China Marine

An Infantryman's Life After World War II

By: E. B. Sledge, Stephen E. Ambrose

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

China Marine is the sequel to E. B. Sledge's critically acclaimed memoir, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.

Picking up where his previous memoir leaves off, Sledge, a young marine in the First Division, traces his company's movements and charts his own difficult passage to peace following his horrific experiences in the Pacific. He reflects on his duty in the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) and recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life haunted by the shadows of close combat.

Distinguished historians have praised Sledge's first book as the definitive rifleman's account of World War II, ranking it with the Civil War's Red Badge of Courage and World War I's All Quiet on the Western Front. Although With the Old Breed ends with the surrender of Japan, marines in the Pacific were still faced with the mission of disarming the immense Japanese forces on the Asian mainland and reestablishing order. For infantrymen so long engaged in the savage and surreal world of close combat, there remained the personal tasks of regaining normalcy and dealing with suppressed memories, fears, and guilt.

©2002 Jeanne Sledge (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A quite satisfactory conclusion to its thoroughly satisfactory predecessor." ( Booklist)

WW2

Both of E.B. Sledge books are worth checking out..the narrator is also very good

"With the Old Breed" & "China," read together!!

EB Sledge, has written the two definitive books of the hardships and adjustments that a combat veteran Marine foot soldier, who fought in the Pacific Theater of World War II, faced during the war and after the war! these books must be read together and it will change your life and perception of War!

Excellent listen

The narrator was great and the story was one of the best, if not only, account I’ve heard of post war occupation duty and experience reintegrating into society.

Outstanding story

Just like his first book, the details the author provides is amazing.
The narration was fine asides from the narrator pronouncing "Corpsman" like "coors man" instead of the way it should be said "core man" as I and other Marine vets have said it. I'm just picky like that.

Intriguing

As someone who loves military history and living alone in fun places, I very much like this story and would recommend. :)

A must read if you liked With the Old Breed

Absolutely fantastic account of after the war. I must read if you enjoyed with the old breed great narration captivated from the moment it started to the moment it ended.

A privilege

It was a privilege to listen to this well spoken man, and his thoughts about returning after such horrors, a man committed to duty, and yet loving of life and a gentleness given to nature around him after living through and having committed hard things, I wish I could’ve met him if you haven’t read the first one with the old breed at Peleliu I recommend it and hear the final Chapter here in this book to come back and deal with people who have no idea what is happened

Great book

An excellent window into the life of a fighting man assimilating back into society. I highly recommend.

Impressive

Many years ago, I read Sledge’s World War II memoir “With the Old Breed”. This book is considered to be the best WWII memoir written. Engene Bondurant Sledge’s (1923-2001) nickname in the Marines was “Sledgehammer”. The author is a skilled writer and researcher. He primarily used his diary but also reviewed archived material of the United States and China.
Sledge remained In the United States Marine Corp after the end of WWII. He was stationed in China. This book tells of his experiences in post WWII China. The United States at that time was supporting General Chiang Kai-Shek (1887-1975) in his battle against communism. I am impressed at the author’s skill in observing details. The details he provides of his visit to the “Forbidden City” were fantastic. He tells of friendship with a Chinese family and he also learned Chinese. He also tells of his exploration and learning about the history of China. After leaving the Marines he returned to school and obtain a Ph.D. in biology. He was a long-time professor at a University in Alabama. I highly recommend this book.

The book is five hours and eleven minutes. Dan John Miller does a good job narrating the book. Miller has won the Best Voice Award by Audiofile Magazine. He was nominated twice for the Audie and was awarded the Golden Earphone as well as the Listen Up Award from Publishers Weekly.

Learn how to pronounce corpsman please

That part was infuriating but everything else was great. Recommend it a lot. Just please fix the pronunciation.