Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone

by James Brady

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author James Brady-the story of Marine legend John Basilone, one of three main characters in HBO's The Pacific

Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was a Marine legend who received the Medal of Honor for holding off 3,000 Japanese on Guadalcanal and the Navy Cross posthumously for his bravery on Iwo Jima. This is the story of how a young man from Raritan, New Jersey, became one of America's biggest World War II heroes.

• Profiles one of three main characters in HBO's The Pacific, the successful sequel to the popular mini-series Band of Brothers
• "A carefully reported, briskly written book . . . that could go a long way toward correcting . . . historical oversight." –The Los Angeles Times
• Sorts through the differing accounts of Basilone's life and exploits, including what he did on Iwo Jima and how he died
• The final book by James Brady, the Korean War veteran and well-known columnist and author of books that include Why Marines Fight and an autobiography, The Coldest War, a Pulitzer Prize finalist

An incredible story masterfully told, Hero of the Pacific will appeal to anyone with an interest in World War II and military history as well as fans of HBO's The Pacific.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470928578
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	415,312
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

The late James Brady commanded a Marine rifle platoon during the Korean War and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. For more than two decades, he wrote the “In Step With” column for Parade. He also wrote a column for Forbes.com. He authored eighteen books, among them several on the Marines, including the nonfiction Why Marines Fight and the New York Times best-selling novel The Marines of Autumn.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Prologue.

PART ONE GUADALCANAL.

PART TWO HOMETOWN.

PART THREE HOME FRONT.

PART FOUR IWO JIMA.

PART FIVE COMING HOME.

Epilogue.

Bibliography.

Illustration Credits.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

* "Now comes a carefully reported, briskly written book by James Brady, Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone, that could go a long way toward correcting that historical oversight." (The Los Angeles Times, February 10, 2010)

From the Publisher

Sergeant John Basilone and his fellow Marines held off a Japanese night attack on Guadalcanal during the Americans' first clash with the fierce Imperial foot soldiers during WWII. Badly outnumbered, the men killed hundreds of the Japanese with heroism and firepower, resulting in Basilone being awarded the Medal of Honor. The late James Brady, a Marine lieutenant himself in the Korean War, examines the life and legends of this humble and famous Marine. Narrator Grover Gardner makes this account of leadership and heroism most enjoyable with his seemingly innate ability to render the written word into an engaging audio narrative. Gardner knows the foreign vocabulary of the Pacific theater, making himself a credible surrogate for the author as he commemorates a brave comrade he never knew. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2010 - AudioFile