Today is September 15; 1944. The time is 0300; this is D-day for the 1st Marine Division’s attack on the Japanese occupied island of “Peleliu;†one of many small but well-fortified islands of the Palau group in the western Carolines. H-hour has been officially announced as 0830; which is but five and-one-half hours before us. The troops were awake most of the night and many stayed on deck to watch the first glimpses of the naval bombardment as we draw closer to the island. Reveille at 0300 was only a reminder to the men that there remained only a few hours before we would be moving to a hostile beach. The time is now 0315 and from where I am standing on the flag bridge; I can see the reddish-orange flashes of our big naval guns and hear the echoing report from miles across the slightly choppy sea. It is not yet light and the island of Peleliu cannot be seen except when it is occasionally silhouetted by a big explosion inland from the beach. It is 0330 now and the troops are at breakfast; eating their scrambled eggs; bacon; coffee; and fresh fruit in the mess hall down below decks. It is still darken ship on all weather decks. 0430 and the men have finished breakfast and returned to their respective compartments to finally arrange and check their battle equipment and add a finishing touch to their weapons with brush; oil; and ramrod. These weapons are going to mean life or death in a tight spot.
#809089 in Books 2014-12-31Original language:English 9.00 x .75 x 6.00l; #File Name: 1505866529330 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Enjoyable and insghtful book about the Army of Norther VirginiaBy John StultsI read the ebook version and it seemed to miss some maps or tables that the author referred to in the text. As some reviewers mentioned; if you dont have a map and are somewhat familiar with the civil war it might be hard to follow. On the other hand; if you have a good understanding of battlefield geography and are somewhat acquainted with some of the key command players this book provides a good insight into the confederate side of the Army of Northern Virginia. Some of his bias does come thru for instance he seems to not like Lincoln -- probably understandable. The end of the book seems rushed as if it was heavily edited or the author had a time limit to finish the book.Having mentioned some problems with the book; overall I found it a delightful read and I liked the frequent summaries of casualties and number of captured cannons; etc. The author is good at pointing out errors made by some confederate generals; including Lee; and good at pointing out good things from leaders less well thought of for instance DH Hill and Pickett. All in all I found the book an enjoyable read and well worth the time invested. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the ins and outs of the civil war; especially the war in Va.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. It is also very unbiased - the author gives intelligent notes on both sides and critiques when necessaryBy MBA very informative read if you are looking to learn about the complex ins and outs of army movements and strategies of the Civil War. It is also very unbiased - the author gives intelligent notes on both sides and critiques when necessary. Being confused on so many things about the Civil War; I finally felt like I was starting to grasp it after reading this book. I would say it is truly a must-have for any serious student of the Civil War. I would recommend having a Civil War atlas handy while reading; as it helps to be able to follow along.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Best Ever first hand account of the Civil War campaignsBy Michael D LandAlexander's narrative is well written and easily flows from one Civil War campaign to the next. He was very insightful and critical of some of the decisions made by both the Federal and Confederate commanders. I learned some things that were not covered in other first hand accounts of the war; such as Longstreet leaving the ultimate decision for Pickett's charge at Gettysburg up to Alexander who was in command of the artillery fire being put on cemetery hill. This put Alexander in a moral and practical bind because Longstreet told him when he felt he had put enough fire into the enemy; signal Pickett to charge. Alexander knew he didn't have enough 'fire' and would be sending Pickett to slaughter; but was following orders.Highly intelligent author and highly recommended.
