In his own book, Wartime, Paul Fussell called With the Old Breed "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war." John Keegan referred to it in The Second World War as "one of the most arresting documents in war literature." And Studs Terkel was so fascinated with the story he interviewed its author for his book, "The Good War." What has made E.B. Sledge's memoir of his experience fighting in the South Pacific during World War II so devastatingly powerful is its sheer honest simplicity and compassion.
Now including a new introduction by Paul Fussell, With the Old Breed presents a stirring, personal account of the vitality and bravery of the Marines in the battles at Peleliu and Okinawa. Born in Mobile, Alabama in 1923 and raised on riding, hunting, fishing, and a respect for history and legendary heroes such as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene Bondurant Sledge (later called "Sledgehammer" by his Marine Corps buddies) joined the Marines the year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and from 1943 to 1946 endured the events recorded in this book. In those years, he passed, often painfully, from innocence to experience.
Sledge enlisted out of patriotism, idealism, and youthful courage, but once he landed on the beach at Peleliu, it was purely a struggle for survival. 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. The reality of battle meant unbearable heat, deafening gunfire, unimaginable brutality and cruelty, the stench of death, and, above all, constant fear. Sledge still has nightmares about "the bloody, muddy month of May on Okinawa." But, as he also tellingly reveals, the bonds of friendship formed then will never be severed.
Sledge's honesty and compassion for the other marines, even complete strangers, sets him apart as a memoirist of war. Read as sobering history or as high adventure, With the Old Breed is a moving chronicle of action and courage.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
War with the shine rubbed off...:
December 29th, 1980, I arrived at the same Marine Corps boot camp which welcomed EB Sledge nearly 40 years before. With the Old Breed (WTOB) makes it perfectly clear why the stress and hardship of the Marine Corps boot camp experience is necessary. Thankfully, my generation was spared the subsequent horror that Sledge and his fellow marines witnessed on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa. Unlike other WWII books, WTOB truly brings home the misery and insanity of the Pacific theater slugfest. Death is... more info
Straight forward harrowing account of war against Japan:
Sledge's book is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII battles against the Japanese. No words are wasted trying to impress the reader. Instead, this is a first-hand account of an enlisted soldier's harrowing battle experiences. It does not get any more personal and straight forward than this. The maps in the book are not very good, so I turned to the internet. I Googled every mountain, island, ship name, etc. for an immersing reading experience. You can even use Microsoft's Flight Simulator to fly... more info
Haunting. Simply the BEST.:
Haunting.
Mr. Sledge"s reminisces of WW2 Pacific combat is one of the 3 best memoirs in that genre. The other two being William Manchester's Goodbye Darkness, and Robert Leckie's Helmet for my Pillow. War is ugly, messy, misery and a terrible thing, but the courage and sacrifice of the warriors is the beauty of it all. It is utter madness that muddles the mind, yet brings clarity of thought to a razor's edge. It dulls one's sensibilities yet heightens the senses to maximum perception. With the Old... more info
The Pacific Theater's "Forgotten Soldier":
I had been meaning to read "With the Old Breed" for some years but, as a committed thrift-store book shopper, had been unable to find a used copy. Finally I sprung for a new copy and, after having read it, I understood exactly why I had been unable to find a secondhand copy: this book is so phenomenally awe-inspiring that I will never part with mine.
Sledge has quite probably written the single best American war memoir EVER. From the jagged coral ridges of Peleliu to the fetid quagmire of Okinawa,... more info
