with the courage and determination to tell these men’s stories.
What a hell of a read. The honesty, clarity and no-nonsense attitude of the writer is amazing. In certain ways, this is better than a ''dry'' history book. It delves deep into the personal experience of those that were forced into combat and gives insights often overlooked.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced