Strong Men Armed

The United States Marines Against Japan

By: Robert Leckie

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Written by Robert Leckie, whose wartime exploits are featured in the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg HBO miniseries The Pacific, Strong Men Armed is the perennial bestselling classic account of the U.S. Marines' relentless drive through the Pacific during World War II.

As scout and machine-gunner for the First Marine Division, Leckie fought in all its engagements until his wounding at Peleliu. In Strong Men Armed, Leckie uses firsthand experience and impeccable research to re-create the nightmarish battles of the Pacific campaign---from Guadalcanal to Okinawa---as ships, men, and guns moved over vast distances to fight an enemy that was willing to defend to its last man. Here is the whole sweeping epic of the Marines who battled---and won---on the bloody beaches at Guadalcanal, the unforgiving reefs at Tarawa, the rain-soaked mud of New Britain, the dark gray soil and deadly caves of Mount Suribachi, and the muddy slopes of Shuri Castle on Okinawa. It is a masterful narrative by a writer the New York Times praised as possessing the "rare gift of capturing all that is human in the most inhuman of man's activities."

©1990 Robert Leckie (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Raw, heartbreaking, and superb." ( Christian Science Monitor)

The real deal

Jersey boy becoming a writer goes to war becomes a man returns from war becomes a writer!!

Great Book

This is a truly great book. It get down to the grunts. This book tell how the individual MARINES fought, died, overcame, conquered and won the battles of WWII from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. Worth it.

Excellent history of the US Marines in Pacific

Very detailed history of all the battles of the Marines during WW 2 in the Pacific. Well read.

Great story

Outstanding overview of the Marines in WWII. It covered all significant actions in vivid detail yet provided great strategic overview. Highly recommended

Leckie is a brilliant soldier historian

Leckie’s books are among the very best combat memoirs and war histories. He was there.

Johnny Heller does a fair job but his lack of research results in numerous faux pas. He calls a B A R a bar. He says Minda-NAY-oh instead of Minda-NOW. He says Tah-RAH-wah for TAR-ah-wah. He gets officers names wrong and common terms wrong. But it’s still great history if you already know.