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Summary: I don't need to read another war book
Review: As far as one can get in a book this one gives you the essence of combat. The best and the worst.
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Summary: Best, Most Profound, Important Description of War Experience
Review: This book by E. B. Sedge USMC veteran of WWII Pacific War is the Best, Most Profound, and Important Description of the War Experience ever written. It is highly readable. The reader sees the images, imagines the odors and feels the emotions; critical for a description of war. How do men survive this environment? They don't. Even if they do not suffer physical injury they all psychologically suffer terribly. To quote from the book, "War is brutish, inglorious and a terrible waste. Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other." ... "Until the millennium arrives and countries cease trying to enslave others, it will be necessary to accept one's responsibilities and be willing to make sacrifices for one's country - as my comrades did. As the troops use to say, 'If the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for'. With privileges goes responsibilities." (page 315, paperback edition). Does this quote sounds like a cliché? It is not. The quote is heart felt and real. While we as individuals may or may not agree with the diplomatic and military policies of our country, we must never, never give anything but respect, honor and compassion to the members of this country's armed forces when we as a country ask them to go into harm's way for us. The book explains why.
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Summary: Real War-Real Marines
Review: I have read many books about WWII, both fiction and nonfiction. This effort is without a doubt the very best from the foot soldiers' point of view. The ranks as high or higher than Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier", which is a must read for WWII enthusiasts. A definite "Five Star" book.
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Summary: I would give this book 10 stars if that were possible
Review: Frequently I am disappointed by things that are given glowing recommendations and then fail to live up to the hype. This book, however, not only lived up to the rave reviews, it went far beyond anything I had expected. I can honestly say that With the Old Breed is the BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. I am fortunate that I have never had to face anything even mildly resembling what Dr. Sledge suffered through while serving his country. I have read much military history, but this book slaps you in the face and punches you in the gut with its stark realism and brutal honesty. We all know that warfare is messy business and that infantry combat tries even the toughest soldiers, but this book shows the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles of the riflemen for what they are---fatal for many, crippling for most, and approaching the unendurable for all. I simply cannot comprehend the fear, suffering, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, wounds, and death that the soldiers and civilians of the WWII generation (of all nationalities) lived through. Our modern world truly owes them well more than we acknowledge. I am grateful to Dr. Sledge for enduring the unendurable, and for passing on to us his experiences, so that we can try to stop the same kinds of things from happening again.
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Summary: The best personal account of combat I have ever read
Review: With the Old Breed, by E.B. Sledge is the best personal account of combat that I have ever read. It is brutally honest, as Sledge does not gloss over the horrific nightmare that is war.After reading Slede's book, it is no small wonder that 26,000 Americans lost their sanity in the Okinawa battle alone. He spares us none of the gory details, yet he delivers this true account in an eloquent style that gives the story even more impact. Sledge does not only desribe the fight against the Japanese,but also the mental battle raging within men on the front line, as he himself fights to remain sane amid the filth, fear and misery that were the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa.It is at times moving, and at other times stomach turning. At all times though it is extremely riveting, and I found that this book was very hard to put down. One can also not put down this book without a profound appreciation for the young men who went through the worst kind of hell for their country.
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Summary: It Leads the Best Of The Best
Review: I first saw and heard Dr. Sledge describing the experience he had with trhe old Breed on the History Channel.. I waited three months for the book to get here. I read the book, and then the other reviews. This book left my heart so shocked and my mund so full of appreciation that I know that I cannot add enough words to the graditute I owe the men that went through what most Americans will never know. It has already been said. It can't be said with more sencereity, or in a more compassionate way. To Sledgehammer, I say, I only wish so much that I had had the privledge to have known you personally.
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Summary: This Was A Gift For MY Husband... I'll Let Him Tell You!
Review: What a wonderful gift from my loving wife of 42 years, Marilyn. My name is Bob McKnight, I am aged 65, served in the U.S. Army on Japan's southernmost big island, Kyushu, less than 11 years after Japan's surrender. Thanks to brave people like Dr Sledge, I found fewer American soldiers' graves there!
This book has touched my very soul. I was riveted to each page by Dr Sledge's gripping, piercing, engrossing words... words that kept slapping me in the face with the realization that these young men were experiencing a living hell!.. And they were doing it so that young boys like me would be able to enjoy a better world when we grew up! I an fortunate to be a native of Florida's panhandle and am quite familiar with Mobile, Marion Institute, Auburn University, Montevallo, as well as The University of Florida (my alma mater) where Dr Sledge grew up and excelled.
I recommend this book, not as a 'war' novel, but as a textbook for all young people in the United States. Dr Sledge has taught us 'how' to live.. to grow up.. to deal with adversity and all sorts of unpleasantness.. how important teamwork is.. to love.. to laugh.. to cry.. to accept responsibility.. to strive for success! I thank his parents, his wife and children and Dr Eugene B. Sledge for this wonderful book! And you too Marilyn, I love you!... Robert W. (Bob) McKnight
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Summary: One hell of a book
Review: The best book I have ever read. His horrific accounts of the war are spellbinding, but at the same time shocking. He gets down to details of the war on the two islands. A very graphic book explaining the horrors of war. Yet Sledge has a keen understanding for humanity at all its cost. Very well writen. I can not say enought about this book . I great buy for anyone. VERY INTRESTING
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Summary: Superb First Hand Account
Review: I felt the author did an outstanding job telling his story of war. Mr. Sledge shows that being an infantryman in a war zone is one of the most difficult things that one could be asked to do. His descriptions of the battlefield and horror of war overshadow everything I had ever seen or heard. Also, I see the comradship that he formed with the other men he served with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his book and would recommend it to anyone.
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Summary: A must read for today's youth.
Review: My children always mocked me for refusing to buy a Japanese car. If they would read this book they might understand why an old Marine might feel this way.
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