Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories from the Marine Heroes of World War II (Expanded Edition)
- Downloads：9297
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-07 17:31:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Adam Makos
- ISBN：B093MRZC2J
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kyle
，
Wow， every college kid should be required to read this book。 Real history that will make you appreciate what has been sacrificed for our liberty。
David Engel
，
First hand accounts of marines familiar to anyone who has studied the WWII Pacific Island battles。 These stories complement others told in classic books about the struggles against the Japanese， terrain and weather and further flesh out men like John Basilone， Sid Phillips and Eugene Sledge。 I found this volume engaging and moving。
Leo Mccarthy
，
Excellent， first hand accounts of vets experiences。
David Barnes
，
Great to learn new stories about the Pacific war
Steve Scott
，
Like "Give Me Tomorrow"， an audiobook I'd listened to just prior to this one， "Voice of the Pacific" spares nothing as these veterans recount the gruesome horrors of the war in the Pacific。The author， Adam Makos， followed what seems to be the standard trail of the Marines of the First Division from Guadalcanal through Okinawa， with a brief diversion to Iwo Jima so we could hear an account of John Basilone's passing。 He essentially used the movie "The Pacific" as a template for following up with Like "Give Me Tomorrow"， an audiobook I'd listened to just prior to this one， "Voice of the Pacific" spares nothing as these veterans recount the gruesome horrors of the war in the Pacific。The author， Adam Makos， followed what seems to be the standard trail of the Marines of the First Division from Guadalcanal through Okinawa， with a brief diversion to Iwo Jima so we could hear an account of John Basilone's passing。 He essentially used the movie "The Pacific" as a template for following up with these oral stories。 This is the second book I've encountered that did that， and one could come away thinking that those battles were the only ones fought in the war。The reader should keep in mind that there were six Marine divisions fighting in the Pacific， and battles like Bougainville， Tarawa， Saipan， Guam， Tinian， and Kwajalien ought not be forgotten。 I hope somebody， somewhere， collected oral histories from the veterans of that generation on those battles。 My father was a veteran of two of those landings， and they're largely ignored。That aside， this is a worthwhile book。 It's brutally honest in its presentation of combat。 Gone is the John Wayne romanticism and notions of glory in war that post war Hollywood gave us。 It's a sobering account， as was the film "The Pacific" that was based on the experiences of these men。In the book one of the veterans laments that young people nowadays no nothing of World War II， and that he ran into a young woman who didn't know who Adolph Hitler was。 He's absolutely right。 But that historical illiteracy is far greater than he could possibly have imagined。And that's one compelling reason for us to read。 。。。more
Tim
，
（Another catch-up review）Fantastic read！ Did you ever see a picture of a raging battle in a book or a video？ Soldiers and marines in various states and positions of battle？ Wonder what some of these soldiers/marines are thinking and feeling at any given moment？ This book fulfills that wonder。 The format is simple: for example， landing craft are heading toward the beach on Peleliu。 A marine in one landing craft provides a paragraph or two of what he’s seeing and thinking， a second marine in a dif （Another catch-up review）Fantastic read！ Did you ever see a picture of a raging battle in a book or a video？ Soldiers and marines in various states and positions of battle？ Wonder what some of these soldiers/marines are thinking and feeling at any given moment？ This book fulfills that wonder。 The format is simple: for example， landing craft are heading toward the beach on Peleliu。 A marine in one landing craft provides a paragraph or two of what he’s seeing and thinking， a second marine in a different landing craft gives his thoughts and sights。 They’re now on the beach or they’re moving inland to the airfield， same format。 This format repeats throughout the book。 I’d liken this book to a marine’s battlefield diary except there are many marines recording their thoughts in this one diary。 Engaging read from beginning to end。 。。。more
Lavon Herschberger
，
Very graphic， and it feels gratuitous。 Maybe it's necessary to feel the gravity of the pain though？ Very graphic， and it feels gratuitous。 Maybe it's necessary to feel the gravity of the pain though？ 。。。more
Loyalhistorian
，
This was a very good book。 So many interesting stories from the veterans。 I highly suggest it for anyone interested in the Pacific theater。
Andréa
，
I really enjoyed the way The Voices of the Pacific focused on the human aspect of war。 The individuals involved in such large scale events often get overlooked so I found it refreshing to read about those events through the eyes of the men who lived them。 This book was both thought-provoking and humorous and the only negative thing about it was that I occasionally found it difficult to keep the stories of different men from getting confused with each other。 Overall， I really enjoyed learning abo I really enjoyed the way The Voices of the Pacific focused on the human aspect of war。 The individuals involved in such large scale events often get overlooked so I found it refreshing to read about those events through the eyes of the men who lived them。 This book was both thought-provoking and humorous and the only negative thing about it was that I occasionally found it difficult to keep the stories of different men from getting confused with each other。 Overall， I really enjoyed learning about the marines and the battles they fought and I hope to read more about them in the future。 。。。more
Aaron Eddlemon
，
Loved this book！！！ I have lots of respect for the men and women in our military both yesterday and today。
Robert Banthin
，
This is a no holds barred book that lets you know just what are troops in the Pacific went through。 Also how ruthless the Japanese soldiers were。 Not for the faint of heart to read。
Matthew De
，
I really enjoyed reading Voices of the Pacific。 It was really good to read about individual Marines experiences in the many different battles that were fought in the Pacific， from Guadalcanal， Peleliu， and Iwo Jima。
K
，
It's not often I give five star reviews， but every one of Makos' books has earned such。 I have never read such honest， well-written accounts of WWII soldiers' experiences as the ones Makos describes。 This novel is especially good because it includes narratives from many soldiers in the same campaigns， and includes their perspectives on how the war affected their lives both in the past and when the book was written。 I literally didn't want to put this one down。 It's not often I give five star reviews， but every one of Makos' books has earned such。 I have never read such honest， well-written accounts of WWII soldiers' experiences as the ones Makos describes。 This novel is especially good because it includes narratives from many soldiers in the same campaigns， and includes their perspectives on how the war affected their lives both in the past and when the book was written。 I literally didn't want to put this one down。 。。。more
Sonny
，
My father served nearly four years in the Pacific theater during World War II， but I can tell you very little about his experience during the war。 Like so many men from his generation， he said very little about his time during the war。 Voices of the Pacific by authors Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton seemed like a good opportunity to get a sense of my father’s experience during the war。 Journalist and historian Adam Makos is the author of A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chi My father served nearly four years in the Pacific theater during World War II， but I can tell you very little about his experience during the war。 Like so many men from his generation， he said very little about his time during the war。 Voices of the Pacific by authors Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton seemed like a good opportunity to get a sense of my father’s experience during the war。 Journalist and historian Adam Makos is the author of A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II， a book that I thoroughly enjoyed。Voices of the Pacific is not your traditional World War II history。 The book is an oral history， providing the reader with the personal stories of 15 men who fought with the legendary 1st Marine Division in some of the most famous battles of World War II。 The authors were able to locate and interview some of the veterans。 Published in 2013， these Marines were obviously in their golden years; their ages ranged from 88 to 95 at the time the book was published。 This type of oral history provides a human dimension of the war that probably can’t be duplicated now。 The book is primarily focused on the words of these fifteen Marines。 The authors largely stay in the shadows， only interjecting a few sentences from time to time in order to set the stage for the Marines。“This book could not be written ten years from now。 Not five。 Maybe not even two。”Adam Makos， Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories from the Marine Heroes of World War IIMakos and Brotherton compiled their stories， giving us the full range of their WWII experience—beginning with their reactions to the bombing of Pearl Harbor， to their experience in boot camp， and from there to the fierce battles on the Pacific islands （from Guadalcanal to their temporary home on Pavavu， then New Britain， Peleliu， Iwo Jima， and Okinawa）， and finally to their return home to the United States。 The two closing chapters allows the veterans to share their stories after the war—their acclimatization to civilian life and the war's impact on their lives。 “In December 1943， there were 235 men in K company。 The amount who ended up alive and well at the end of Okinawa was 19。”Adam Makos， Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories from the Marine Heroes of World War IIThe authors did an excellent job of compiling the accounts of the Marines featured in the book。 The book is organized in a logical， chronological way， so that there is a smooth flow to the book。 The veterans seem honest， never embellishing their accounts。 The accounts seem genuine—the men never pretend that their experiences were enjoyable。 The authors have included dozens of photos， maps and of pictures of the battles， which adds some clarity。 On the negative side， I found it difficult to keep all of the stories straight。 I forgot the backstories and had trouble keeping track of who did what。 While an oral history captures the human dimension of the war， I found that a book consisting almost exclusively of the men’s accounts fell a little short of what I was looking for in a book about the war in the Pacific。 I much preferred Max Hasting’s excellent book Inferno: The World at War， 1939-1945， which gives the reader anecdotal accounts of the soldiers and civilians who were caught up in the conflagration interspersed with Hastings’ account of the war。 。。。more
Kathy Nau
，
Read by my hubby。 This is his rating。 I intend to read this book and you must read the book Spearhead by the same author。 Fantastic true story （written like a novel） about a WW II gunner。
Stefanie Robinson
，
I wish that I would have read the physical book， but I got this on Audible。 I haven't really read a whole lot about the Pacific Theatre， and I was very interested in this book to hear the first hand accounts of those who were engaged in these battles。 I love Adam Makos， and I was not disappointed in this book at all。 I cannot wait for his next book to come out。 I wish that I would have read the physical book， but I got this on Audible。 I haven't really read a whole lot about the Pacific Theatre， and I was very interested in this book to hear the first hand accounts of those who were engaged in these battles。 I love Adam Makos， and I was not disappointed in this book at all。 I cannot wait for his next book to come out。 。。。more
Anastasiya
，
The premise is promising - 15 voices speaking of the same events， 15 Marines in the Pacific during WWII， 15 perspectives on life and death of war。 I enjoyed it， although I could not relate to some of these people from the get go。 They joined the Marines because the line to join the Navy was too long and they got bored？ Come on。
David Devine
，
An excellent book with the memories of combat Marines from before the attack on Pearl Harbor to the end of the war and occupation of China and Japan。 The stories they tell are gritty， humorous and horrific as they recount their experiences both on and off the battlefield。 Adam Makos brings alive the battles and suffering on the Pacific islands through the many interviews with those surviving Marines that fought through Hell and came home to pick up their lives and move on with living。
S。
，
nice， fine oral history of Marines in the Pacific Theatre of WW2。 various accounts are interwoven to create a chronological account。 this work deserves the solid 4/5 stars and all the more remarkable， the author was only 32 years old at time of writing。
Julie
，
This was an outstanding book！ I loved the style which the author let's the men tell their stories in which he writes。 I watched the HBO mini series The Pacific while reading this book。 They go beautifully together。 I had to take a couple of breaks from reading though。 It just got to be too sad and too much death。 So， I'd put it down for a couple of days and then return to the men's stories。 It's so good and you'll learn so much about the war in the Pacific。 I highly recommend！ This was an outstanding book！ I loved the style which the author let's the men tell their stories in which he writes。 I watched the HBO mini series The Pacific while reading this book。 They go beautifully together。 I had to take a couple of breaks from reading though。 It just got to be too sad and too much death。 So， I'd put it down for a couple of days and then return to the men's stories。 It's so good and you'll learn so much about the war in the Pacific。 I highly recommend！ 。。。more
Mitchell Wade
，
Reading voices of the Pacific was like listening to the veterans tell their stories themselves。 I believe every American should read this book。 If more Americans were like the men and will been in this book there wouldn't be content and unsolved problems in our nation。 Like ask of Adam Makos' books Voices from there Pacific is a must read。 Reading voices of the Pacific was like listening to the veterans tell their stories themselves。 I believe every American should read this book。 If more Americans were like the men and will been in this book there wouldn't be content and unsolved problems in our nation。 Like ask of Adam Makos' books Voices from there Pacific is a must read。 。。。more
lex
，
i still haven’t read a *ton* of books on war in the pacific， but i’m definitely getting there。 i think this book was so important。 you hear so much about the war in europe， and that’s virtually all that’s taught in schools， and what these men went through almost seems ignored。 i found this to be very informative and quite an easy read in the way that it was written。 i recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about war in the pacific and honestly just anyone in general。
Rick
，
If you have interest in historyFull of first hand accounts。 We can read what others have written about history。 This， however， is history from the makers
Carol
，
I listened to this on Audiobooks。 My dad served in the Royal Marines in the Pacific arena during WWII。 He was an MP。 He never spoke of his time in the war （1941-45） other than to say he was there when the peace treaty was signed in Japan and the time he stole a pineapple from some lady’s garden and she chased him off with a broom。 Somewhere long lost are photos of Nagasaki after it was bombed。 I found them as a kid and had lots of questions which he never answered。 In his later years he started I listened to this on Audiobooks。 My dad served in the Royal Marines in the Pacific arena during WWII。 He was an MP。 He never spoke of his time in the war （1941-45） other than to say he was there when the peace treaty was signed in Japan and the time he stole a pineapple from some lady’s garden and she chased him off with a broom。 Somewhere long lost are photos of Nagasaki after it was bombed。 I found them as a kid and had lots of questions which he never answered。 In his later years he started going to reunions with his marine buddies and wrote for their newsletters。 He made many trips back home to England to attend those reunions。 While this book is about the US Marines， it helped me understand the horrors of war in the Pacific and detailed view it was probably more horrific than o。 The European front。 I enjoyed the narratives by the 15 men who served， many like my dad who never spoke of what they saw or experienced until their last years。 。。。more
Edwrd Poole
，
Learned allot about the south Pacific fighting
Stefany
，
Books like this should be required reading。 These men went to hell and back again and this book is full of their stories。 Raw and uncensored。 Freedom is not free， is not just a phrase， freedom is payed for in blood。 I'm grateful these gentleman told their stories， they should never be forgotten。 Books like this should be required reading。 These men went to hell and back again and this book is full of their stories。 Raw and uncensored。 Freedom is not free， is not just a phrase， freedom is payed for in blood。 I'm grateful these gentleman told their stories， they should never be forgotten。 。。。more
ALFIE ✯
，
The format of this book makes it simpler to read and understand。 It's written like a transcript of a veteran recounting his war stories and is divided up into the different campaigns and locations。 I really enjoyed the content as it was more engaging than a history book written by a historian。 However， the last chapter almost ruined the book for me overall， as it included the last words the veterans wanted the readers to take away from their experience。 There were some great points made about pa The format of this book makes it simpler to read and understand。 It's written like a transcript of a veteran recounting his war stories and is divided up into the different campaigns and locations。 I really enjoyed the content as it was more engaging than a history book written by a historian。 However， the last chapter almost ruined the book for me overall， as it included the last words the veterans wanted the readers to take away from their experience。 There were some great points made about patriotism and the lessons they think the younger generations should learn， however their other points seemed to me a bit old fashioned and out of touch from reality。 Overall， a great novel for any history buffs out there。 。。。more
Jeff Jorgensen
，
Really enjoyed this book。 Often times a compilation of stories will read like a list， this book didn’t feel that way at all。 The stories were compiled in a way that felt like one story。 If you’re a fan of the Pacific series on HBO I think you’ll really enjoy this as many of the characters from the series are featured in this book。
Dan Hyer
，
I enjoy hearing first person accounts， and this has been very well put together。 If you've watched the TV miniseries The Pacific， you'll recognize many of the people discussed in this book。 This is a compilation of the stories of several marines who fought in the Pacific Campaign and lived to talk about it。 I enjoy hearing first person accounts， and this has been very well put together。 If you've watched the TV miniseries The Pacific， you'll recognize many of the people discussed in this book。 This is a compilation of the stories of several marines who fought in the Pacific Campaign and lived to talk about it。 。。。more
Oliver McNamee
，