Voices from the Pacific War: Bluejackets Remember [Hardcover]

Bruce M. Petty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

Although volumes have been written about World War II in the Pacific, very little has been published from the perspective of individual sailors. The Navy enlisted men interviewed for this book fought in some of the fiercest battles of the war, such as Coral Sea, Midway and the Solomon Islands campaign. Some were eyewitnesses to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and many were part of the island-hopping campaigns of the Southwest and Central Pacific Others were witness to or casualties of Japanese suicide attacks, and a few saw it all from Pearl Harbor to the surrender at Tokyo Bay. These accounts of the men who faced the horror of combat head on vividly portray naval warfare up close and personal. This collection of oral histories, chronicles the bluejacket experience in graphic detail and without pretense. It offers a rare look at the war at sea and appeals to everyone interested in military history and to general readers seeking to understand what war is really like.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Petty's valuable oral history contains 23 accounts from enlistee veterans of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Many had joined the navy before Pearl Harbor because of the Depression, and a fair number stayed in the navy after the war. One and all were proud to have served. Their service took them along many different courses, however. One man, on Wake Island, and another, on Corregidor, became POWs of the Japanese. One survived the sinking of the Indianapolis, as harrowing an experience as anyone could suffer. Others spent the war in technical positions aboard battleships on which personality clashes, bad food, and shortages of spare parts did more mischief than the Japanese. One had enlisted at 14, two African Americans found even a segregated navy more tolerable than starving in the streets, and one WAVE met her husband of 55 years at Mare Island Naval Hospital, where he was recovering from wounds. One and all, the book's subjects deserve commendation. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...will appeal to both the serious student and the general reader seeking to understand the realities of war." -- Sea Classics, April 2004

"One and all, the book's subjects deserve commendation." -- Booklist, December 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591146631
• ISBN-13: 978-1591146636
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,652,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives a human face to war, September 20, 2004

By 

Jean Sasson (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from the Pacific War: Bluejackets Remember (Hardcover)

I read Bruce Petty's first book and knew then I would follow this writer wherever he might take me.

Bruce combines two valuable skills: That of a detective, with a gift of listening, allowing soldiers to relive the moment, telling their compelling and true accounts of combat.

Once again Bruce has given his readers the human face of a tragic time in history. It's an instructive and moving book and I recommend it highly.

I'm waiting anxiously to read Bruce's next book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WWII Pacific Sailors Experiences Revealed, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Voices from the Pacific War: Bluejackets Remember (Hardcover)

Each story reaches out to the reader to feel and see the experiences of the enlisted man and his shipmates. After reading this book, and each enlisted man's story, the reader can't help but feel a sense of pride and awe at the bravery and heroism of these men. Each chapter is written with an individual's experiences and memories accompanied by historical material to compliment their story. A must read for any WWII or naval history enthusiast.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Fading Memories", November 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Voices from the Pacific War: Bluejackets Remember (Hardcover)

This compilation of experiences opens a door that has been almost closed. You will read and share the experiences of enlisted men who smelled the cordite and blood. Related in a manner that dispels any notion that they are seeking an egoists desire for recognition. These men were there and they are telling it, "Like it was."