“In all the literature on the Second World War, there is not a more honest, realistic or moving memoir than Eugene Sledge’s. This is the real deal, the real war: unvarnished, brutal, without a shred of sentimentality or false patriotism, a profound primer on what it actually was like to be in that war. It is a classic that will outlive all the armchair generals’ safe accounts of—not the ‘good war’—but the worst war ever.”—Ken Burns
My Uncle Jack survived both those invasions, came back to get a degree in Physics with the GI Bill, raised a family and worked for IBM. Brave men, all.
ReplyDeleteMy late step father spent the whole Pacific campaign on a liberty ship that had been converted to a big floating water distillery making water for the Marines at every Island Invasion. They were under fire and subject to Kamikaze attacks. "Worst War Ever" would be a description he would have agreed with. He just wanted to go home and was mad at the whole world for having started that stupid war. Just remember that when you go out on a cruise you are in a ship with a stabilization system designed to minimize motion sickness. They didn't have any of that. A lot of those Marines wading ashore were sick in the first place. It had to have been hell on earth.
ReplyDeleteKen Burns stopped counting his PBS largess long enough to pen the above comments, and added: "Hanks needed his blood filtered after providing the blurb on the cover."
ReplyDeletethe book itself is a classic and above superlative remarks.
I would never be swayed by anything ken burns said.
ReplyDeleteMy dad & I were watching an old school war movie once and he looked at me & said:I like a good war movie as much as the next guy. Pops having been with the 19th bomb group as a b17 navigator could speak with authority. He stated that if some guy in a forward area started talking like guy in the movie everyone would have moved away from him. Movies are movies & not reality. Then he started to chucklle to himself a bit & I knew a good story might be forthcoming. I said:what? He states well there was this one time that seemed like pure hollywood. They were evacuating civilians from a Del Monte plantation and the Japs tried to impede them taking off & were pouring out of the treeline. On que I said; so what did you all do. Says he: We gave em a real fast lesson on why it was called a flying fortress & put the damper on their enthusiasm. Pops, RIP.
ReplyDeleteThis book was a major page turner for me. As a younger US Marine Vietnam combat veteran, I was thrilled to read about the legacy of the men whose shoulders I stood on.
ReplyDeleteBought and read the book after watching "Pacific" on Netflix. Good series but the books it was based on were better.
ReplyDeleteKen B is a history revisionist make the magic negro the center of every story red diaper baby communist. I was lucky to be raised and mentored by WWII vets. Raised tough by guys who knew that a little hardship young would save a world of hurt later. They were a special breed not to be seen again if the cloud people keep having their way.
ReplyDeleteSpin
Sledge wrote truly- had a hell of an accomplished life after The War. A real Marine. ----liked burns baseball and civil war series- he's a showbiz shitbreath now. Semper Fi!
ReplyDeleteBurns turns every documentary into a political statement. Ignoring the slant, they're good films, though.
ReplyDeleteBiggskye in Missouri
Saw this, ordered from the library, came today. thanks
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