No Bended Knee: The Battle for Guadalcanal (Hardcover)

by Merrill Twining (Author) "Major General J. F. C. Fuller, a distinguished historian of World War II, was of the opinion that "in all probability amphibious operations were the..." (more)
Key Phrases: forward battle position, general unloading, cruiser planes, General Vandegrift, New Zealand, Marine Corps (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The author of this candid and revealing memoir served as the 1st Marine Division's operations officer during the 1942 battle for Guadalcanal, one of the major campaigns of WWII. The literature of the campaign is based largely on his after-action report, which, as he now discloses, was written under severe handicaps, including malaria and the lack of an operations log. Setting straight the historical record, Twining here reveals that the division's commanding officer, Maj. Gen. A.A. Vandergrift, ordered the log to be burned when he thought the unit was going to be forced into the island's interior for a last-ditch stand. Twining expresses resentment over the faintheartedness of the operation's overall commander, Vice Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, for his decision to withdraw the fleet only two days after the Marines' amphibious landing, leaving them stranded and taking with him a large part of their supplies and equipment. He also discusses the inept interference of Rear Adm. Kelly Turner, commander of the amphibious forces, and the bone-deep hostility toward the Marines by Army authorities who later campaigned to abolish the corps. Twining retired in 1959 with the rank of general. Illustrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The Battle of Guadalcanal is one of the authentically epical conflicts of World War II. Twining saw it as operations officer of the key U.S. ground unit, the First Marine Division. What he saw and now recounts was a campaign in which a semitrained and understrength division was flung into battle and somehow not only survived, but prevailed. Those marines had to fight the Japanese, the jungle, tropical diseases, uncertain supplies, inept commanders (some of them even members of Twining's beloved marines), and a host of other adversaries. They overcame them all. Twining (brother to the late Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Nathan Twining) is a trifle jaundiced about anyone who is not a U.S. marine, but he adds notably to the literature on Guadalcanal and provides one of the best accounts of war as seen from the perspective of the often maligned yet absolutely indispensable headquarters staff. Roland Green

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891415491
• ISBN-13: 978-0891415497
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,067,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A humble man of incredible events, February 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: No Bended Knee: The Battle for Guadalcanal The Memoir of Gen. Merrill B. Twining, USMC (Paperback)

General Twining's account is more than first-person as that portends one who witnessed history. He made it on Guadalcanal. This book is a superior account for one who desires to understand how war plans are made, how to train a unit and how to motivate men to do what is not normally done. He treats us to an excellent first-person insight of how one plans, equips, trains, and leads in combat. It is not a book from someone who sits in an ivory tower and has a better way of doing business. Finally, he reminds us of why we have Marines. A force that truly is ready to do our nations dirty business so we can stay free and secure.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Next to S.E.Morison, the best book on the subject., October 23, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

History must always be judged on its honesty. Using this as a measuring stick, this is an excelent history. This is a first person account, or "Primary Source", and Primary sources tend to lose foucus on the larger picture of things. Not here. In this history, this author, Merrill B. Twining, was able to combine FOUR elements of a great story. 1) He was an eye-witness to the events. 2) He was an active participant in the decisions. 3) He weaves into the story the larger picture from sources on BOTH sides of the story, as in a classic "history". And finally, and most importantly, he holds nothing back. This is where primary sources so often fail. They tend to protect the people who were there with them, in the fighting. This bond of combat is the strongest there is, and, very often, mistakes or "situations" that could be embarrassing to a friend or hero,(possibly a dead war hero) are taken to the graves of those who were there to witness them and might know better. Gen. Alexander Archer Vandegrift,USMC, CMH winner and hero of Guadalcanal is now, because of this book, a real person. The fears, the strenghts, the intuition and the...dare I say it..the mistakes are now a part of public history and General Vandegrift is now a real person. Real people are worthy of admiration. Larger than life hollow bronze statues are far too lifeless and perfect to be real people. To be the one to tell the truth even when it may change the reputation of a dead war hero brother-in-arms is to demonstrate a courage and character that few men need demonstrate once in a lifetime. Merrill B. Twining has demonstrated these virtues twice. Once in combat and once again, with this book. The book itself is actually FUN to read. Guadalcanal is, as we all know, a very complicated topic, and explaining it is inherently problematic. Merrill Twining takes us on a B-17 ride with him and then into the rain soaked HQ tents with the tired and heroic "celebrities" of the Guadalcanal Campaign: Vandy, Red Mike, Bill Whaling, Foss, Turner, and of course, "Chesty" Puller. Its a VERY entertaining book. Not all Guadalcanal histories are, let's be honest. It's alot like Tameichi Hara's Japanese Destroyer Captain. (Another GREAT book..which I've always thought would make a great movie). On the chance that the General might someday read this review of his book, let me say what I say to all ww2 vets: thank you. And also, from one Marine to another, Semper Fi.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marine officer's WW2 memories, July 16, 2005

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: No Bended Knee: The Battle for Guadalcanal (Mass Market Paperback)

"No Bended Knee: The Battle for Guadalcanal," by Merrill B. Twining, is a memoir by a U.S. Marine Corps officer who served on the headquarters staff of the First Marine Division during World War II. The book is edited by Neil G. Carey and features a foreword by Lieut. Gen. Victor H. Krulak, USMC (retired). Gen. Twining tells of the the Marines' stay in New Zealand in preparation for battle, the amphibious assault on the island of Guadalcanal, combat on the island, and the aftermath of his time on Guadalcanal.

This is a fascinating account of the massive effort to transform this island into what Twining calls "an unsinkable aircraft carrier." He offers a comprehensive and compelling look at how all the various individuals and organizations contributed to this epic effort, among them Marine aviators, Navy Seabees, the Army Air Corps, Navajo code talkers, native workers, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, Army National Guard troops, and more. He tells about American relations and encounters with British, Australian, and New Zealander personnel.

Twining writes about the diseases, deprivation, and harsh conditions faced by the heroic personnel at Guadalcanal. But it's not all grim and serious. He offers colorful portraits of the people he served with and includes funny anecdotes--the book actually made me laugh out loud. Gen. Twining skilfully weaves interesting technical details about military tactics and gear into the compelling human story. Whether writing about techniques used to cool machine guns in the heat of battle or the merits of different boat loading techniques in an amphibious assault, Twining always offers some fascinating insights into the practical realities of war.

But what really makes this book remarkable, and even fun, is Twining's tone. Yes, he is a serious military professional, with respect and affection for the many remarkable men with whom he served. But his voice is also often quite feisty and cutting. He doesn't hold back when criticizing many instances of military stupidity and short-sightedness. At times his writing even has a blisteringly satiric edge. "No Bended Knee" is a spirited and superbly written addition to the glorious canon of American military memoirs.