Hell in the Pacific

A Marine Rifleman's Journey from Guadalcanal to Peleliu

By: Jim McEnery, Bill Sloan

Narrated by: Robert Fass

In what may be the last memoir to be published by a living veteran of the pivotal invasion of Guadalcanal, which occurred almost 70 years ago, Marine Jim McEnery has teamed up with author Bill Sloan to create an unforgettably immersive chronicle of horror and heroism.

Made famous by the HBO miniseries The Pacific, McEnery's rifle company - the legendary K/3/5 of the First Marine Division - fought in some of the most ferocious battles of the Pacific. In arresting detail, the author takes us back to Guadalcanal, where the Americans turned the tide of war against the Japanese; Cape Gloucester, where 1,300 Marines were killed or wounded; and to bloody Peleliu, where McEnery assumed command of the company and helped speed the final defeat of the Japanese garrison.

From his evocative recollections of hand-to-hand fighting and the loss of buddies in hellish fighting to his frank portraits of legends like Colonel Lewis “Chesty” Puller and General Douglas MacArthur, McEnery's gritty narrative is as valuable for its insights on a war increasingly lost to memory as it is terrifying and engrossing - a master work that no one interested in military history can afford to pass up.

©2012 Jim McEnery and Bill Sloan (P)2012 Tantor

Great story of an individual Marine

I listened to this story several times. I'm listening to different Marine Corps stories of the battle of Peleile and this one is one of the more detailed.

1 of the BEST!!!

Although I have a variety of audible genres, a constant favorite of mine however, are WWII (and specifically Pacific Theater) books. Among the 15 or so in my collection, this account finds itself comfortably on the same shelf / tier as my other three favorite Pacific Theater war accounts:

With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
-E.B. Sledge

Bloody Ridge, and Beyond
-Marlin Groft

The Ultimate Battle
-Bill Sloan

Great book! Definitely a must read.

One of the best books I've had the chance to listen to about the war in the pacific. Just as great as "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa."

Simply Amazing Story buy an amazing human being

I'm a huge fan of this guy now he's also my brother Marine and it's so many occasions shows the integrity honor discipline to be admired please pick this book up and read it you will never regret it

true history a must listen or read

as a grandson whose grandfather served on the Centaurs during the war for the pacific. My grandfather passed before I could learn about his life aboard his ship. I do remember him saying to my mother that if it wasn't for what the Marines and what they had to do we wouldn't be living in the US as we know it today.. the books like this help me to understand my grandfather and his generation and understand the world i live in today. Thank you to the authors for sharing.

Great Memoir of a fighting Marine

A fascinating and important memoir by one of the last surviving veterans of many Pacific battles.

Highly Recommended!

Excellent

I've read or listened to several soldier autobiographies and biographies and this was well worth the time and money. The author had incredible and awful experiences that helps give the reader/listener insight into those times and conditions. I'll definitely be listening to this one again.

Honest hero !

As a former marine I have always enjoyed listening to the memories of other battle tested Marines, the humility speaks volumes of their character and their desire to protect each other and the values of brotherhood.
A well written story that calmly communicates the chaos and He’ll they endured.

Wonderful Book

This was a great book written by a great man. I read the Old Breed and now He’ll in the Pacific. There both fabulous books looked at two different ways

Very good but somewhat of a rehash.

This story is somewhat of a rehash of location listeners of the genre will be familiar with. So will the people involved. One thing that sticks out though is how incredibly humble Mac is in his duty and post war. You can really hear the sincerity in the words and the narrator did a top notch job conveying that through to the listener. So I give it 4 stars. However it really is a great read or listen. It’s just if you’ve listen to with the old breed and helmet and island of the damned... these same campaigns just become sort of familiar.