What do you think?
Rate this book
Last Chapter
Last Chapter, first published in 1946, is war correspondent Ernie Pyle's final book of his experiences in World War II. From Africa, Italy, and D-Day on the European continent, Pyle's accounts provided an intimate, honest look at the life of America's fighting men and the enemies they faced. In Last Chapter, , illustrated with 16 pages of photographs, Pyle travels to the Pacific, where he was assigned to the U.S. Navy. In the Marianas first, and then living with the crews who flew the B-29s over the Japanese homeland, Pyle was experiencing a side of the war that was new to him. Next he joined an aircraft carrier on the invasion of Okinawa. He made the landing with the Marines and saw Okinawa secured. Tragically, however, Pyle was killed by a Japanese bullet near the war's end on April 17, 1945, while reporting from the island of Ie Shima.
"No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told," wrote Harry Truman. "He deserves the gratitude of all his countrymen."
"No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told," wrote Harry Truman. "He deserves the gratitude of all his countrymen."
142 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
97 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Ernie Pyle
46 books65 followersErnest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944.
His articles, about the out-of-the-way places he visited and the people who lived there, were written in a folksy style, much like a personal letter to a friend. He enjoyed a following in some 300 newspapers.
On April 18, 1945, Pyle died on Iōjima (Iwo Jima), an island off Okinawa, after being hit by Japanese machine-gun fire.
His articles, about the out-of-the-way places he visited and the people who lived there, were written in a folksy style, much like a personal letter to a friend. He enjoyed a following in some 300 newspapers.
On April 18, 1945, Pyle died on Iōjima (Iwo Jima), an island off Okinawa, after being hit by Japanese machine-gun fire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 19, 2018
I've only read Ernie Pyle in larger World War compilations with other authors. Reading an actual book by him (which is itself a compilation of articles) is where I got to finally see why the guy was such a beloved figure as well as a distinctive American writer. Pyle was the ultimate Every Man. He had a great eye for detail and he talked with everyone, but in particular it was enlisted man who he focused on. His formula was fairly simple. He would record their gripes and hopes, and then, quite often, provide those soldiers' home addresses. He not only gave you a face and name, but he gave you a hometown and a particular street. In this particular book (his last) there is little actual combat, but what you do get is down-in-the-weeds daily details of soldier, sailor, and airman life during World War II (in this case, the Pacific War). It may sound boring, but it never is. You also get, very early on, a whiff of Pacific War racism when Pyle observes, on Hawaii, some Japanese prisoners wrestling around. He seems doubtful of the whole subhuman thing, but after seeing the prisoners, he sees them as human, but that they still gave him the "creeps" and that he wanted a "mental bath" afterwards.
I was a bit surprised that such an obviously humane man would react that way, but the Pacific war was also a racial war without pity, and that no doubt had worked its way (whether he liked or not) into Pyle's consciousness. If he had lived, it would have been interesting to read his reflections of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When combat does come, it's mostly offstage, where Pyle would soon die on a small island off of Okinawa. Pyle actually would go ashore in the initial attack, but he was assigned to a unit that was not seeing much action. His desire to be where the action was hot probably killed him. I've read elsewhere that Pyle had premonitions of his death. I got this on Kindle for .99 cents. There were some typos, but not too many. Definitely a good read.
I was a bit surprised that such an obviously humane man would react that way, but the Pacific war was also a racial war without pity, and that no doubt had worked its way (whether he liked or not) into Pyle's consciousness. If he had lived, it would have been interesting to read his reflections of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When combat does come, it's mostly offstage, where Pyle would soon die on a small island off of Okinawa. Pyle actually would go ashore in the initial attack, but he was assigned to a unit that was not seeing much action. His desire to be where the action was hot probably killed him. I've read elsewhere that Pyle had premonitions of his death. I got this on Kindle for .99 cents. There were some typos, but not too many. Definitely a good read.
February 11, 2017
Another interesting book of Ernie Pyle's WWII reportage, this time from the Pacific theater and which unfortunately culminates in his death there on Okinawa. Pyle describes things that are normally not covered, such as what it was like to fly on a transport plane across the Pacific to the Marianas Islands, what the on-the-ground lives--from housing to recreation--of Superfortress crews were like, and the day-to-day operations of an aircraft carrier while it sailed from one battle site to another. Three stars only because there was a strain of racism in this book that I didn't notice as much in the European theater books but that was probably very acceptable and indeed normal for the times in which Pyle was writing. Nevertheless, it made me a bit uncomfortable at several points throughout the book and is something readers should probably be aware of.
May 13, 2025
No PLO but great insight on the GI and war.
First I’ve read of Ernie Pyle’s books. I didn’t know what to expect but got more than I Bargained for. His plain folksy style comes across s just what the folks back home wanted to hear. No grand strategy, no tactics, just what the average GI felt as they went about their day to day life of winning the war.
First I’ve read of Ernie Pyle’s books. I didn’t know what to expect but got more than I Bargained for. His plain folksy style comes across s just what the folks back home wanted to hear. No grand strategy, no tactics, just what the average GI felt as they went about their day to day life of winning the war.
June 20, 2008
I have enjoyed all of Pyle's writings, but there is something sad in reading this unfinished work. Knowing that it stops as it does because he is killed casts a shadow over every sentence. That being said, I recommend it for anyone interested in learning what life was like for U.S. troops fighting in the Pacific. As always, Pyle gives the view from the common GI, not the general. It is not about campaigns or strategies, but the human condition a soldier endures.
August 8, 2015
In my opinion, Ernie Pyle is one of the greatest American non-fiction writers of the 20th century; but reading LAST CHAPTER, his last dispatches from the war in the Pacific in 1945, was difficult and sad because in the end, on 18 April 1945, he was killed by a Japanese machine gunner. He covered WW II in the west from Africa through Normandy and then headed into the Pacific theater with the Marines. He shared their dangers and paid their cost just four months before the end of the war.
June 2, 2018
Great Read
Absolutely an enjoyable read. I was literally right there in the Pacific with the Navy and then with the Marines as they lived on the islands they had taken from Japan. Highly recommend for WWII buffs.
Absolutely an enjoyable read. I was literally right there in the Pacific with the Navy and then with the Marines as they lived on the islands they had taken from Japan. Highly recommend for WWII buffs.
January 20, 2021
I like Ernie Pyle's books because I like time travel, but this was my least favorite, and not just because I knew how it ended. You always know how it ends with Ernie Pyle. I think maybe by the time he went to the Pacific he was just too tired, or maybe he was fine and I was tired.
It felt odd to be reading his last book. I found Brave Men on our bookshelves at home when I was in the sixth grade. Then I bought a paperback copy of Here Is Your War, and when I got to the end I memorized the last paragraph. Maybe ten years ago I read Home Country, and this year I read Ernie Pyle in England and then this book, Last Chapter.
After reading Brave Men, I asked my mom what my dad did in the war. He was 36 and short (5'4") like Ernie Pyle, and he was in the infantry. He landed in Marseilles and ended up in Germany, so I expected an action story. She told me that when the men finally came back home, they were all "tired" for a long time. Being 11, I didn't pick up on the depths of that word, so I kept pressing her for a better story (meaning a story that involved shooting). She said the main thing he said about the war was that he was glad he got a chance to do his part and never had to shoot at anybody. Years later, she told me another story. This is my favorite war story, and it's also one of my favorite stories about a life:
One day my father was alone on patrol, and he was cold, and he looked up and saw a young German soldier maybe 20 or 30 feet away on a little rise above him. The soldier looked at him but didn't raise his rifle. He just walked away. So my father walked away.
It felt odd to be reading his last book. I found Brave Men on our bookshelves at home when I was in the sixth grade. Then I bought a paperback copy of Here Is Your War, and when I got to the end I memorized the last paragraph. Maybe ten years ago I read Home Country, and this year I read Ernie Pyle in England and then this book, Last Chapter.
After reading Brave Men, I asked my mom what my dad did in the war. He was 36 and short (5'4") like Ernie Pyle, and he was in the infantry. He landed in Marseilles and ended up in Germany, so I expected an action story. She told me that when the men finally came back home, they were all "tired" for a long time. Being 11, I didn't pick up on the depths of that word, so I kept pressing her for a better story (meaning a story that involved shooting). She said the main thing he said about the war was that he was glad he got a chance to do his part and never had to shoot at anybody. Years later, she told me another story. This is my favorite war story, and it's also one of my favorite stories about a life:
One day my father was alone on patrol, and he was cold, and he looked up and saw a young German soldier maybe 20 or 30 feet away on a little rise above him. The soldier looked at him but didn't raise his rifle. He just walked away. So my father walked away.
August 28, 2020
Ernie Pyle was one of my father's favorite authors, now I know why. I enjoyed the book. He wrote about the soldiers that served in WW!!. He would tell about them and in many cases would give their home address. I would Google those addresses just to see if the house still existed. A couple of the addresses were in Albuquerque and were about 10 to 15 minutes away from where my younger daughter lives. He uses some terms to describe people that in today's hyper sensitive age would not be acceptable. He talks of a time that I can relate to personally. He was very thirsty and they offered him a drink. "when it came to me I took a big gulp and almost chocked. It wasn't water at all but straight brandy." I had the same thing happen to me years ago. I was at a client's Christmas party. It was very hot in the facility and I told my wife I was really thirsty. She pointed out some glasses of dark liquid that were at the tables. I thought it was Coke. I took a big swallow and almost choked. I don't know what it was but it was some alcohol.
February 15, 2024
Like all of Ernie Pyle's other wartime books, this one is a fascinating look at Americans in the field fighting enemy forces far from home. If you've seen documentary footage of nameless men in battle, dirty and ragged and scared and sometimes wounded, Ernie makes them personal to you. He tells you their names, hometowns, and personal details about their lives. Ernie traveled with them, interviewed them, slept and ate with them and sometimes dug into the dirt with them to avoid bombs and artillery.
Most of Ernie's time was spent in North Africa and Europe, but then he went to the Pacific to meet the men fighting there. Army, Navy, and Marines, he visited them all, and they loved him.
But overshadowing this book is the knowledge, as you read it (assuming you already know about Ernie Pyle), is how it will end. In that respect it is heartbreaking. I knew when it happened and where, but what I didn't know was what he wrote just before the end. The abruptness of it caught me off guard. And I feel sad.
But I've always wondered and I'm glad I read it. I hope you will be, too.
Most of Ernie's time was spent in North Africa and Europe, but then he went to the Pacific to meet the men fighting there. Army, Navy, and Marines, he visited them all, and they loved him.
But overshadowing this book is the knowledge, as you read it (assuming you already know about Ernie Pyle), is how it will end. In that respect it is heartbreaking. I knew when it happened and where, but what I didn't know was what he wrote just before the end. The abruptness of it caught me off guard. And I feel sad.
But I've always wondered and I'm glad I read it. I hope you will be, too.
July 27, 2022
The Voice Of My Parents’ War
Like most Americans of the time, my Mom and Dad (not married until 1948) trusted the word of legendary war correspondent Ernie Pyle - my Dad read his material, often belatedly, as a bombardier in the Air Corps in the South Pacific, while my Mom hung on Pyle’s every word at home in Southern California.
Pyle was of a different time, so his language is politically incorrect for our modern era. But if you had a parent, relative or friend who served in WWII and want to really know what the war was like for the common soldier, sailor or airman, then Pyle’s writing should be required reading.
My Mom, in particular, held Pyle in high esteem, so I once visited his grave in Hawaii’s Punch Bowl National Cemetery, as much for her memory as his.
This work - Pyle’s last before being killed in April 1945 - is important because those who fought that war saved the world from tyranny. We should never forget that.
Like most Americans of the time, my Mom and Dad (not married until 1948) trusted the word of legendary war correspondent Ernie Pyle - my Dad read his material, often belatedly, as a bombardier in the Air Corps in the South Pacific, while my Mom hung on Pyle’s every word at home in Southern California.
Pyle was of a different time, so his language is politically incorrect for our modern era. But if you had a parent, relative or friend who served in WWII and want to really know what the war was like for the common soldier, sailor or airman, then Pyle’s writing should be required reading.
My Mom, in particular, held Pyle in high esteem, so I once visited his grave in Hawaii’s Punch Bowl National Cemetery, as much for her memory as his.
This work - Pyle’s last before being killed in April 1945 - is important because those who fought that war saved the world from tyranny. We should never forget that.
June 10, 2018
There are so many books written about WWII from the battle tactics or strategy perspectives, but this book isn't that. It's written about our servicemen in the waning days of the the Pacific theater. Ernie Pyle takes you into the hearts and minds of what our sailors, airmen and Marines are facing day in and day out better than anyone I know. His words touch you.
I've read most of Ernie's books and this one is outstanding. My father, one of the greatest generation and a veteran, told me about Ernie as I was growing up and what he meant to this country. I didn't know what he truly meant until I picked up my Dad's copy of Home Country and started reading Ernie a few months ago, now I know. Ernie was loved by America. These are his final words and they are worth reading.
I've read most of Ernie's books and this one is outstanding. My father, one of the greatest generation and a veteran, told me about Ernie as I was growing up and what he meant to this country. I didn't know what he truly meant until I picked up my Dad's copy of Home Country and started reading Ernie a few months ago, now I know. Ernie was loved by America. These are his final words and they are worth reading.
May 13, 2025
It is obvious why Ernie Pyle was one of America’s favorite war correspondents. His plain folksy style comes across as just what the folks back home wanted to hear. No grand strategy, no tactics, just what the average GI felt as they went about their day to day life of winning the war. His inclusion of names and addresses of the GI’s he met would have resonated with the folks who didn’t have television, got most of their news from the radio or newspaper (paper was rationed during the war). It makes me want to read his other works! And, mea culpa, as someone who spent 30 yrs in the military, I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t know he had written books. Actually, just compilations of his correspondence with some stringing together and rearrangement.
June 20, 2020
Found this in my dad’s books. Seemed appropriate to read it the week before Father’s Day. It was not at all what I expected. Instead of telling about different battles, Ernie Pyle focused on the soldiers who fought in the Pacific. By choice, he spent the majority of his time with the enlisted men who served our country. This book was the one he was working on when he was killed by a Japanese machine-gun bullet. Through Ernie Pyles’ eyes, we are offered a rare glimpse of the soldiers’ lives as they fought WWII in the Pacific.
May 24, 2024
Ernie's Last Campaign
Ernie Pyle's voice again, for the last time, describes a time of trial and sacrifice, long gone and unfortunately, mostly forgotten. His love, respect and awe and empathy for the American men in uniform, comes through clear and vivid.
His crossing over, among the people he loved most in his life, in a split second, just like many of those he mourned, is both epic and almost unbearably human.
A must read for students or humanity in all it's many manifestations.
Semper Fi Ernie
Ernie Pyle's voice again, for the last time, describes a time of trial and sacrifice, long gone and unfortunately, mostly forgotten. His love, respect and awe and empathy for the American men in uniform, comes through clear and vivid.
His crossing over, among the people he loved most in his life, in a split second, just like many of those he mourned, is both epic and almost unbearably human.
A must read for students or humanity in all it's many manifestations.
Semper Fi Ernie
August 12, 2025
A Hard Act to Follow
Ernie Pyle offers the best coverage of the enlisted men than anyone else and he did it by mingling with the average but extraordinary soldiers and marines of World War II. He chooses to eat, sleep and live with the common man as he fulfills his duty by following them in their day to day activities in the South Pacific. He tells of the events of the day without glory or guts…. He uses his time to share how the average Joe spends his time before and after combat missions.
Ernie Pyle offers the best coverage of the enlisted men than anyone else and he did it by mingling with the average but extraordinary soldiers and marines of World War II. He chooses to eat, sleep and live with the common man as he fulfills his duty by following them in their day to day activities in the South Pacific. He tells of the events of the day without glory or guts…. He uses his time to share how the average Joe spends his time before and after combat missions.
January 12, 2018
"That is our war, and we carry it with us as we go from one battleground to another until it is all over, leaving some of us behind on every beach, in every field.... I don't know whether it was their good fortune or their misfortune to get out of it so early in the game. I guess it doesn't make any difference once a man is gone.... They died and others lived and nobody knows why it is so." - Ernie Pyle
January 30, 2019
I read this in preparation for a trip to Hawaii--we visited his gravesite in Punchbowl Cemetery on Oahu. I had never read any of his writings before, but I plan to read more. I loved how he described the everyday experiences of the soldiers/sailors/airmen that he met. He had a very personal touch--mentioning the soldiers he met by name and listing their hometown and some story or fact about them. I can see why he was so loved.
October 23, 2019
Do not look for reports filled with action sequences. What you will find instead is a behind-the-scenes view of life on an aircraft carrier and during an island invasion. What I enjoyed most were the brief profiles of sailors and Marines. In every case, Pyle identifies them by name and hometown, sometimes with a street address. What a thrill that must have given their families back in the States.
A good book, but I guess I was expecting more.
4 stars slightly waning
A good book, but I guess I was expecting more.
4 stars slightly waning
January 10, 2020
This was the shortest of the Ernie Pyle books because he was killed in Japan before the war ended. What set Ernie Pyle apart was his genuine love for our fighting soldiers, with a particular fondness for the infantry. He included the names and addresses of everyone he met so the folks at home knew their soldiers, sailors and Marines were proudly serving their country. There will never be another like Ernie Pyle. RIP.
March 13, 2021
Ernie Pyle, war correspondent a slightly older, balding, skinny looking guy.
But he was more than that to the soldiers, sailors and airmen he wrote about. He name checked them giving their loved ones news, hope and a connection.
He could of stayed in the USA after the defeat of Germany in 1945 but wanted to go where the troops were, to finish the job with them.
He was killed on the 18th of April 1945 at around 3:30pm by machine gun fire in Okinawa.
But he was more than that to the soldiers, sailors and airmen he wrote about. He name checked them giving their loved ones news, hope and a connection.
He could of stayed in the USA after the defeat of Germany in 1945 but wanted to go where the troops were, to finish the job with them.
He was killed on the 18th of April 1945 at around 3:30pm by machine gun fire in Okinawa.
June 4, 2023
This entire book feels like an epilogue of sorts to Brave Men, Pyle's book on the European theater in WWII, if only because of its limited length. But it once again provides a simultaneously wide-view and intimately human view of the U.S. military's campaign, this time in the Pacific theater.
The fact the Pyle died in battle just a few short months before the end of WWII provides an abrupt ending to the book, but also effectively emphasizes the incredible and real cost of war.
The fact the Pyle died in battle just a few short months before the end of WWII provides an abrupt ending to the book, but also effectively emphasizes the incredible and real cost of war.
June 29, 2024
Ernie Pyle that's enough to buy the book
Everything He wrote was golden. This is the last of it. I would love to read the work of His that I am sure exists that I am unaware of. A great author and human. Just listen to the man as You read and You can tell He cared about people. I would love to have been around someone like that. We lost a Buddy just 4 months before the wars end.
Everything He wrote was golden. This is the last of it. I would love to read the work of His that I am sure exists that I am unaware of. A great author and human. Just listen to the man as You read and You can tell He cared about people. I would love to have been around someone like that. We lost a Buddy just 4 months before the wars end.
June 9, 2018
Saying goodbye to a friend.
I was a boy in grade school when I discovered Ernie. I read everything I could find that he had written. Ernie took you to those people that were on the scene. I was deeply saddened when I heard of his death. With "Last Chapter" I now day goodbye old friend. My age now is 85.
I was a boy in grade school when I discovered Ernie. I read everything I could find that he had written. Ernie took you to those people that were on the scene. I was deeply saddened when I heard of his death. With "Last Chapter" I now day goodbye old friend. My age now is 85.
September 5, 2023
If you want to know about World War II then your bed to read the war correspondents alongside the histories of the battles and campaigns.
Ernie Pyle met the men doing the fighting, traveling with them, sharing all the hardships and sometimes the comforts.
He tells the stories of individuals so that you can extrapolate for a sense of who made up our armed recess.
Ernie Pyle met the men doing the fighting, traveling with them, sharing all the hardships and sometimes the comforts.
He tells the stories of individuals so that you can extrapolate for a sense of who made up our armed recess.
September 26, 2024
These books / essays written by World War II journalist, Ernie Pyle are insightful and provide a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of soldiers during the war stationed in the Pacific theater. This was one of the last books by Ernie Pyle. This one being near the end of the war and shortly before Pyle was killed by a Japanese combatant.
October 6, 2017
Essential reading.
This and his other books are simply essential reading for anyone interested in the 2nd World War. At certain points in each of his books it feels as though you are transported back to the actual events. Quite extraordinary.
This and his other books are simply essential reading for anyone interested in the 2nd World War. At certain points in each of his books it feels as though you are transported back to the actual events. Quite extraordinary.
June 6, 2018
World War II Story
I thought I had read everything by Ernie Pyle but I didn't know about this last book. It is interesting and informative, just as all his writings are. It was the first time I read about the conditions on the islands of the soldiers.
I thought I had read everything by Ernie Pyle but I didn't know about this last book. It is interesting and informative, just as all his writings are. It was the first time I read about the conditions on the islands of the soldiers.
July 11, 2018
A Privilege to Read This Book
When I was a child, my mother told me about Ernie Pyle and she had all of his books. He brings the war for soldiers, sailors and marines to us on a completely personal level. The reader is “right there.” What a privilege to read his words.
When I was a child, my mother told me about Ernie Pyle and she had all of his books. He brings the war for soldiers, sailors and marines to us on a completely personal level. The reader is “right there.” What a privilege to read his words.
February 4, 2019
On Being There
I am a Vietnam Veteran and served 25 years in the Marines. All of Ernie's reporting gives the reader that first person account...of immediancy...of being there. Well done!
I am a Vietnam Veteran and served 25 years in the Marines. All of Ernie's reporting gives the reader that first person account...of immediancy...of being there. Well done!
July 13, 2019
An awesome and intriguing personal account of the life in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Easy and fast to read while still getting an up close look into every day life of Soldiers and Marines of the U.S. forces.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews