With the Old Breed, at Peleliu and OkinawaIn his own book, Wartime, Paul Fussell called With the Old Breed "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war." John Keegan referred to it in The Second World War as "one of the most arresting documents in war literature." And Studs Terkel was so fascinated with the story he interviewed its author for his book, "The Good War." What has made E.B. Sledge's memoir of his experience fighting in the South Pacific during World War II so devastatingly powerful is its sheer honest simplicity and compassion. Now including a new introduction by Paul Fussell, With the Old Breed presents a stirring, personal account of the vitality and bravery of the Marines in the battles at Peleliu and Okinawa. Born in Mobile, Alabama in 1923 and raised on riding, hunting, fishing, and a respect for history and legendary heroes such as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene Bondurant Sledge (later called "Sledgehammer" by his Marine Corps buddies) joined the Marines the year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and from 1943 to 1946 endured the events recorded in this book. In those years, he passed, often painfully, from innocence to experience. Sledge enlisted out of patriotism, idealism, and youthful courage, but once he landed on the beach at Peleliu, it was purely a struggle for survival. Based on the notes he kept on slips of paper tucked secretly away in his New Testament, he simply and directly recalls those long months, mincing no words and sparing no pain. The reality of battle meant unbearable heat, deafening gunfire, unimaginable brutality and cruelty, the stench of death, and, above all, constant fear. Sledge still has nightmares about "the bloody, muddy month of May on Okinawa." But, as he also tellingly reveals, the bonds of friendship formed then will never be severed. Sledge's honesty and compassion for the other marines, even complete strangers, sets him apart as a memoirist of war. Read as sobering history or as high adventure, With the Old Breed is a moving chronicle of action and courage. |
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GREAT
User Review - joh2141 - Overstock.comPerfect quality came 3 days after order significantly earlier than I expected as it told me to wait 2 weeks. Been wanting to read this for quite some time. Donate to the Wounded Warrior Project when you order!!! Read full review
IT WILL LEAVE YOU SPEECHLESS
User Review - Rambling Reader - BordersI ADORE this book. I was moved to read it after watching the recent HBO series The Pacific. I fell in love with so many of the characters and craved more about the battles they fought. This book was ... Read full review
Contents
Foreword by Lt Col John A Crown | 3 |
Foreword by Capt Thomas J Stanley | 163 |
I5 End of the Agony | 301 |
Appendix A Roll of Honor | 317 |
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27th Infantry Division 5th Marines 60mm mortar airfield ammo amtrac army artillery asked attack battalion battle bayonet beach began boondockers buddy bullets Burgin campaign Cape Gloucester carbine casualties chow combat coral corpse corpsman crater D day dead deck dungaree exploded face feet felt fighting fire foxhole front gear Gloucester gonna grenades grinned Guadalcanal gun pit gunner guys hand Haney head heard heavy hell helmet Higgins boats hole island Ist Marine Japanese Japs K rations kabar killed knew Kunishi Ridge lieutenant looked lst Marine Division machine gun Marine Corps mortar section moved muddy night Nips officer Okinawa pack Pavuvu Peleliu pillbox platoon rain rations rear Redifer regiment rifle riflemen road sergeant ship shot Shuri Shuri Castle side Sledge Sledgehammer slope Snafu sniper someone squad stretcher tanks told took troops USMC photo veteran weapons wounded yards yelled