Monday, May 17, 2010

John Basilone - I'm Staying With My Boys

I just finished this great book about one of the main characters in the HBO series The Pacific. John Basilone was a World War II Marine, a Medal of Honor winner for his heroics on Guadacanal. The approach of the book is a combination of Basilone's private life and his battlefield experiences. It chronicles his growth from a unfocused youth, unsure of his direction in life, to a battle hardened warrior whose primary duty is to his men. The personality of Basilone is well drawn and it with a sense of sadness that you reach the end of the book, being aware of the impending tragedy of Basilone's death at Iwo Jima.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Pacific miniseries

Interesting article by former Senator Bill Bradley about the relevance of The Pacific miniseries to the experience of the combatants and veterans of today's wars.



http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/03/three-things-obama-should-think-about-while-watching-the-pacific.html