I believe that this movie is based on the book “With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa” by EB Sledge. It is a great book, drawn from contemporaneous notes by an enlisted Marine. It is better than any war novel I have ever read.
I look forward to this movie.
“I believe that this movie is based on the book “With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa” by EB Sledge.”
I’ve read that plus the one after that, “China Marine”. Sledge’s entire life story is amazing.
The Pacific is actually a 10 hour mini-series so hopefully lots of great viewing to look forward to seeing in a few months.
My Dad’s ship the USS Mississippi was at Peleliu, Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa, struck twice by Kamikazes. I wish he had lived long enough to see this film.
I don’t get HBO, but as soon as it comes on DVD, I am buying it.
I agree, Sledge’s (RIP) book is a masterpiece. Another great one is Quartered Safe Out Here by the late George Macdonald Fraser, creator of Harry Paget Flashman. Fraser was a nineteen year soldier who fought under General Slim in Burma. To me these are the two greatest memoirs written by grunts in WW II.
It’s based on two books, both mentioned in comments.
Helmet for My Pillow starts, iirc, shortly before the war and goes through Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester.
With the Old Breed starts just after Cape Gloucester with replacements joining up, then goes through Peleliu and Okinawa.