Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories from the Marine Heroes of World War II

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2018

This is one of the best books I have ever read about the history of WWII In the Pacific. As a college student from 1962-1966 I was a history major. You are taught in writing about history to research from original sources. This book illustrates why that rule is important. I am so impressed by the greatest generation who fought so well in WWII when the entire world was in danger of being taken over by despotic governments in Germany and Japan. I wonder if the young of today who have had life handed to them on a silver platter could or would rise to the occasion to defend our country in time of need like those in this book. I fear the answer is no. If we can't stand during the national anthem at a football game we won't be able to stand to defend our liberties when the time comes to do so. Not a single marine in this book would disrespect our flag.

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grampsonamission

Huzzah for "Voices"

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2013

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So, let's see now. I have read all the books regarding the Band of Brother's, seen the mini-series, and read Hugh Ambrose's "Pacific", have seen Spielberg and Hanks great 10 part epic on the Pacific campaign and followed that up with Ken Burns multi-part PBS documentary, "The War". Having done that, I thought that I had somehow come to the end of WWII. My library was full of great works on the genre. Then on April 2, 2013, a new book on the Pacific campaign was released, its title "Voices of the Pacific". Recently acclaimed author Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton have come together to bring another great painting of that terrible time. In December, Adam released his first book entitled "A Higher Call". With Larry Alexander they painted a great story on the European side of the war. This time Adam went back and found a great number of veterans both new and some old that shared some new aspects on the war with Japan. I found the picture I was getting was that of some of the missing pieces that Hollywood left out. I understand that there are still more stories to tell and I hope that Adam and Marcus will continue to tell them.

Adam Makos is on his way as a history writer of much importance. It goes without saying that this work is a must read for all the history people. If you read this review, and are a lover of history, you must put this volume on either the BUY or your WISH LIST for future reading. You DO NOT want to miss this extraordinary volume. You also do not want to miss the Band of Brothers books authored by Marcus Brotherton. Two outstanding authors together. What a great job gentlemen.

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Frank Joseph

Through their eyes

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2013

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I just started this book and had to post an early review to warn people…if you’re a fan of A Higher Call like me and you bought this book thinking it’s another A Higher Call, you’re in for a surprise. Adam Makos didn’t write this book like A Higher Call. The WWII Marines wrote this book. It’s 98% in their words. Makos just chimes in here and there to give some history tidbits and to set the stage for the veterans’ stories.

I’m not complaining. In fact, by turning the spotlight on the vets the action is faster. I just read the Battle of the Tenaru River part where 4 of the Marines put you in the foxholes with them (Sid Phillips, Jim Young, Roy Gerlach, and Arthur Pendleton). Literally you’re there as the Japanese are splashing across the river toward them waving swords and flashing bayonets.

One vet tells a spurt of a story then the next chimes in. Then another guy piles onto the other guy’s story and before you know it the stories are building in intensity. I found my heart pounding. When you see war only through the veterans’ eyes it’s a scary thing.

I’ll add to my review later but wanted to warn people that this is a very different kind of WWII story. It’s no A Higher Call, but very unique in style and like a good WWII book should be, it’s all about the men who were there.

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Paul T. McCain

Great to Simply Let the Veterans Speak!

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2013

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I have read hundreds of books on WWII, from all kinds of perspectives. This book really stands out in my mind because it simply lets the vets speak without much "interference" from an outside editor, author, or historian. It helps the reader along by providing very brief historical "guide posts" along the way, three or four sentences that help you track the USMC vets through their experiences, but there is nothing added to try to make things more "interesting" or "interpret" the vets accounts. It is just their words, their memories, their feelings and it really gives you a very realistic understanding of what, precisely, they went through from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. It is nearly impossible to understand the living hell they endured during the Pacific campaign, but this book is one of the finest for simply hearing the old veterans talk. Those of us old enough to have spoken to a lot of WWII vets, as I have, know how powerful it is simply to sit and listen to a WWII vet talk and share his experiences, this book is precisely that. The book does not try to provide some "grand narrative" and dribble throughout vet's comments, it simply gives you the vet's comments, you get many observations, not just one, as for example, in Gene Sledge's book, which is a must read too.

Highly recommended!!!

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Taurus

You Are There! Voices of the Pacific

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2013

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This will not be a long review. Why? Because if you have read all the other reviews they say it all. You are there, next to these American marines, you can see, and feel the action. You can almost smell the battlefields and see the dead and dying. In a nutshell, it was tough just to put the book down. The author Adam Makos has put together the many stories and written them in such a way that you find yourself immersed in the tragedy of Island hopping, dirty, give no quarter warfare. Down and dirty, as a rule no prisoners.You go through the learning process with the marines who come to realize that they are fighting a well trained, fanatical soldier who will kill himself rather then be taken prisoner, who uses every dirty trick in the book, is an experts at camouflage and night infiltration of the marine lines. At night they keep the marines awake yelling obscenities and threats and God help you in your two man foxhole if your lookout falls asleep during his watch. It's hard to imagine why there were not more psychological breakdowns among the marines, but that's another story, and their sense of brotherhood is part of the answer. This is truly a reading experience that one should not miss.

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Marker Inbound

Attention WW II history buffs

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014

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As an oral history, the author has done a marvelous job interweaving the lives of some of the combat Marines who fought the Pacific campaigns of WW II.

Beginning just before December 7, 1941, the author interleaves the oral history from each of the participants into a riveting story, including their fellow (and sometimes famous) Marines, who did not survive to contribute their individual perspectives. As they moved from Guadalcanal to R&R in Australia to Okinawa, the surviving combat Marines vividly describe what it was like to live in the heat, constant rain, mud, disease and misery - and lose buddies and life long-friends. Included are a few who served in the rarely covered New Britain campaign, which blocked Japan's designs on Australia. Described in gory detail is the bloody battle for Peleliu, one of the bloodiest of WW II. Sadly, it was unnecessary to the outcome of the war.

The last chapters are interesting in that the reader shares their post-war stories, lives and ideals. Even as bad as war was, as is, not one regretted anything other than the loss of friends. Each saw their time in the Marine Corps - and in combat - as a positive experience, and all would do it again if their nation called them. The tragedy of grieving families who lost loved ones is related in several stories.

Most interviewees wanted to convey to Americans how blessed we are to have the freedoms we've inherited, pointing out the cost of freedom in lost lives and dreams. Sid Phillips, one of the more cogent contributors, hoped that some "future generation" would see what Americans needs is a return to the nation's founding values: God, family, and service. Until then, we are nation like a ship without a rudder.

One of the tragedies in current day America is the appalling lack of historical knowledge possessed by the average American. Winston Churchill observed "the farther back you can look, the farther forward you can see." Maybe that future generation has not yet arrived.

An excellent history, almost as gut-wrenching as Eugene Sledge's "With The Old Breed". A must read for all Americans!

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Toe Tag

The very best of history

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2014

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This is simply one of the finest books I’ve read in a long time. In fact, even though I purchased the book in electronic format, I have every intention to add a hard copy of the book to my collection.

This easy to read and understand history book is a collection of interviews with the men who fought some of the most dangerous battles of the Pacific theater. This book contains a tremendous amount of personal information about these men and their experiences.

One of the more interesting aspects of his book is these men knew some of the great legends of the time. They served under Chesty Puller and along-side of John Basilone. In this respect it is not like many other books as it provides a first person perspective of the war.

Things I liked about this book include the way it is structured. The stories are very well integrated with each other and a tremendous amount of attention was paid to editing the book. It is truly a wonderful read and easy to follow. The reader does not need to be an expert on history to enjoy this book and it will reach a general audience just as easily as the devoted.

The only thing I did not like about the book is out the control of the author; those interviewed, or even the editorial staff. This may very well be one of the last books of its kind because this generation is leaving us. That saddens me to think about. They are a joy and this is why this book is a very important contribution to the to the history of our nation.

This book is hard to compare to others. However, if you read this book and enjoyed it then you certainly would enjoy the brilliant book With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge, Helmet for my Pillow by Robert Leckie, You’ll be Sorry by Sid Phillips and of course Battleground Pacific: A marine Rifleman’s Combat Odyssey by Sterling Mace.

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Tknapp

Impossible not to be humbled

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2019

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It’s impossible not to be humbled after reading accounts like those in this book. Truly they have had experiences unlike most others unless those others have had to face the horrors of combat. It never ceases to amaze me how human beings, exposed to such events can come out on the other side and still possess their sanity and compassion. Many lessons are to be learned from listening to men such as these and trying our best to take to heart the wisdom that they have obtained from the price that they paid.

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Savvy Geezer

The greatest generation speaks of the war

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019

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Excellent book. First hand accounts of WW2 vets about their experiences in the war in the Pacific. Brings the horrors of war to life from those who have seen it up close and personal, when your enemy was at arms length rather than on a computer screen. Detailed accounts of fighting on Iwo Jima, Okinawa, New Britain and other underreported-on islands, and the experiences of these vets and the men at their side. Should be required reading for teens sheltered from the realities of war.

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Amazon Customer

Japanese insanity and resistence could not stop U.S. Marines in Pacific

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2019

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The stories told by individual Marines who were there is heartening, enlightening and tragic.
Losses were many and sacrifices great, but our magnificent Marines were unstoppable.
The Japanese "no surrender" policy created their underfed and mislead warriors to commit unbearable acts.
Although Shintoism and Buddhism were positive, and generally kind religions, practiced in Japan, neither had
much impact on these fanatic and inhuman warriors. For more information , Read "Living to Die" by Carl Nurick
available via Amazon and Kindle.

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