With the Old Breed
At Peleliu and Okinawa
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4.7 • 193 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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
Gripping read!
Found this book through the TV series the Pacific.
A must read
Brutal but truthful first hand account of war. Every American needs to read this book and not take for granted the freedoms these men fought and died for. Thank you Marines
Unforgettable, Astounding, Amazing..
Absolutely incredible account of one marine’s experience fighting a type of war that will never be seen again. The viscousness and savagery the 1st Marine Division and others in the central Pacific had to face defy description, but Sledge perfectly and eloquently details for all future generations what he and his 3/5 comrades had to endure in defense of freedom rid the world of tyranny. His writing displays a grit and directness that befits his military training but also a gentleness and sophistication that reflects his heritage and up-bringing. Immensely engaging read I couldn’t put down. With the Old Breed is not only a massive literary achievement but a benchmark for future generations to assess how well they are doing measured against the competence, character, and commitment displayed by the men and women who saved the world 80 years ago. Unforgettable.