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China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II
See E.B. Sledge's story in the HBO miniseries The Pacific !
China Marine is the extraordinary sequel to E.B. Sledge's memoir, With the Old Breed, which remains the most powerful and moving account of the U.S. Marines in World War II. Sledge continues his story where With the Old Breed left off and recounts the compelling conclusion of his Marine career.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, Sledge and his company were sent to China to maintain order and to calm the seething cauldron of political and ideological unrest created by opposing factions. His regiment was the first Marine unit to return to the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) where they witnessed the last of old China and the rise of the Communist state. Sledge also recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life while haunted by shadows of close combat. Through the discipline of writing and the study of biology, he shows how he came to terms with the terrifying memories that had plagued him for years.
Poignant and compelling, China Marine provides a frank depiction of the real costs of war, emotional and psychological as well as physical, and reveals the enduring bond that develops between men who face the horrors of war.
China Marine is the extraordinary sequel to E.B. Sledge's memoir, With the Old Breed, which remains the most powerful and moving account of the U.S. Marines in World War II. Sledge continues his story where With the Old Breed left off and recounts the compelling conclusion of his Marine career.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, Sledge and his company were sent to China to maintain order and to calm the seething cauldron of political and ideological unrest created by opposing factions. His regiment was the first Marine unit to return to the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) where they witnessed the last of old China and the rise of the Communist state. Sledge also recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life while haunted by shadows of close combat. Through the discipline of writing and the study of biology, he shows how he came to terms with the terrifying memories that had plagued him for years.
Poignant and compelling, China Marine provides a frank depiction of the real costs of war, emotional and psychological as well as physical, and reveals the enduring bond that develops between men who face the horrors of war.
167 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
115 people are currently reading
1929 people want to read
About the author
Eugene B. Sledge
7 books183 followersEugene Bondurant Sledge (November 4, 1923 – March 3, 2001) was a United States Marine, university professor, and author. His 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa chronicled his combat experiences during World War II and was subsequently used as source material for Ken Burns's PBS documentary, The War, as well as the HBO miniseries The Pacific, in which he is portrayed by Joseph Mazzello.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
March 20, 2020
Many years ago, I read Sledge’s World War II memoir “With the Old Breed”. This book is considered to be the best WWII memoir written. Engene Bondurant Sledge’s (1923-2001) nickname in the Marines was “Sledgehammer”. The author is a skilled writer and researcher. He primarily used his diary but also reviewed archived material of the United States and China.
Sledge remained In the United States Marine Corp after the end of WWII. He was stationed in China. This book tells of his experiences in post WWII China. The United States at that time was supporting General Chiang Kai-Shek (1887-1975) in his battle against communism. I am impressed at the author’s skill in observing details. The details he provides of his visit to the “Forbidden City” were fantastic. He tells of friendship with a Chinese family and he also learned Chinese. He also tells of his exploration and learning about the history of China. After leaving the Marines he returned to school and obtain a Ph.D. in biology. He was a long-time professor at a University in Alabama. I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is five hours and eleven minutes. Dan John Miller does a good job narrating the book. Miller has won the Best Voice Award by Audiofile Magazine. He was nominated twice for the Audie and was awarded the Golden Earphone as well as the Listen Up Award from Publishers Weekly.
Sledge remained In the United States Marine Corp after the end of WWII. He was stationed in China. This book tells of his experiences in post WWII China. The United States at that time was supporting General Chiang Kai-Shek (1887-1975) in his battle against communism. I am impressed at the author’s skill in observing details. The details he provides of his visit to the “Forbidden City” were fantastic. He tells of friendship with a Chinese family and he also learned Chinese. He also tells of his exploration and learning about the history of China. After leaving the Marines he returned to school and obtain a Ph.D. in biology. He was a long-time professor at a University in Alabama. I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is five hours and eleven minutes. Dan John Miller does a good job narrating the book. Miller has won the Best Voice Award by Audiofile Magazine. He was nominated twice for the Audie and was awarded the Golden Earphone as well as the Listen Up Award from Publishers Weekly.
February 9, 2018
Excellent. More to follow.
November 29, 2015
A relatively little-known sequel to Dr. Eugene Sledge's brilliant WW2 memoir "With the Old Breed," which chronicled his devastating experiences as a young Marine infantryman in the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. This has a very different feel, and in some ways sheds even more light on Sledge's character and outlook.
After the war against Japan ended, Sledge's Marine unit was sent to China instead of back to the U.S., to serve as occupation troops while the Japanese in China were disarmed and repatriated to Japan (and also to try to make sure the Chinese Nationalists ended up controlling the country instead of Mao's Communists.)
Aside from isolated incidents with the Communists and with bandits, none of which Sledge experienced, the American Marines in China experienced no combat. This book is, instead, a vivid portrayal of Beijing just after the war through the eyes of an relatively untraveled but smart and observant young American veteran, and of an obscure episode in Marine Corps history. Well worth reading!
After the war against Japan ended, Sledge's Marine unit was sent to China instead of back to the U.S., to serve as occupation troops while the Japanese in China were disarmed and repatriated to Japan (and also to try to make sure the Chinese Nationalists ended up controlling the country instead of Mao's Communists.)
Aside from isolated incidents with the Communists and with bandits, none of which Sledge experienced, the American Marines in China experienced no combat. This book is, instead, a vivid portrayal of Beijing just after the war through the eyes of an relatively untraveled but smart and observant young American veteran, and of an obscure episode in Marine Corps history. Well worth reading!
July 22, 2020
Because some people feel the need to quibble on this point I'm just going to say up front and hands down that China Marine was as good as With the Old Breed.
Eugene Sledge's writing lost none of it's qualities and this book was just as captivating and honest as the last.
There was, granted, a very different note to this book. Which makes sense because it was post-war vs. With the Old Breed which was about his time in Peleliu and Okinawa. It makes it much easier to read and I really enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture, and just what the time after WWII ended was like. There aren't many books like this around.
And as a very important side note that most people won't care about: I am incredibly proud that this man, Sledgehammer, was from Alabama and that he was a Presbyterian (though I must say that Baptist would have been better). 😃😍
Eugene Sledge's writing lost none of it's qualities and this book was just as captivating and honest as the last.
There was, granted, a very different note to this book. Which makes sense because it was post-war vs. With the Old Breed which was about his time in Peleliu and Okinawa. It makes it much easier to read and I really enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture, and just what the time after WWII ended was like. There aren't many books like this around.
And as a very important side note that most people won't care about: I am incredibly proud that this man, Sledgehammer, was from Alabama and that he was a Presbyterian (though I must say that Baptist would have been better). 😃😍
May 31, 2013
This book was brilliant. I loved Sledgehammer's With The Old Breed. China Marine was just as good. His insights and observations are unmatched. I was a bit sad, not to see any of Snafu, but it was still fantastic. I wish everyone in the military or makes decisions that affect the military would read these types of books. Then the system would not be so broken. Everyone lacks foresight because everyone lacks hindsight. Shortsightedness will be the downfall of us all. And many many horrible things could be prevented if people only would pay attention.
December 31, 2018
After reading Sledge's "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" I felt I had to read his second book. I loved his first effort (4 stars) which came out in 1981, but not so much his second (3 stars) which followed 20 years later. It was almost like the publishers were encouraging him to produce another story because his first was so good, and it just didn't come off as well.
Sledge's first book was about actual combat from the enlisted man's position - this book was more of a memoir sharing his experiences after the war when he finished out his service being assigned to helping the Marines occupy China. The tale is essentially one long essay that is a series of anecdotes ... I did this and that, we met these people, and finally I went home to Mobile, Alabama.
Part of what bleeds through is his disdain for those who did not face combat like he did ... and in his first book he was a bigger man than that, no braggadocio just the facts. He was a hero and a warrior, and in this book he should have just left it at that. He didn't have to continue telling us. I believe this book was published posthumously, and maybe his writing wasn't as sharp and rich. A true hero - do read his first book.
Sledge's first book was about actual combat from the enlisted man's position - this book was more of a memoir sharing his experiences after the war when he finished out his service being assigned to helping the Marines occupy China. The tale is essentially one long essay that is a series of anecdotes ... I did this and that, we met these people, and finally I went home to Mobile, Alabama.
Part of what bleeds through is his disdain for those who did not face combat like he did ... and in his first book he was a bigger man than that, no braggadocio just the facts. He was a hero and a warrior, and in this book he should have just left it at that. He didn't have to continue telling us. I believe this book was published posthumously, and maybe his writing wasn't as sharp and rich. A true hero - do read his first book.
July 18, 2021
Having written what, the soldiers on the line believe to be the definitive description of the man in the mud eye view of combat, E.B. Sledge has written a unique in the streets view of being in China in the first months after the end of America’s war with China. It is important to understand that in the days from VE day 1945 until many months later China continued to be a battle ground.
Directly contending forces were the Chinese Communist and Chinese Nationalists, but also present, under arms and making peace, less than peaceful were Chinese warlord’s and a still armed and employed large contingent of the Japanese Army. The role of the Marine’s was to keep the contenders apart. Peace was to be maintained, at least in the major cities and key air ports and railroads. American policy was to support the Nationalist, but to do so without becoming actively engaged. Use of force was to be limited to defending particular places and only if directly challenged. Marine Private First Class, E. B. Sledge, and his fellow marines of the” Old Guard” the First Marine Division K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment were deployed almost directly from the killing grounds of Okinawa.
”Sledgehamer” was one of only a few dozen of his unit to survive the war with no visible injuries. He was suffering what we now call Post Traumatic Shock, but he and they were deemed combat ready and had no choice but to live out their demons while living in a world both at peace and under immediate threat.
Luckily his unit was assigned to Peking. For the First Marines, this was a return to the pre-war assignment for the original, prewar China Marines. Sledge will share with us how is used his time to learn Chinese and make some friendships that allowed his to better understand another culture and begin the process of self-healing.
Sledge a future Doctor of Biology, professor and family man was, not a typical Marine, or indeed a typical person. He was a definitive voice for the front-line American warrior. He shared in many of their frustrations over the apparent favoritism granted to back of the line troops, He avoided drunkenness and womanizing, and instead sought out the history and people of China. Upon returning home he was like many who had left America, departing, innocent of the world and returning over exposed to it, not immediately ready to fit back into America at peace. Being from a semi-rural southern family, hunting had been part of what his family did. Sledge had had enough of killing, but discovered an abiding interest in the living creatures of the woods.
China Marine is a short book. The narrative is generally the flat simple language of a non-writer. The book is one of the few published that has an Americans near daily diary of China during its American occupation. If you read his great memoirs of fighting, this insight into the man at peace is worth the read. If you have any interest in this period of Chinese history, you have only a few books from this first-hand point of view.
Directly contending forces were the Chinese Communist and Chinese Nationalists, but also present, under arms and making peace, less than peaceful were Chinese warlord’s and a still armed and employed large contingent of the Japanese Army. The role of the Marine’s was to keep the contenders apart. Peace was to be maintained, at least in the major cities and key air ports and railroads. American policy was to support the Nationalist, but to do so without becoming actively engaged. Use of force was to be limited to defending particular places and only if directly challenged. Marine Private First Class, E. B. Sledge, and his fellow marines of the” Old Guard” the First Marine Division K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment were deployed almost directly from the killing grounds of Okinawa.
”Sledgehamer” was one of only a few dozen of his unit to survive the war with no visible injuries. He was suffering what we now call Post Traumatic Shock, but he and they were deemed combat ready and had no choice but to live out their demons while living in a world both at peace and under immediate threat.
Luckily his unit was assigned to Peking. For the First Marines, this was a return to the pre-war assignment for the original, prewar China Marines. Sledge will share with us how is used his time to learn Chinese and make some friendships that allowed his to better understand another culture and begin the process of self-healing.
Sledge a future Doctor of Biology, professor and family man was, not a typical Marine, or indeed a typical person. He was a definitive voice for the front-line American warrior. He shared in many of their frustrations over the apparent favoritism granted to back of the line troops, He avoided drunkenness and womanizing, and instead sought out the history and people of China. Upon returning home he was like many who had left America, departing, innocent of the world and returning over exposed to it, not immediately ready to fit back into America at peace. Being from a semi-rural southern family, hunting had been part of what his family did. Sledge had had enough of killing, but discovered an abiding interest in the living creatures of the woods.
China Marine is a short book. The narrative is generally the flat simple language of a non-writer. The book is one of the few published that has an Americans near daily diary of China during its American occupation. If you read his great memoirs of fighting, this insight into the man at peace is worth the read. If you have any interest in this period of Chinese history, you have only a few books from this first-hand point of view.
August 16, 2012
While not as enthralling as With the Old Breed, Sledge's second book (published after his death) describes, in the first person, the struggles that the US military faced at the end and following the conclusion of World War II. While there are many books that discuss serving in the military during World War II, China Marine is interesting because Sledge discusses events that are not frequently written about in World War II books, such as the desire to come home (after the war ends), working with Japanese soldiers (who Sledge just fought against for the last 2 years) and the fear of being killed or injured in China after fighting the Japanese. The US military occupation of China following World War II is also fairly unknown in the United States and it was interesting to learn more about it from the point of view of a "regular" Marine.
May 30, 2021
Follow-up to Sledge's more famous With The Old Breed. It's almost like it was written by an entirely different person because it is so different in approach and focus. My guess is the Eugene Sledge that was Sledgehammer to his Marine Corps buddies wrote With The Old Breed and the Eugene Sledge that was Eugene wrote China Marine.
Most of the book focuses on his months stationed in Beijing after the war, and it provides an interesting look at what life in China was like on the cusp of the Communist victory over the Nationalists. It also gives much more of a glimpse at his personality than the previous book, so it has a warmer and more generally humorous tone. Sledge himself was quite captivated with Chinese history and culture, and that shines through as well.
Also provides some insight into his adjustment when he finally returned to civilian life.
Most of the book focuses on his months stationed in Beijing after the war, and it provides an interesting look at what life in China was like on the cusp of the Communist victory over the Nationalists. It also gives much more of a glimpse at his personality than the previous book, so it has a warmer and more generally humorous tone. Sledge himself was quite captivated with Chinese history and culture, and that shines through as well.
Also provides some insight into his adjustment when he finally returned to civilian life.
July 11, 2019
It’s one of the hidden gems from post WW2 era history. A relatively unknown sequel to E.B. Sledge’s With the old breed. The simple way in which PTSD and existential crisis is discussed makes it so intriguing.
June 24, 2025
A fitting sequel to a momentous first book! E. B. Sledge is engaging and you walk with him through China’s streets and visit with the Soongs.
Highest recommendation. Would read right after The Old Breed
Highest recommendation. Would read right after The Old Breed
September 30, 2024
4.5 stars
with the old breed is my favorite book of all time so of course i had to read the follow up account. when sledge describes the deer hunt at the end of the book… god my heart aches for this guy. the book itself is interesting and i wish they showed more parts of this in the pacific but i’m glad he found his happiness through science and teaching despite his trauma and survivor’s guilt. if you’ve read with the old breed and loved it/wanted the closure follow up to it, this was a really great short read.
with the old breed is my favorite book of all time so of course i had to read the follow up account. when sledge describes the deer hunt at the end of the book… god my heart aches for this guy. the book itself is interesting and i wish they showed more parts of this in the pacific but i’m glad he found his happiness through science and teaching despite his trauma and survivor’s guilt. if you’ve read with the old breed and loved it/wanted the closure follow up to it, this was a really great short read.
October 11, 2024
I recently read E.B. Sledge's memoir With the Old Breed and knew I wanted to read his follow-up, China Marine. I felt the ending of With the Old Breed needed a bit more closure, so I was thankful he ended his astonishing journey with this book.
I found China Marine to be just as interesting and well-written as With the Old Breed. Again, Sledge was able to write something the average reader and civilian could digest without the inflation of being too analytical or dry.
Without getting into spoilers, I felt in this book you are introduced to more of Eugene's personality, morals, and overall perception of what he was thrown into by the war. I loved every second of reading this book; it was hard for me to finish reading because I didn't want it to end. The last few sentences made me tear up. I can't recommend it enough to those who have already read With the Old Breed.
I found China Marine to be just as interesting and well-written as With the Old Breed. Again, Sledge was able to write something the average reader and civilian could digest without the inflation of being too analytical or dry.
Without getting into spoilers, I felt in this book you are introduced to more of Eugene's personality, morals, and overall perception of what he was thrown into by the war. I loved every second of reading this book; it was hard for me to finish reading because I didn't want it to end. The last few sentences made me tear up. I can't recommend it enough to those who have already read With the Old Breed.
December 22, 2015
Eugene Sledge is justly famous for his harrowing memoir of Marine Corps combat, With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. The one criticism I have heard was that it ended abruptly, with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb.
Viewers of the HBO production partially based on Sledge's book were cheated out of the vastly more interesting story of his service in the Chinese city of Peiping in 1945 and 1946. The Japanese Army had the majority of its soldiers on the ground in China, not the Pacific, and it was up to the US to make sure they were repatriated without reprisal. In the midst of this was a growing civil war between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Tse-tung.
Sledge's gradual recovery from the immeasurable horror of war is remarkable, and in many ways as definitive memoir of war as his first book. When peace is declared, those who fought it are left to rebuild their shattered consciousness and learn to live in a world without war.
Sledge's vivid yet frank prose and eye for important detail make for an engaging, emotionally inspiring and endlessly interesting read. Highly recommended.
Viewers of the HBO production partially based on Sledge's book were cheated out of the vastly more interesting story of his service in the Chinese city of Peiping in 1945 and 1946. The Japanese Army had the majority of its soldiers on the ground in China, not the Pacific, and it was up to the US to make sure they were repatriated without reprisal. In the midst of this was a growing civil war between the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Tse-tung.
Sledge's gradual recovery from the immeasurable horror of war is remarkable, and in many ways as definitive memoir of war as his first book. When peace is declared, those who fought it are left to rebuild their shattered consciousness and learn to live in a world without war.
Sledge's vivid yet frank prose and eye for important detail make for an engaging, emotionally inspiring and endlessly interesting read. Highly recommended.
May 29, 2015
This is a great book on several different levels. First it discusses the difficult adjustment the author had after the trauma of wartime combat. The book also provided insights into the geopolitical dynamics that were in play in post-war China.
September 12, 2023
World's most boring war memoir.
October 28, 2025
China Marine: From Saipan to Silence — The Silent Battle to Return Home
China Marine is the second book by Eugene Sledge documenting his wartime experiences. It’s definitely the lesser-known and appreciated of the two, but it holds some of the best and most unique accounts of how a WWII Veteran reintegrates into civilization. In this personal memoir, Eugene tells the story of his peculiar experiences and presents his one-of-a-kind adjustment to civilian life in a disorienting environment like Peiping.
Unlike in With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, China Marine takes a sharp contrast and writes about the silent war after the war. Eugene goes into the tremendous struggle to relate to civilians and other veterans who didn’t see any action. Sledge does an amazing job at not dramatizing his trauma at all, but rather just describing it plainly. He writes about how much of a contrast he experienced in China compared to the Pacific. The beauty of the Forbidden City paled in comparison to the dark, gloomy reality of war on Peleliu and Okinawa. At its heart, China Marine is about the silent endurance after the war. The whole book leads to the realization that Eugene has been telling his story, showing how a person can rebuild meaning outside of trauma.
We were unable to understand their attitudes until we ourselves returned home and tried to comprehend people who griped because America wasn’t perfect,, or their coffee wasn’t hot enough,, or they had to stand in line and wait for a train or bus. (Sledge, 1981, p. 104)
This quotation tells how Eugene and many others struggled to understand the simple things that civilians hated about their lives.
China Marine has a very slow and somewhat confusing form of progression. With a lack of dramatic tension, it ceases to feel like a book and more like a journal. As it comes and goes from reflection, to daily life, and memories, never hitting any sort of climactic buildup, the story feels repetitive and uneventful, as is the traumatic silence that follows war. Sledge’s book lacks any sort of historical context as he chooses to only highlight his experiences, which might make the book a little confusing at times. Understandably, this book is very obscure in comparison to With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, I myself didn’t know of it for a long while after I read his first memoir. “My adjustment to civilian life was not easy” (Sledge, 2002, p. 159). This quotation highlights the straightforward and dry tone of the book that is not necessarily a negative thing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read deeper into the effects of PTSD from a firsthand perspective and the lesser-known effects of World War II. This book gives a rare, introspective look at how a soldier must reintegrate into civilian life.
September 8, 2022
"Socrates said, 'Know thyself.' I do. The war taught me."
A fitting epilogue toWith the Old Breed: At Peliliu and Okinawa, China Marine focuses on Sledge's time in China on occupational duty after the end of World War 2 before his return back stateside.
Readers looking for more of the same from With the Old Breed will be disappointed. While the writing is as simple yet gripping as the first book, the tone of the book is drastically different as peacetime sets in. Hope bleeds into Sledge's memories and writing, and the book consequently becomes a recounting of happier days that one looks back on fondly, rather than the painful memories that he wrote about in the first book.
I find Sledge's observations of post-war China both interesting and keen. Sledge manages to walk the fine line between retelling his observations and keeping his personal thoughts and feelings separate. He speaks of the Soong family and the company helper, Hao, and speaks of developments in the country as a neutral observer meant to keep peace in the country, while privating inserting sentimental thoughts between the paragraphs that allows the reader just a peek into his rich experiences. He makes striking comparisons between the Chinese people who live a difficult life wearing drab clothes and the affluence of the American people, and without drawing judgement he manages to compare the lifestyle and cultures of both countries.
I read (or heard) the audiobook narrated by Dan John Miller, and he does a wonderful job in narrating the book such that the reader with what I assume is a Southern accent. My own complaint about his narration is not any fault of his, but only that it is difficult to know what Chinese words he is talking about because of the weird pronunciation. Otherwise, the audiobook has a good pace and, as my first experience with audiobooks, is an encouraging one.
This book is a balm for With the Old Breed, and the reader can truly feel Sledge come to terms with his war experiences and how he slowly manages to put aside the bad memories and trauma as he begins to move on with his life, while making peace with everything that has happened. I would recommend this book for people who enjoyed With the Old Breed, but urge that they do not expect more tales of war- only the feelings and cherished memories of a war veteran finding the peace that he deserves.
A fitting epilogue toWith the Old Breed: At Peliliu and Okinawa, China Marine focuses on Sledge's time in China on occupational duty after the end of World War 2 before his return back stateside.
Readers looking for more of the same from With the Old Breed will be disappointed. While the writing is as simple yet gripping as the first book, the tone of the book is drastically different as peacetime sets in. Hope bleeds into Sledge's memories and writing, and the book consequently becomes a recounting of happier days that one looks back on fondly, rather than the painful memories that he wrote about in the first book.
I find Sledge's observations of post-war China both interesting and keen. Sledge manages to walk the fine line between retelling his observations and keeping his personal thoughts and feelings separate. He speaks of the Soong family and the company helper, Hao, and speaks of developments in the country as a neutral observer meant to keep peace in the country, while privating inserting sentimental thoughts between the paragraphs that allows the reader just a peek into his rich experiences. He makes striking comparisons between the Chinese people who live a difficult life wearing drab clothes and the affluence of the American people, and without drawing judgement he manages to compare the lifestyle and cultures of both countries.
I read (or heard) the audiobook narrated by Dan John Miller, and he does a wonderful job in narrating the book such that the reader with what I assume is a Southern accent. My own complaint about his narration is not any fault of his, but only that it is difficult to know what Chinese words he is talking about because of the weird pronunciation. Otherwise, the audiobook has a good pace and, as my first experience with audiobooks, is an encouraging one.
This book is a balm for With the Old Breed, and the reader can truly feel Sledge come to terms with his war experiences and how he slowly manages to put aside the bad memories and trauma as he begins to move on with his life, while making peace with everything that has happened. I would recommend this book for people who enjoyed With the Old Breed, but urge that they do not expect more tales of war- only the feelings and cherished memories of a war veteran finding the peace that he deserves.
April 5, 2025
I was absolutely blown away by China Marine, E.B. Sledge’s second book, which details his experiences while stationed in Beijing immediately after the end of World War II. Having lived in China for nearly a decade now, I was fascinated by the rich details in which Sledge describes Beijing and Northern China during this tumultuous period, as the country braced for an intense and brutal civil war.
For many, the genius of this book lies in its exploration of how men coped with the atrocities they witnessed—and participated in—after surviving the brutal warfare of the Pacific islands. But for me, every minute of this book was enthralling because it transports the reader into the past, offering a rare glimpse of Old China. Sledge’s descriptions of everyday life among Chinese civilians illuminate the hardships of a country ravaged by nearly a decade of Japanese occupation.
One passage that stood out to me in particular was his account of leaving Beijing for a detail assignment in the small city of Langfang—the city closest to my wife’s hometown. As he departed Beijing, he passed a walled city, which he speculated had likely remained unchanged since the time of Kublai Khan. This detail filled me with curiosity, as my wife’s ancestral village—long since disappeared—was located directly along this very path to Langfang. It’s a poignant reminder of the immensity of lost history, leaving me wondering which village he might have seen, or even where to begin researching its past.
Later, Sledge describes Langfang as a small town of no more than 500 people—a fact that completely astounds me, as today it has grown into a sprawling city of over five million. This contrast between past and present is staggering, making China Marine not just a deeply personal memoir of a soldier adjusting to post-war life, but also an invaluable historical time capsule of a China that no longer exists.
For many, the genius of this book lies in its exploration of how men coped with the atrocities they witnessed—and participated in—after surviving the brutal warfare of the Pacific islands. But for me, every minute of this book was enthralling because it transports the reader into the past, offering a rare glimpse of Old China. Sledge’s descriptions of everyday life among Chinese civilians illuminate the hardships of a country ravaged by nearly a decade of Japanese occupation.
One passage that stood out to me in particular was his account of leaving Beijing for a detail assignment in the small city of Langfang—the city closest to my wife’s hometown. As he departed Beijing, he passed a walled city, which he speculated had likely remained unchanged since the time of Kublai Khan. This detail filled me with curiosity, as my wife’s ancestral village—long since disappeared—was located directly along this very path to Langfang. It’s a poignant reminder of the immensity of lost history, leaving me wondering which village he might have seen, or even where to begin researching its past.
Later, Sledge describes Langfang as a small town of no more than 500 people—a fact that completely astounds me, as today it has grown into a sprawling city of over five million. This contrast between past and present is staggering, making China Marine not just a deeply personal memoir of a soldier adjusting to post-war life, but also an invaluable historical time capsule of a China that no longer exists.
September 15, 2024
Like many Marines, I first ran into E.B. Sledge on the Commandant's Reading List, where his With The Old Breed was expected reading for young officers. That text is key to understanding what the island-hopping Pacific campaign felt like from the trenches, literally.
This text is interesting as it is about the end of the war and about a part of history given little attention in the West: the deterioration of the Chinese "Nationalist" position and the inevitable takeover of the Communists. The story melds memoir, travel writing, and stories from the military into a coherent narrative that a layperson can and should read.
And yet...Sledge, like so many who served in combat, lacks the cool distance necessary to offer realistic evaluations on the US conduct in the war. In his world there are good guys and bad guys and the US was and always will be the good guys. The war crime firebombing of Tokyo, to say nothing of the atomic detonations, is NOT to be even remotely questioned. The idea that Japan could not be blockaded and starved into submission and instead had to be conquered to the last man through a costly invasion was perhaps accepted doctrine for men who had gone through hell for years in the Pacific, but it will not stand scrutiny in 2024.
But you shouldn't read Sledge for his lack of ability to think expansively about US foreign policy and war conduct. You should read him because he captures a snapshot of what so many Americans will never know: the price that others pay for our sloth and luxury.
This text is interesting as it is about the end of the war and about a part of history given little attention in the West: the deterioration of the Chinese "Nationalist" position and the inevitable takeover of the Communists. The story melds memoir, travel writing, and stories from the military into a coherent narrative that a layperson can and should read.
And yet...Sledge, like so many who served in combat, lacks the cool distance necessary to offer realistic evaluations on the US conduct in the war. In his world there are good guys and bad guys and the US was and always will be the good guys. The war crime firebombing of Tokyo, to say nothing of the atomic detonations, is NOT to be even remotely questioned. The idea that Japan could not be blockaded and starved into submission and instead had to be conquered to the last man through a costly invasion was perhaps accepted doctrine for men who had gone through hell for years in the Pacific, but it will not stand scrutiny in 2024.
But you shouldn't read Sledge for his lack of ability to think expansively about US foreign policy and war conduct. You should read him because he captures a snapshot of what so many Americans will never know: the price that others pay for our sloth and luxury.
July 11, 2022
Eugene Sledge fought with the US Marine Corps on Peleliu and Okinawa (as he described in his first book, With the Old Breed. After World War II ended (I started to type "the war," and then realized that these days many Americans wouldn't have a clue in which war we fought on Peleliu and Okinawa) he, along with his regiment, transferred to Peking, China (today we call it Beijing; Sledge knew it as Peiping) for occupation duty. He would have preferred to go home to Mobile, Alabama, but as he points out in this book, his time in China was actually the beginning of his return to civilian life - for the first time in a couple of years he wasn't constantly either in combat, or resting from combat, or preparing to go into combat. In some ways his China duty was difficult and even dangerous, but it was much more like civilian life than his time in combat had been. And for the first time since he entered combat, he was able to interact with civilians.
This isn't, by the nature of its subject, as exciting as the previous one ("exciting" is one legitimate description of combat, though it's not the best one - "terrifying" would work better - but a book about combat does merit the adjective). But Sledge was a very good writer, and he thought well without floundering into superficial pseudo-profundity. And this is, I think, the best book I've ever read by someone who's actually been in combat, and is now describing the aftermath of that awful experience.
This isn't, by the nature of its subject, as exciting as the previous one ("exciting" is one legitimate description of combat, though it's not the best one - "terrifying" would work better - but a book about combat does merit the adjective). But Sledge was a very good writer, and he thought well without floundering into superficial pseudo-profundity. And this is, I think, the best book I've ever read by someone who's actually been in combat, and is now describing the aftermath of that awful experience.
July 1, 2025
Fascinating account of an often brushed-over part of history.
Very interesting and to read about the mix of cultures after the war. Particularly Sledge’s account of his friendship with the Soong family.
His story of crying after killing a wounded dove after the war is very powerful and his acquired hobby of birdwatching afterward is very poetic.
“The war left me with a deep appreciation for the simple things in life. Putting on a pair of clean, dry socks is one of the greatest luxuries I know. A shave, a warm shower, and sleeping in a sheeted bed are, too. When it is raining, especially on an autumn day, I look out the window at the falling drops and my thoughts sometimes drift back to those awful days on Okinawa—Snafu and I bailing out a muddy foxhole with an old helmet, shivering in a torrential cold rain, and both of us cringing as each Japanese shell came screaming into the corpse-strewn area to explode with a deafening crash. I quickly bring the focus of my mind back to the present and thank God I do not have to suffer such hardship and misery again. And, oh, what a blessing to be relieved of constant terror!”
“In looking back, I am still amazed I escaped the killing machine. Why I never fell killed or wounded in that storm of steel thrown at us countless times still astonishes me. I am proud of the number of the enemy I fired on and hit with my mortar, rifle, or Tommy gun—and regret the ones I missed.”
Very interesting and to read about the mix of cultures after the war. Particularly Sledge’s account of his friendship with the Soong family.
His story of crying after killing a wounded dove after the war is very powerful and his acquired hobby of birdwatching afterward is very poetic.
“The war left me with a deep appreciation for the simple things in life. Putting on a pair of clean, dry socks is one of the greatest luxuries I know. A shave, a warm shower, and sleeping in a sheeted bed are, too. When it is raining, especially on an autumn day, I look out the window at the falling drops and my thoughts sometimes drift back to those awful days on Okinawa—Snafu and I bailing out a muddy foxhole with an old helmet, shivering in a torrential cold rain, and both of us cringing as each Japanese shell came screaming into the corpse-strewn area to explode with a deafening crash. I quickly bring the focus of my mind back to the present and thank God I do not have to suffer such hardship and misery again. And, oh, what a blessing to be relieved of constant terror!”
“In looking back, I am still amazed I escaped the killing machine. Why I never fell killed or wounded in that storm of steel thrown at us countless times still astonishes me. I am proud of the number of the enemy I fired on and hit with my mortar, rifle, or Tommy gun—and regret the ones I missed.”
October 25, 2020
This book I found to be a short but yet an incredibly informative book. Not everyone knows what it is like to serve their country see the horrors that those such as the author have seen. To be clear I am not a veteran so I cannot relate. This book is a sequel to the author's previous book "With the Old Breed" and he picks up right where he left off. The book is in effect split into two parts. In the first portion of the book the author describes his service in China following World War 2. The author did not have the luxury of going home after the battle on Okinawa. Rather, from there he was sent on to China. He only spent a few months in China, however, in that brief time he learned an awful lot about China. He was able to see a portion of the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalists and the Communists first hand. He also did his share of exploring and saw the sights in his area such as the Forbidden City. He also became quite close with one particular family in China as well as some other local individuals. In the second portion of the book, he is sent home to to be discharged from the USMC. Here there is a great amount of focus on his long adjustment period and successful post service adjustment and career.
August 29, 2025
The war had been so momentous to me, I couldn't imagine anyone not sharing that view—or appreciating the hell I had suffered. In fact, I was totally unprepared for how rapidly most Americans who did not experience combat would forget about the war, the evils we faced, and how incredibly tough it had been for us to defeat the Japanese and the Nazis. I didn't realize how swiftly most Americans would once again take their freedom for granted.
As I look back, some facts are quite clear: Japan's sneak bombing of Pearl Harbor destroyed many American lives, ships, and planes. We had no choice but to destroy Imperial Japan. The A-bomb ended that war. It saved millions of American lives by preventing a murderous invasion of Japan and the probable destruction of a suicidal Japanese population. The Japanese soldier was a bloodthirsty foe imbued with the Code of Bushido (Code of the Warrior) and yamata damashii (the fighting power of Japan). If we had not defeated an army that thought it was unbeatable, who knows how many American cities might have shared the horrid Rape of Nanking. … There is no "mellowing" for me— that would be to forgive all the atrocities the Japanese committed against millions of Asians and thousands of Americans. To "mellow" is to forget.
As I look back, some facts are quite clear: Japan's sneak bombing of Pearl Harbor destroyed many American lives, ships, and planes. We had no choice but to destroy Imperial Japan. The A-bomb ended that war. It saved millions of American lives by preventing a murderous invasion of Japan and the probable destruction of a suicidal Japanese population. The Japanese soldier was a bloodthirsty foe imbued with the Code of Bushido (Code of the Warrior) and yamata damashii (the fighting power of Japan). If we had not defeated an army that thought it was unbeatable, who knows how many American cities might have shared the horrid Rape of Nanking. … There is no "mellowing" for me— that would be to forgive all the atrocities the Japanese committed against millions of Asians and thousands of Americans. To "mellow" is to forget.
February 7, 2021
Deep personal view from the ground, how the fought, felt and survived.
A deep personal experience of the pacific war and the impact on the men who fought and survived. A lesson for us to understand what they experienced, how the experienced it and how they were affected. It gives us the chance to have some understanding of what they went through, what they survived. For me it provides an deep impression for those who have been spared, and what we must work to avoid for the sons we so love. A view from the trenches is different from a view from the sky, and the best antidote to those who would so easily let slip in to conflict, while also showing the importance of fighting for what we believe in and the world we want to protect. As Robert Leckie stated at the end of his book, ‘a place worth living in, is worth fighting for’. The unique view and tone of Eugene Sledge brings us close in a way I have not encountered before. Thankfully for the fact fortune has allowed him to return and share is experiences with us.
A deep personal experience of the pacific war and the impact on the men who fought and survived. A lesson for us to understand what they experienced, how the experienced it and how they were affected. It gives us the chance to have some understanding of what they went through, what they survived. For me it provides an deep impression for those who have been spared, and what we must work to avoid for the sons we so love. A view from the trenches is different from a view from the sky, and the best antidote to those who would so easily let slip in to conflict, while also showing the importance of fighting for what we believe in and the world we want to protect. As Robert Leckie stated at the end of his book, ‘a place worth living in, is worth fighting for’. The unique view and tone of Eugene Sledge brings us close in a way I have not encountered before. Thankfully for the fact fortune has allowed him to return and share is experiences with us.
June 30, 2024
An extremely interesting follow up to “With the Old Breed”. I felt that the previous book ended somewhat abruptly and was happy that this one picked up right after the conclusion, I understand that this book was originally sort of the manuscript of WTOB and was edited out. I think the story of the China Marines is extremely unique and interesting to read about. I know very little about Chinese culture and history and found the overlap of Marine and Chinese attitudes to be fascinating. Sledge is a masterful writer who puts into words what many combat veterans experienced at that time. China seemed to be a time of healing for him as he began his transition from soldier to citizen. I found his friendships made in China to be very heartwarming and a testament to the ability of humans to befriend people very different from themselves. Sledge is honest and clear with his depiction of the struggles some Marines underwent in their road to living in a post-war America. This is a fine companion to the genius of his personal memoir and I am glad to have read it.
November 28, 2025
Finished “China Marine” today & would rank it among the top ten best military memoirs I have l read. It sheds light on the often overlooked experience of troops on post-war occupation duty in China who were responsible for protecting the US legation in Peiping, disarming Japanese troops, & trying to keep the peace during the Chinese Civil War. It also tells the compelling story of Eugene Sledge’s homecoming & healing after all the chaos of the Pacific War & Chinese Civil War. What’s so striking about Sledge’s story is that he remains deeply humble & genuinely grateful throughout the narrative. He is in awe of his brothers in arms while acknowledging that they are only human in some of the struggles they later faced with alcoholism & depression. He shows pride in the 5th Marines, but is humble about his own battles. He cherishes life & the beauty of creation. His story is filled with old virtues worth remembering - courage, honesty, brotherhood, mercy, & humility.
Definitely plan to read this again 📚
Definitely plan to read this again 📚
October 15, 2024
Sledge picks up where he left off in With The Old Breed and covers his surreal experiences after the war's conclusion. His genuine and heartfelt writing style is nothing short of incredible. He amazes me with his memory and ability to remember stories so well. The second portion of the book covers his return stateside after 6 months in China. This portion is an inspiring, bone-chilling read. To get a first-hand look at how a veteran of firsthand combat in the most gruesome parts of the war adjusted to civilian life is an odd treasure of the horror and sadness needed to inspire a reader to see what life is all about. His hunting trip with his dad is one of my favorite stories. Not quite as good as With The Old Breed, and none of that is because of the writer but more so because the events in the first book fill each page with unrivaled action. This book is a great second book and taught me a lot more about Sledge and how a veteran copes with returning home after a war.
November 6, 2017
It's hard to put into words how comfortable it feels to spend time in the mind of someone whom you admire, and imagine could have been a close friend.
While not a long book, "China Marine" covers the post-war life if Eugene Sledge, whose wartime story was documented in "With the Old Breed." There's a bittersweet tone to this chapter of his life, for it deals primarily with loss, and how to continue on when everything you know has turned upside down. He continues to write in a beautiful, honest, way with a moral pen -- a lens through which I love to look. A fitting end, and a lesson in responding with compassion and positivity with the minor inconveniences in life.
Finishing this book has been like saying goodbye to an old friend you will never see again, a moment that Sledge himself wrote about many a time in this book.
While not a long book, "China Marine" covers the post-war life if Eugene Sledge, whose wartime story was documented in "With the Old Breed." There's a bittersweet tone to this chapter of his life, for it deals primarily with loss, and how to continue on when everything you know has turned upside down. He continues to write in a beautiful, honest, way with a moral pen -- a lens through which I love to look. A fitting end, and a lesson in responding with compassion and positivity with the minor inconveniences in life.
Finishing this book has been like saying goodbye to an old friend you will never see again, a moment that Sledge himself wrote about many a time in this book.
December 12, 2024
Sledge's With the Old Breed is one of the great WW2 memoirs. His follow on book, China Marine, is less well known, but it is another well written, thoughtful, insightful book. It's a slimmer volume at just 160 pages. Sledge covers the end of war with his unit in Okinawa, their move to China to assist with post-war stabilization, and demobilization and return home to the United States. There are insights into the post-war wind down process and the return home. His discussions of his time in China offer insights into life in China during that pivotal time in its modern history. He also is open to discussing his feelings and emotions - this particularly connects as he discusses his experience transitioning from WW2 combat soldier to civilian.
Another excellent book by Sledge full of insight.
Another excellent book by Sledge full of insight.
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