jb123 -> RE: Books about the War in the Pacific? (6/21/2011 1:44:03 AM)
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Tons of good suggestions on this forum and most of them are must reads for anyone interested in the theater. To add my two cents, I would try to get a grittier anecdotal perspective to give some psychological insight into the severity (and barbarism) of the fighting and the notions about race and Empire that motivated the fighting men. While nowhere near the scale of (in terms of numbers or casualties), the levels of hatred between Japan and the United States made for a war more closer to the brutality and no-quarter of the Eastern Front than the rest of the European theaters. Sometimes understanding commanders' decisions and results of battles hinge of this type of analysis. (like some early timidity on the part of allied commanders because they thought the Japanese were somehow "supermen" capable of supernatural jungle fighting skills and the like) Of course I'm also biased being a former Marine grunt. For overview War without Mercy, by John Dower For that anecdotal experience that actualizes the scholarly narrative, the best is, I think Sledge, With the Old Breed Leckie is also good, Helmet for my pillow and others Their story was (badly, in my opinion) done in the Pacific series. Nothing replaces the book
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