Book Review for

Challenge for the Pacific -- The Bloody Six-Month Battle of Guadalcanal

by Robert Leckie

Absolutely one of the best WWII books I have ever read.

The pleasure of reading Robert Leckie's account of Guadalcanal is
that of someone who fought in this battle himself. He is a gifted writer
who describes battles so well that you can picture yourself in the mud,
sweat, stink, smoke, noise, smell, heat, and chaos of combat. He writes
with the utmost admiration for heroes like Sergeant Major Vouza of the
Guadalcanal constabulary. Vouza was captured and tortured, then stabbed
in the throat and left for dead. After reviving, Vouza crawled back to the
American lines in time to warn of an impending Japanese attack.
Leckie's description of a Marine who held off a Japanese attack on
Bloody Ridge leaves you wondering if you have just witnessed the
impossible. Re-reading the account has the same effect.

Leckie tells this bloody story through the eyes of the U.S. air,
land, and sea forces. The U.S. ground casualties were
1,592 dead compared to 28,800 dead for the Japanese.


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