217
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #142,393 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Made a 6 foot 200lb man with a giant beard cry.
When I was in the military, my commander had a 'recommemded reading' list, which I ignored.
I read this after watching the HBO miniseries that was partially based on this book. I was really surprised at how faithful they were to this account.
This is very well written, and as a grown man who is also a veteran, I am not afraid to admit that it made me cry a few times.
I am disgusted by a lot of fictional media that uses WWII as a plot setting (Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor is the worst offender). A lot of documentaries I have seen and books i have read have looked at things from an almost sterile, strategic perspective.
A detailed account from a first-hand source is probably a better way to understand the horrors of the island campaigns. I won't say this is a fun book to read (war is terrifying), but I'd recommend it to anyone in the armed forces.
Also, if you are in the military, don't let your mom read this. She'll worry.
