With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

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Summary: Antidote to Tom Clancy
Review: Everyone who has ever read any of Tom Clancy's glorification-of-war novels should read this terrible, superb book, as an antidote.

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Summary: Excellent Combat Narrative
Review: Not much can be added to the previous reviews of this excellent book. I have read many fine books covering the Pacific campaign during WW2 and so many referred to this book that I had to find a copy for myself. It was well worth the time and effort. I have since bought a copy for a friend here in Australia and he also ranks it in his top 10 military history books. The author offers an insight into what its like to be in combat rarely found in most books nowadays. This is an honest, at times sad and occassionaly funny, look at the life of a combat Marine during the final battles in the Pacific. This book cannot be recommended highly enough!

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Summary: A brilliant, merciless eyewitness report from a participant
Review: A brilliant and merciless eyewitness report from one who was there. By just reporting what he saw and felt, E.B. Sledge tells us what war is really like and through his eyes we are able to see the horrid ugliness of the savagery called war. It is a homage to all the U.S. servicemen who fought for our country and all I can say to Mr. Sledge and his comrades in arms is "Thank you". This book is a must for anyone who desire to know the true meaning of war, as known to those who actually participate

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Summary: Captivating...The Best Account on War I've ever read!
Review: I read this book while a student attending the Army War College. As a military historian and US Army officer, I feel more than qualified to say this is the best book written by a soldier I've ever read. I could not put it down. The author has captured the horror of war, hell - he lived thru it. If you want a sense for the terror of war in the Pacific during WW II, buy Sledge's book.

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Summary: Unforgettable
Review: This is an extraordinary memoir, not least because of its plain honesty and sometimes matter-of-fact delivery. That Mr. Sledge is not a literary stylist or professional writer gives his account of the nightmare of battle added weight and terror--we get the real story as it was lived. Such a book shows just how wrong Hollywood usually is when dealing with the subject of combat, particularly when it tries to make savages and lunatics of the men who fought and died. They were more often than not ordinary men who found that they were capable of extraordinary courage and valor in the face of unspeakable savagery. This book shows the stark, terrifying reality of war in an unforgettable way. For anyone who questions the necessity of the atomic bomb attacks on Japan, this book is a must. There are lessons here that desperately need to be learned. As Mr. Sledge writes, "With privilege comes responsibility." Highly recommended!

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Summary: superb
Review: The clarity, honesty, and maturity of the text make this a classic. Interesting that like many of the soldiers in Ambrose's "Band of Brothers", Mr. Sledge also went into education after the war...

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Summary: Fantastic book about Marine life in WWII
Review: I loved this book. Reading Sledge's book is like listening to my father speak. My father passed away recently and I bought this book as a way to understand him better. Now I do. I wish I came across this book before he died. With the dates, times, and places mention in this book, it is possible that Sledge and my father paths have crossed in the Pacific. Any Marine who fought in the Pacific is a true hero. Thank you, to all Marines for what you have done for this country.

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Summary: Vividly harrowing account of the absolute brutalities of war
Review: Somehow my recollection of Dr. Sledge as my cheerful, quiet-mannered, humble (but tough!) zoology professor is stood on its head after reading his book. How did this gentleman live through such stark and utter hell? How could anyone? But he tells you -- his fine scientific mind observant and sparing no detail to clouded memory or gentrified constraints -- so Peleliu and Okinawa are beyond my words (but no longer beyond my imagination). No one who has not endured the horror of entrenched infantry warfare could adequately describe it; but this book helps any reader who hasn't -- like me -- begin to fathom its terror. And as we begin to take it in, we realize what an enormous legacy of sacrifice that generation left us, that "with privilege comes responsibility," as Dr. Sledge says. How can we ever repay these numbed, reluctant heroes? I suspect we never can. But we can listen to some who were lucky enough to survive, and never forget those countless boys and men who came out maimed, or just didn't come out at all. We owe them all a tremendous debt of gratitude for the lives we lead today, and this book tells you, in graphic and heart-gripping detail, exactly why.

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Summary: A fine tribute to the Corps
Review: Only the "The Triumph and the Glory" rivals this fine book as a timeless account of men at war. Mr. Sledge has recorded the eternal valor of so many of our young men on the pages of this book, I highly recommend it.

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Summary: A vivid, informative account of war in the South Pacific
Review: My father was in the 11th marines on both Peleliu and Okinawa. He has been reluctant to discuss any details of what he experianced during the war. This book has given me tremendous insight into what he went through.It is a must read for anyone who wants to understand why their parents or grandparents think the way they do.They really are the "Greatest Generation"