China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II
by E. B. Sledge
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Book Summary Information
Author: E. B. SledgeForeword: Stephen E. Ambrose
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-09-04
ISBN: 0195167767
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II
Book Review: WONDERFUL FOLLOW UP ACCOUNT OF A MAN'S LIFE.
Summary: 5 Stars
I put off reading this work by E.B. Sledge for a a long time. I had read "With the Old Breed" a number of years ago and gave it a reread more recently. In my opinion, and the opinion of many, many others, `Old Breed" is the best firsthand account of combat experience by an enlisted man ever written. It deals with the battle at Pelieu and Okinawa; both battles of which the author survived...one of only 10 men that made it out of 240. I will admit though that Sledge's first book was a traumatic reading experience. On one hand I did not want to put myself through that again, but on the other hand, I was fascinated that a man could survive this ordeal and, to be quite frank, ever be whole again. I actually worried about this very, very brave man and what became of him.
This work, China Marine, begins where "Old Breed" ends. After Japan surrendered, E.B. Sledge was sent to Northern China in order to keep the peace there during the transition after the long Japanese occupation. The majority of the book covers this period of his life; records his experiences and observations and shares with us how he begins the healing process. A goodly portion of the book gives his account of his returning to civilian life; the adjustments and the mental process he went through.
The reader should note that if he or she is looking for a blood and guts combat account, then they should look elsewhere. That is not the purpose of this work. No, this is the personal story of a man whose entire world was changed and who lived through an ordeal that was with him through the rest of his life. It is a rather sensitive story and a story that most certainly should have been told.
Two years ago a dear friend of mine died. He too survived Pelieu, where he was wounded but went on to fight in Okinawa where he received very grave wounds and was eventually evacuated. I knew my friend well; knew him for many years. He was one of the finest men I ever known. We talked of many things and were quite close. Still and all there were doors that he would never open; things he would never shard. I honestly feel that it was not a lack of wanting to talk, but rather a complete inability to do so. His wife has told me many times that his experiences on those two islands were with him everyday of his life until the day he died. This is quite typical and many, many men were like my friend. I am so grateful that we had people like E.B. Sledge who were able to give voice for so many.
Professor Sledge died in 2001. He was indeed a rare breed; an old breed and we owe him and his comrades so very, very much.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Summary of China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II
See E.B. Sledge's story in the HBO miniseries The Pacific!China Marine is the extraordinary sequel to E.B. Sledge's memoir, With the Old Breed, which remains the most powerful and moving account of the U.S. Marines in World War II. Sledge continues his story where With the Old Breed left off and recounts the compelling conclusion of his Marine career.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, Sledge and his company were sent to China to maintain order and to calm the seething cauldron of political and ideological unrest created by opposing factions. His regiment was the first Marine unit to return to the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) where they witnessed the last of old China and the rise of the Communist state. Sledge also recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life while haunted by shadows of close combat. Through the discipline of writing and the study of biology, he shows how he came to terms with the terrifying memories that had plagued him for years.
Poignant and compelling, China Marine provides a frank depiction of the real costs of war, emotional and psychological as well as physical, and reveals the enduring bond that develops between men who face the horrors of war.
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