Like so many before me, I read this book many times as a kid. Tregaskis's simple, elegant prose captures in such stark detail the conditions endured by the men who fought under our flag in the Pacific. First published in 1943, it chronicles the first-hand experiences of embedded journalist Richard Tregaskis living alongside US Marines - sleeping in the mud, taking enemy fire, going hungry. This is the guy supposed scud-stud Wolf Blitzer and his ilk think they are. Humble and brave, Tregaskis almost lovingly depicts the camaraderie among our servicemen, many of whom would never go home. This book was such a classic upon release that it would become required reading for USMC officer candidates.
It's a moving, important read, especially in our current age when we seem to have forgotten that we still have men and women in the field every day.
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