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An
important turning point of the war in the Pacific, the battle for Guadalcanal
and the Solomon Islands is now recognized as one of the most vital campaigns
in all our history.
Richard Tregaskis, a war correspondent for International News Service during World War II, was with the marines when they landed on the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal in the summer of 1942. For seven crucial weeks he ate, slept, and sweated with our front-line units. He also kept a diary, in which he described the island's occupation by our forces and their magnificent defense of that seven-mile strip against innumerable attacks by superior air, land and sea forces. This remarkable diary, originally published in 1943, was a Book of the Month Club selection and became a best-seller overnight. For this shorter, landmark edition Mr. Tregaskis has written extra chapters to tell how the battle for Guadalcanal fitted into the history of the war in the Pacific. Reading the book, you will not only feel renewed pride in our fighting forces for what they accomplished, but also gain an understanding of why the battle for Guadalcanal ranks in importance with Valley Forge and Gettysburg. |