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Hell to Eternity
The powerful story of the slum-bred kid whose raw courage in the caves of Saipan will live forever as one of the glories of the U.S. Marine Corps.
In love and war . . . These were the quiet hours—the last uneasy calm before the storm of battle. These were the final hours when a man could forget his fears and a woman her inhibitions.
In love and war . . . These were the quiet hours—the last uneasy calm before the storm of battle. These were the final hours when a man could forget his fears and a woman her inhibitions.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
131 people want to read
About the author
Edward S. Aarons
264 books17 followersAKA Paul Ayres, Edward Ronns.
Edward Sidney Aarons (September 11, 1916 - June 16, 1975) was an American writer, author of more than 80 novels from 1936 until 1962. One of these was under the pseudonym "Paul Ayres" (Dead Heat), and 30 were written using the name "Edward Ronns". He also wrote numerous articles for detective magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Scarab.
Aarons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned a degree in Literature and History from Columbia University. He worked at various jobs to put himself through college, including jobs as a newspaper reporter and fisherman. In 1933, he won a short story contest as a student. In World War II he was in the United States Coast Guard, joining after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He finished his duty in 1945, having obtained the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Edward Sidney Aarons (September 11, 1916 - June 16, 1975) was an American writer, author of more than 80 novels from 1936 until 1962. One of these was under the pseudonym "Paul Ayres" (Dead Heat), and 30 were written using the name "Edward Ronns". He also wrote numerous articles for detective magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Scarab.
Aarons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned a degree in Literature and History from Columbia University. He worked at various jobs to put himself through college, including jobs as a newspaper reporter and fisherman. In 1933, he won a short story contest as a student. In World War II he was in the United States Coast Guard, joining after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He finished his duty in 1945, having obtained the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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April 14, 2022Based on the 1960 film of the same name. Although not uncommon, books based on film are rarer than vice versa by a long way.
This novel (and film) is based on the real life story of Guy Gabaldon, a U.S. Marine who claims to have captured or convinced to surrender over 1,300 Japanese soldiers and civilians during the battles for Saipan and Tinian islands during WW2.
The book is told partly in flashback showing how Gabaldon, in his youth, was adapted by a local Japanese family after his parents had died.
The book is a good read (I would like to see the film now) but it seems as most Hollywood biopics should be taken with a grain of salt as other sources suggest the numbers of prisoners Gabaldon took have been exaggerated, he was self serving, not mentioning what other officers had achieved or minimising their effort and his actions towards the prisoners weren't always as noble as suggested. Although having said that, there is portions in the book where he acts badly.
Side note: one of the books advertised in the back pages is "The Kid Was a Killer" by Caryl Chessman, the convicted criminal who featured in a previous novel I read and wrote about here: "By Reason of Insanity" by Shane Stevens.
This novel (and film) is based on the real life story of Guy Gabaldon, a U.S. Marine who claims to have captured or convinced to surrender over 1,300 Japanese soldiers and civilians during the battles for Saipan and Tinian islands during WW2.
The book is told partly in flashback showing how Gabaldon, in his youth, was adapted by a local Japanese family after his parents had died.
The book is a good read (I would like to see the film now) but it seems as most Hollywood biopics should be taken with a grain of salt as other sources suggest the numbers of prisoners Gabaldon took have been exaggerated, he was self serving, not mentioning what other officers had achieved or minimising their effort and his actions towards the prisoners weren't always as noble as suggested. Although having said that, there is portions in the book where he acts badly.
Side note: one of the books advertised in the back pages is "The Kid Was a Killer" by Caryl Chessman, the convicted criminal who featured in a previous novel I read and wrote about here: "By Reason of Insanity" by Shane Stevens.
February 23, 2022
The first half of this movie novelization was great, but the second half was ruinded by tired Hollywood tropes, and a totally implausible climax.
May 14, 2018
A novelization of a rather good war movie based on the real life adventures of a marine who was raised by a Japanese family In California, this neither adds or subtracts anything from the interesting story told in the film. If you’ve seen the movie (and I have), don’t bother. If you haven’t, you will be startled by the story’s twists and turns, and will probably be left wanting more. Like a lot of novelizations, it just isn’t terribly deep. This one feels like a lost opportunity.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews