Guadalcanal Diary

Guadalcanal, 1942: You Are There

Guadalcanal Diary is a gripping day by day account of the first major Allied offensive in the Pacific Theater in World War II. Wanting to stop the Japanese from capturing Australia, American forces decided to stop Japan in the Solomon Islands with the capture of an island in that group called Guadalcanal. The Japanese built an airstrip there and had to be prevented from further expansion into the Pacific. The book is told from the perspective of American journalist Richard Tregaskis. He was an embedded reporter with the United States Marines during July, August, and September 1942. I found myself ducking for cover and dodging bullets as I read the author's fast moving and dramatic account of Marines in battle. Tregaskis also relates to the reader the briefs he received from the major Marine commanders such as General Alexander Vandegrift and Colonel Merritt Edson. Thus, we get both a boots on the ground perspective and a higher headquarters perspective in the narrative. The author's last diary entry was on September 26th but the battle would not officially conclude until February of 1943. At the end of the book Tregaskis provides a brief summary of the events which took place on Guadalcanal between October 1942 and February 1943. Though there are many (and more recent) books on this important battle, Guadalcanal Diary is combat reporting at its best. Highly recommended.

condensed version

This book would be good for a student needing to write a book review. It is a condensed version of the full length book. Good as far as it went, however much was lost to someone who had read the original book.

i have not read the book yet.i just wanted to comment on the condition of the book i received.i have ordered quite a number of books from you in the past and have been completely satisfied.this book was in terrible condition.just wanted you to know.

Great book

This was a good book written for it's time which was during the war.