War in the South Pacific

Out in the Boondocks, U.S. Marines Tell Their Stories

By: James D. Horan, Gerold Frank

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

"I was in one of the last landing barges to hit the beach of Gavutu Island. We were halfway in when the Japanese machine guns got their range. Bullets slapped the water and whined as they ricocheted off the barge. Some of us ducked; some of us fell to the floor; and all of us prayed."

Here, in heart-stopping human detail, are 21 personal accounts told by the men themselves. They are the stories of men who lived in hell and lived to tell of it.

There is the story of Sgt. Albert Schmid, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his single-handed destruction of a flanking attack while on Guadalcanal. The account of Private Nicolli who was literally blown into the air like a matchstick and then, with a piece of shrapnel in his chest, managed to help a wounded comrade to the rear. "The luckiest man in the Solomons", Sgt. Koziar, tells of how he had his tonsils removed with the assistance of a Japanese sniper's bullet.

These are just three of the 21 fascinating stories that were told to Gerold Frank and James Horan just months after these Marines had returned from active duty to recover from the conflict in the Pacific.

The valor of these Marines is astounding, as 21-year-old Corporal Conroy states in the audiobook, "I don't suppose I shall ever be able to sum up all the bravery, the guts, the genuine, honest courage displayed by the boys out in Guadalcanal. They were afraid, and yet they took it. They had what it takes...."

The battles of Gavutu-Tanambogo, Tulagi, Tenaru, Matanikau, and Guadalcanal are all covered through these accounts, which take the listener right to the epicenter of the Pacific conflict.

Public Domain (P)2018 Tantor

great compendiums of ww2 battles.

fast paced stories from humor to heartbreak .

I didn't care for this narrator, sounded too jovial like he was reading a kids book. I had to speed up the sound.

Really great accounts taken from soldiers during and immediately after the war

Like most World War II books with veteran interviews I thought this book would be recollections of veterans from 50 to 80 years after the war. This book however, contains accounts that were transcribed during an immediately after World War II. So the details are incredibly clear and fresh - and reminds me of interviews from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Most of the vets interviewed were in their early 20s at the time of their interviews which makes them incredible artifacts of that war. Many were recovering from wounds at the time of their interviews.

However, all of the accounts are from Guadalcanal - very early in the war. I would love if there was a sequel with vet interviews from later battles- however- these interviews may be the only ones of the type by whomever conducted the interviews all those years ago.

very detailed

I very much enjoyed this. full of history and stories. great for a history buff.

Very Intriguing stories

great stories of personal accounts of fighting on Guadalcanal. Narrator was great and very listenable. My only dislike is that the book only accounted for the Guadalcanal Campaign. Great accounts but I would have liked to have heard accounts from the other Campaigns as well.

How it was like I was there

I really enjoyed this book, listen to the stories of the men that were there. It put me like I was there. It’s hard to believe that all these great heroes even though they wouldn’t want to be called heroes just every day guys are almost all gone now, I think God that they were there for us