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With the Old Breed: at Peleliu and Okinawa PDF Book WITH THE OLD BREED: AT PELELIU AND OKINAWA PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Professor of Biology E B Sledge | 384 pages | 05 Sep 2011 | Random House Publishing Group | 9780891419198 | English | New York, United Kingdom With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa PDF Book Jocko Podcast Boo There were funny moments as well—the men reminding their green lieutenant of his earlier pledge to charge the Japanese with his knife and pistol and turn the tide of war all by himself, as said lieutenant is frantically digging a really deep foxhole after his first taste of combat. Eugene Sledge's book didn't lessen my love for that time period, nor my awe and gratitude for the men who served Another loss for my reading enjoyment is they also have such a close order view of what is going on, that you loose any big picture overview. But what really sets this apart are the author's honest descriptions of how he felt and his motivations in combat - comradeship, bravery, anger, You've read the other reviews, so you already know how good this is. Aug 16, Kate rated it it was amazing Shelves: war , history , wwii. His story was later central to Ken Burns' series, "The War. So all the armchair generals who think we messed up by dropping the A-Bomb need to read this book and remember that it took more than 80 days and over , dead Japanese to get a six mile island named Okinawa. Use your imagination, but add "hungry, tired, exhausted to the limits of your endurance, need to shit and there is no toilet or TP or privacy or even a trench anywhere and several thousand men are all crowded together in the same situation and also you're under heavy shelling and your buddies are getting blown to bits right and left. Sledge's account is how candidly it's written. With the Old Breed is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in World War II history, but especially for anyone who find war memoirs interesting and would like to know what war looks like to someone who's just another rifleman, not a general or a destroyer captain or a pilot, but a Marine whose job was to hack through jungles and shot and get shot at until the shooting is over. So it is with a sense of indebtedness to Eugene B. Random House Publishing Group. This book is an invaluable piece of history and an exceptional teaching tool. But in the book, Sledge breaks down thrice. Sort order. Read more Then one day Sledge himself starts pulling a gold tooth out of a corpse. I have read this book twice, it is a classic account of one Marines experiences in the Pacific during World War 2. Been wanting to read this for quite some time. Belongs on the permanent war history shelf. He details the process and mechanisms that slowly strip away a combat infantryman's humanity and compassion, making the thought process accessible to those who have never served in combat. Members save with free shipping everyday! Rating details. In , Eugene Sledge was a nineteen year old boy who romanticized war. No sensationalism here; E. He explains how everyone was afraid and how some handled it differently from others. Want to Read saving…. Oxford University Cover. Combat leaves an endelible mark on those who are forced to endure it. Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive. Sledge nicknamed Sledgehammer by his fellow Marines is completely honest. It's a moral mud puddle. Life is anything but perfect for Hallie Eugene Bondurant Sledge. Men must be trained realistically if they are to survive it without breaking, mentally and physically. See details. The island could have easily been hopped over as other pockets of Japanese resistance were. Sledge never romanticizes war. Eugene B. Since it's a "grunt's eye view," you won't find grand strategy and discussion of tactics and logistics here; go read the generals' memoirs for that if you're looking for the big picture, you won't find it here. 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. The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Refresh and try again. Sledge's memoirs also depict a fanatical, military enemy--much like today's fanatical "Islamsists"--that is difficult for post WWII generations to connect with Japan, our current friend, ally and trading partner. Elliot Elliot, aka E Squared. It is also one of the finest histories of marines and campaigns in the Pacific. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa Writer Eugene Sledge would seem an unlikely author of what I consider the most powerful memoir of war in the Pacific theater. A botched drug raid yanks him off the street 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. And if you get killed, and if the Japanese end up with your body, they will mutilate it. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is the classic story of modern ground combat and amphibious warfare. The Autobiography of Mrs. Alas, Sledge was so tired, he concedes he couldn't take it in All encircled by the overarching twist of fear which never quite left their guts while they were on their missions. Men must be trained realistically if they are to survive it without breaking, mentally and physically. Your generation is truly the greatest generation. But moving it to the end of the story wasn't the best idea either, war trauma isn't something that waits until the guns go silent. This is without doubt one of the best first-hand-accounts i've ever read about the war in the pacific during world war two. Been wanting to read this for quite some time. The noise of sirens, the putrefaction of bodies, and the sensation of maggot-filled, waterlogged foxholes are all vividly rendered. He talks about officers they admired and those they hated and feared. Nov 27, Jesper Jorgensen rated it it was amazing Shelves: wwii , usmc , personal-narrative , wwii-pto. Describing it as an example of "the American procedure at its best, unashamed of simplicity," Paul Fussell said that With the Old Breed "is one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war. War is such self-defeating, organized madness the way it destroys a nation's best. After chronicling his experiences in full detail, the author concludes by commending military valor and decrying the waste that is war. Shelves: non-fiction , history , memoir , world-war-2 , s , war , audiobook , military-history. However, he deliberately failed to become a Marine assigned to infantry in the Pacific. Other Editions 1. If you have eve I would give it six stars if I could. The technology that developed the rifle barrel, the machine gun and high explosive shells has turned war into prolonged, subhuman slaughter. The shoved skidded into the rotting abdomen with a squishing sound. Open Preview See a Problem? There are corpses everywhere, as on Peleliu, often left unburied and putrefying in the hot sun. Sledge explains how comradeship worked with soldiers to form lifelong bonds. Larger boys now sit glued before gaming devices doing essentially the same thing, complete wi You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you'll never know The hell where youth and laughter go. Frankly, it's almost unnerving how little perspective and context inform the tale. This book is different from other memoirs because of the detail. Sledge's honesty and compassion for the other marines, even complete strangers, sets him apart as a memoirist of war. He should not. Readers also enjoyed. His wonderings at how men can be so cruel and can become animalistic so quickly within the confines of a battlefield. Get started. Except in a general sense, I am woefully unfamiliar with the war in the Pacific Theater. See all 3 questions about With the Old Breed…. And on hearing of the surrender of Japan and the ending of the war: Sitting in stunned silence, we remembered our death. I am so glad that I picked up this book and will appreciate that Eugene B. On 8 May Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally. He covers his first campaign at Peleliu and then his second campaign If you only read 1 book on fighting in the Pacific Theatre in WWII, this should be the one. Putting their lives at risk at a time when in Europe the war was over at least for the second half of the book in Okinawa. Sledge merely tells it the way it was. All in all, I would consider this a must read for anyone that is into the first person revelation of the war and for those how are interested in combat in the Pacific. But reading this book one begins to realize A great read. Refresh and try again. A veteran who did not experience nightmares was a rarity. His account is equally harrowing and full of details that were mined for the HBO series. Tom Thumb. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa Reviews Describing it as an example of "the American procedure at its best, unashamed of simplicity," Paul Fussell said that With the Old Breed "is one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war.
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