Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone

by James Brady

From New York Times bestselling author James Brady - the story of Marine legend John Basilone, one of three main characters in HBO's The Pacific

Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was a Marine legend who received the Medal of Honor for holding off 3,000 Japanese on Guadalcanal and the Navy Cross posthumously for his bravery on Iwo Jima. This is the story of how a young man from Raritan, New Jersey, became one of America's biggest World War II heroes.

- Profiles one of three main characters in HBO's The Pacific, the sequel scheduled for March 2010 to the incredibly popular 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers
- Sorts through the differing accounts of Basilone's life and exploits, including what he did on Iwo Jima and how he died
- The final book by James Brady, the Korean War veteran and well-known columnist and author of books that include Why Marines Fight and an autobiography, The Coldest War, a Pulitzer Prize finalist

An incredible story masterfully told, Hero of the Pacific will appeal to anyone with an interest in World War II and military history as well as fans of HBO's The Pacific.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, Military History, War

254 pages, Hardcover

First published December 4, 2009

About the author

James Winston Brady was an American celebrity columnist who created the Page Six gossip column in the New York Post and authored the In Step With column in Parade for nearly 25 years until his death. He also authored numerous books about his time serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War.

Brady was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. His career in journalism started working as a copy boy for the Daily News, where he worked while attending Manhattan College. He graduated in 1950. He left the paper to serve in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War.During the war, he was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines first leading a rifle platoon and later acting as an executive officer of a rifle company at one point serving under John Chafee. The majority of his service took place in the North Korean Taebaek Mountains during the fall and bitterly cold winter of 1951 and 1952. Brady was awarded the Bronze Star with the Combat V (recognizing an award resulting from combat heroism) in November 2001 for his actions on May 31, 1952 in a firefight with Chinese forces near Panmunjom.

Brady died at age 80 on January 26, 2009 at his home in Manhattan.

James Brady is the father of Susan Konig.

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brady tears apart the myth of WWII Marine legend John Basilone in an effort to get at the real hero. Most of his attacks are aimed at Basilone's sister, who wrote an eulogistic account of her brother's Pacific actions, right down to the most intimate of details, which she couldn't have known, because her brother died before he could relate them to her or anyone. Even the marine record of his death is sketchy, yet that didn't stop her from laying down a faux journalistic story. If anything, it assisted in her Paul Bunyan-style tall-tale. Brady also attacks the government's use of John in the war bond effort. Brady, himself a Marine, seems to wish that everyone just left the poor fella alone so he could get back doing what he seemed born to do, fight. It's a noble effort to restore the noble life of an honorable warrior. Unfortunately it falls short. Brady spends so much time attacking and tearing down that it leaves an overall negative feeling while reading, and in the end, he never discovers the true Basilone story, leaving the reader prickly and dissatisfied. Still, it is Brady, who knows how to write about war, so there's that.

[Erica Henry]

A passage I liked...
His nephew Jerry Cutter summed it up, supposedly in his uncle's words: "I had lost the life, the calling I had found. I wasn't a soldier anymore. I was lost."

[Alexw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only three stars because of the author. 10 stars for John Basilone. While most authors form a hero worship on their subjects in biographies (Carl Sanburg on Lincoln & for a lesser extent McCullough on Truman) this author goes the opposite way and tries to denigrate Basilone's legacy. Two eyewitness accounts of Basilone's brave actions resulting in his heroic death on Iwo Jima are disgustingly tried to show that, that way could not have happened. This author is extremely jealous of Basilone. He should know that in the fog of war that things happen so fast.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodness! Does Mr. Brady have anything positive to say? It's a rather awful poking at how other people "got it wrong" or exaggerated what John Basilone said or did, even questioning Basilone's lack of commentary or letter writing. I couldn't even finish this book. I'd rather read the facts, the story, not hear how wrong other people are. I was really wanting to like this book, but it's awful!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero of the Pacific is a great book that has great aspirations but reads like an unfinished manuscript. The reason for the unfinished feeling is the James Brady the author died the day after he finished the book. Which meant while the unfinished feeling was forgivable since he couldn't make the final edits and tweaks the book might need to get a higher rating.

What was enjoyable was Brady set out to correct the record about John Basilone who is a legend in the Marine Corps. Basilone's story is one that is now apart of the miniseries The Pacific and the story deserves to be told but correctly. There are very few people who could tell Basilone's story with authority and Brady as a Korean War Marine infantry platoon leader is one of them. As he is separating the fact from the fiction he questions the common legends held by Basilone's family and the Marines themselves. He shows concern often to the family's motives saying they wanted to preserve Basilone's legacy but Brady argues successfully that the truth in this instance needs no embellishment or bias. Basilone was a great Marine.

What comes through in the book is the Basilone is a man that we should know more about. Brady doesn't have much to go one with primary sources and must rely on questionable accounts but he uses his experience of a Marine officer (but Brady uses his experiences as amplification of Basilone’s story rather than to have Brady become the focus) and marries his combat experience with being a reporter to get a clearer picture of the man John Basilone was.

While I wish Brady could have been able to finish his book I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read his book and see the Basilone was truly a Hero of the Pacific.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

A hero like Basilone deserved a lot better than this hackneyed attempt at a monograph (it's barely a biography and I won't insult historians by calling this a history). It reads more like an author's notes than an actual finished product. What's worse is it is an author who clearly has an ax to grind.
For whatever reason,(perhaps the foresight not to entrust such a story to an old magazine hack), the Basilone family made themselves mostly unavailable to the author and therefore suffers his unrelentless attacks.

The book is researched....um, well, I guess it is - I mean we have the author's notes, complete with questions and nitpicking details (wrong boots on the bronze statue - seriously?)...it's hard to say how well researched because we get everything the author read just dumped on the page without a filter or educated evaluation. 90 year old eyewitnesses are taken to task because their memories and recollections don't always jive with each other's - its this type of amateurish ridiculousness that would have led me to throwing this crap across the room, except I was reading it on my Nook (found a problem with the e-reader revolution - no frustrated throwing of books...)

At his "best", the author sounds like an old ex-Vet sitting at a Legion bar and nitpicking Hollywood's newest war movie (I'm related to one - I am well versed in how much fun that is)...at worst he sounds like a vindictive old man who should have left one less book behind.

[Jeffrey McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first remember hearing the name John Basilone from the father of my best friend. He served in the marines and landed on Iwo Jima. After telling us about the man and his exploits, he described the way his unit felt when word trickled through the ranks that Manila John was dead. My best friend and I were joining the corp and would soon learn about Sargent Basilone along with many other greats in the leatherneck pantheon (among them, the legendary 'Chesty'' Puller). As with any hero, mythic narrative often attaches itself to the story, making the person seem nearly god-like. Author James Brady, a former combat Marine himself, investigates the life of John Basilone from the battle on 'Bloody Ridge' where he earned his Medal of Honor, to his war bond tour and rumored romance with a Hollywood starlet, and finally the varied reports on how he died on the first day of the invasion. This book is well written and does justice to one of my personal heroes.

[Jason Chiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far off to a good start. The narrator talks loudly and very clearly. Easy to follow the events/thoughts in the book. Also, the subject of the book, Marine Sgt John Basilone is a local legend. Looking forward to learning more about this American hero who was raised in the town I'm currently residing in and learning about the man who the streets/monuments are named after.

Just finished this 11 CD set. It's def very biographical in nature and gets boring at times. It is a very interesting life, which helps. Also, it takes place during a time in America that is very different from today. A very different culture which adds to the fascination.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only James Brady book I have not thoroughly enjoyed. Book was largely broken and disjointed.

It does paint an honest picture of John Basilone who was a hard drinking, hard living Marine.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd book. I read this biography of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone in order to gain more insight into the Guadalcanal battle in the Pacific. I did gain some insight. What Brady discovered in researching this book is that the story of John Basilone has a great many discrepancies. Seems like some other readers of the book got annoyed with the author for pointing out time and again all the things that aren't right (as well as what seems OK). The middle part of the book was pretty much a bore for me, redeemed by the short but informative section of Iwo Jima. After finishing this we get an idea of who John Basilone was but not really a good picture, and I don't think some of the "truth" will be known. I'm not trying to be mysterious with that statement. Overall the book could have been written a little better. 2 1/2 stars

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a glimpse into the heroism, charm and ultimate sacrifice of Manila John Basilone. What a man! I feel pride knowing his story and knowing how brave he was in the face of our country being attacked. At times the different accounts of events during his time at war were confusing but the author, James Brady, cleaned them up nicely. I appreciated the fact that he was a Marine himself and knew the details of our Marines at war. His own love and dedication of his Marine Corps shown brightly through each word.

[Gregg Puluka · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The first causality of war is truth.” Sun Tzu

This long and sometimes tedious book is a worthy read. Spoiler alert- this is not a valentine book to the decorated Manila John. It is probably the most researched and most meticulous breakdown of John’s service and battlefield experiences. The work does come from the heart of a fellow Marine and is well written as the author is a journalist. (Many other books lack the skill of good writer.)

I recommend to the motivated learner this account of our hometown hero John Basilone.

[Libi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly could not even finish the book. I probably made it a quarter of the way and was turned off by the authors tone.

I didn’t want to hear about the petty military arguments regarding John Basilone or the marines inner decision making. I was drawn to hearing more about Basilone’s life after watching the Pacific on HBO. Yet, this really just talked more about his controversy as a military figure than learning about Basilone’s struggles, life, inspirations, and how he impacted the Pacific front.

I don’t really recommend reading at all.

[Erica Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps we should leave it just as simple and wonderful as that.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my usual kind of book. I don't super love war stories or biographies. This was required reading for a professional development that I'll be attending this summer.

[Andres · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book right after finishing the only other readily available Basilone biography, I'm Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC. Brady takes issue with that book because it was co-written by Jerry Cutter, a nephew of Basilone's, which itself was based on a serialized account written by Cutter's mother (Basilone's sister) that was published in a newspaper. He calls these attempts at biography "amateurish and fanciful, admiring but brief on fact." You would think that with this type of contempt for the material Brady wouldn't rely very much on them for his book. The problem is that these (plus a third source with its own questionability) are the only sources he has to work with.

And work with them he does. He quotes paragraphs and pages (pages!) worth of the material he treats with such scorn one minute and with unfailing trust the next. Literally in the same passage he will insert some snarky question so that the reader is aware of his own skepticism (something like "Really? How could that be possible") and only a sentence or two later will insert another intrusive question or comment that may or may not contribute in any way (such as "Could this have been a sign of something?") but signals to the reader that he trusts completely what was written.

Now those two examples are generalities, not exact quotes from the book, but they represent the kind of schizophrenic back and forth total belief and utter disbelief he has in the material.

The issues he has with technical matters, be it weapons or military, are on point, which he backs up with his own military service (that he is not afraid to remind the reader about again and again and again). The issues he has with conflicting stories are also to be expected. But it's with a flippant, almost rude, tone that he criticizes everything and flaunts both his military and literary background to make himself the authority in what is true or not in Basilone's story.

And that's the other problem. Too much of Brady makes its way into Basilone's story. The author makes a big show of how much he has researched the life of this Marine legend. For example, he goes to Raritan to speak to people who for the most part have only a small connection to Basilone himself. The distance in time calls into question the veracity of whatever these people have to contribute---one is a man who was six years old when he briefly met Basilone---and those who were old enough to be Basilone's friends or elders are quoted at length, but corrections to obvious misinformation is inserted right away by Brady himself. How can we trust these sources?

Brady has a hard time being an arbiter of truth when he alternately discredits or believes his sources (yet quotes them at great length) when he himself is sometimes questionable in his methods for determining authenticity. He does admit at times that some things will never be known for sure, but these moments of honesty are few and are tainted with his overbearing attitude.

I don't believe the book is a waste of time, but it's the style and tone in which it is delivered that is unfortunate. I know Brady died after writing it, but I'm not sure how long after---is this a cleaned up version of a first draft or a 20th draft? The lack of footnotes or endnotes is troubling because we can't scrutinize his sources or determine where this or that fact came from, and the bibliography isn't much help. Having read the other Basilone book before reading this one, it's apparent that Brady quotes at length, comments, then paraphrases material following the quote at length, and comments. What some may think is his own research-filled descriptions of events are merely rehashed source material.

The book is an exasperating but informative read. You get more details about Basilone, especially with what happened after his death, and some insight into the problems of sorting legend from fact. I recommend that this book be read along with the Jerry Cutter/Jim Proser book since these are the only two books available about John Basilone. A clear and decisive account of Basilone's life may never be written but, taken with a grain or more of salt, both biographies are rewarding in their own ways. As always, it's up to the reader to determine what they want to believe about a legend like John Basilone.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Per FTC rules, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher without regard for this review.

The writer claims in the epilogue that he is neither a scholar nor historian, and this is evident throughout the book as he wanders to and fro among the evidence, or lack thereof, of John Basilone's life and service. I wasn't exactly certain if his goal was to correct information or simply to point out errors, but he does both to an extent. As such, the book is rather a mess, much like the chaos in which Basilone's life ends. Still, there is much to like from a historical and social commentary perspective in this book, thus the 3 stars. I just feel like it could've been so much more had it been written by someone well versed in biography.

[Rob Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero of the Pacific is one of the more interesting World War II reads I've experienced. John Basilone's story is unparalleled. He was a working class second generation Italian-American from Raritan New Jersey who joined the Army prior to WWII and served in the Phillippines. After mustering out of the army he signed on as a Marine and ended up on Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal in 1942, where on a rainy night he killed dozens of Japanese soldiers, ran barefoot back and forth through the firefight with critical ammunition and water supplies (the machine guns were water cooled), and generally held the American line. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and shipped home as a national hero. He spent the next year traveling the country with movie stars on a war bond tour, telling his story again and again.

But Basilone tired of the "dog and pony show" life. He requested that he be put back on active duty, was put in charge of training another machine gun platoon, shipped out, and was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously after he was killed on the first day at Iwo Jima.

In 1943 John Basilone was a national celebrity, a household name. By 2010 he was largely lost to history and the long memories of those who fought with him or knew him. In 2010 Spielberg and Hanks put him at the center of their HBO series The Pacific, and a new generation came to know the story of a simple man who could not stay away from the white hot center of Pacific combat, to whom killing more Japanese soldiers was more important than fame of Life Magazine covers. He was a great American war hero in the mold of Alvin York or Audie Murphy, yet is not remembered like them because he demanded to be sent back into the fray and will stay forever 29 years old, charging.

James Brady's Hero of The Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone is interesting for a number of reasons. For one, Brady passed away the day after finishing Hero of The Pacific. Brady was a marine who commanded a rifle platoon in the Korean War, which he wrote about brilliantly in a memoir called The Coldest War. He wrote books, and he wrote the weekly "In Step With" column at the back of Parade Magazine. So this book features a marine writing about a marine.

Basilone's story told at this distance is much like Rashomon. Basilone was such a heroic and public figure that their are multiple versions of everything from his childhood to his death. Brady examines all of the stories and lets the reader know what he thinks probably happened. This is particularly illuminating with regards to the episodes on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. He also interviews the people on the home front in Raritan and gives a great portrait of America, the small town America that we view as a nostalgic archetype, the small town America from where we get men like John Basilone who fight and die for their country.

Brady writes about those battles in an informative way from the military history perspective without letting units and maneuvers get in the way of telling a compelling story. John Basilone's story is fascinating and probably little known to most people who are not marines or who didn't live in the 1940s. I am glad that James Brady took this book on and finished it as his final work.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book at the library because I've been watching The Pacific on HBO. I was interested in finding out more John Basilone, one of the Marines about whom the Tom Hanks' series is centered.
I found the book confusing to read. The author jumped around in the timeline, and I wasn't always clear as to who he was quoting. I felt that the author's main purpose of the book was to sift through a lot of conflicting information about John Basilone rather than to tell his story. Some things I did take away from the book: John Basilone was a skilled soldier and Marine; he fought heroically, and died heroically. The details are confusing which seems to make sense to me. Although I have never been in battle, I can't imagine it to be anything other than horrible and confusing. I also believe that his other biographers told his story as they believed it to have happened, out of love and admiration, not out of any other motive. Since Basilone apparently never wrote about his experiences, and since all of his personal narrative was part of the War Bonds tour (with government oversight!), there is little primary source. What I found fascinating is that I lived in Bridgewater Township, NJ during from 1963-1970, and I attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School (West). Raritan was "next door". We visited Duke Island Park often, shopped at the Acme on the Somerville Circle, and I was familiar with many of the Raritan locations mentioned in the book. I never heard of John Basilone. Weird.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Overview:
"From the summer of 1943 to early 1945, John Basilone was one of the most famous and admired people in America. As the first enlisted man to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, for extraordinary bravery under fire at Guadalcanal, he toured the nation with movie stars, shared podiums with mayors and governors, shook the hands of thousands of citizens, and was even rumored to have made a romantic connection with a beautiful young actress.

Why would a man who had proven his courage beyond any doubt, who had gone above and beyond the call of duty, and was reaping the rewards of his sacrifice beg his commanding officer to break with tradition and send a Medal of Honor winner back into combat? Legendary columnist James Brady explores this and many other puzzling questions in this thrilling and surprising biography."

For those who like to know more about war stories and battle history they would enjoy this biography of John Basilone. It is a well read story on the audio book and I enjoyed Gardner's narration. While this book is a fascinating account, I did not like some of the language in it. I have an appreciation for biographies, but this one didn't grab me. However, if you are a history buff and want to more about war heroes, this could be a good book for you.

* * * * *

This review copy was provided courtesy of Oasis Audio.

[Phil Elsner]

this book by the late james brady was his last book and it portrayed one of the heroes of world war two that fought in the pacific theatre.his name was john basilone ,he was a gunnery sargent in the marines and he was killed on the first day after landing under heavy enemy fire on an island called iwo jima.and he had previously won the medal of honor at guadalcanal in 1942.he was a regular guy who became a hero to every marine and sailor for his bravery under fire.most people today dont know, who he was except for his home town in new jersey.and the hbo series the pacific recently shown on tv.and as a navy veteran who served on board a ship during vietnam which had marines on board along with us sailors i was proud to have served with these men.thank you .phil

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook after watching the HBO miniseries, The Pacific, because I wanted to learn more about one of the main characters. What I didn't realize is that the author, James Brady, would offer his opinion on each step of John's life throughout the text. While it was interesting to learn about Manilla John it was frustrating to keep listening to the author's opinion. I like my non-fiction books to just give me the facts and let me decide my own opinion. In fact, I wouldn't have minded Brady sharing his thoughts in the epilogue. Yet, each chapter was brimming with his concerns on the accuracy of John's tale. Overall, I think this book would have been better in book form rather then audiobook, because I could have skimmed.

[Up2orbit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was less a story about John Basilone (WWII machine gunner, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor) and more of a critical discussion of what has been written about him over the years. The author compares stories his sister wrote about him to other records such as the official Marine Corps historical records. He pretty much rips apart the sister's writings for her novelization and her inaccurate descriptions of infantry tactics.

I liked the book because it was was well written and engaging. However, if you want to learn about John Basilone, I do not recommend reading it since you could probably get equivalent information from Wikipedia or watching the recent HBO series The Pacific.

[Shannon T.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

with some better editing this book might have been okay.

i'm not sure what the deal is: the author died right after the completion of the book so i think that might have something to do with it. i also feel like the book might have been rushed out in order to be ready before HBO starts airing their mini-series. whatever the reason, the book seriously needed work.

it was repetitive, jumped from time period to time period, and was short on facts. over and over the author concluded that we would just never know what really happened.

a very frustrating read about someone who does seem to be an interesting guy and have an interesting story.

[Relstuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall a little disjointed. The author will get going in narrative and then break off to tell you why the book by his family got something wrong. There are gaps in what the author can find out in parts of Basilone's life because he didn't write things in his diary and if he wrote home his letters have been lost.

Basilone the man was interesting and his story is worthy of remembrance. I just hope this isn't the definitive version of his life. He married a fellow Marine and they were together for around 6 months before he shipped out a second time. After his death she never re-married. Always saying once you have had the best how could she settle for less?

[Dgldover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography lacks organization, editing, and focus, not to mention the endless repetion and the snide remarks Brady delivers regarding previously written books on John Basilone. Even the Wikepedia article about Basilone better captures the essence of this World War II Marine. Brady died the day after he completed his book. Perhaps the family and/or editors considered the work sacrosanct and refused to rewrite some of Brady's inane remarks and his more glaring criticism of other writers. While Brady served in Korea as a Marine, his personal experiences have nothing to do with Basilone; as a journalist, Brady should have focused on the facts and dispensed with the personal comments.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Manila John" Basilone was a genuine war hero and Jim Brady, in the last book he would ever write, tries admirably to separate fact from the considerable fiction that surrounds Basilone's legendary exploits on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

Brady, first and foremost a journalist (he wrote the "In Step With" column in Parade for years) did outstanding research for this book and his love of the Marine Corps comes through loud and clear. He died the day after he finished this book; his daughters wrote the 'Acknowledgements".

Well done and Semper Fi, Lieutenant Brady.

[Richard Gullickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Describes the life of John Basilone, USMC Marine Corps machine gunner and congressional medal of honor winner at Guadalcanal who socialized with movie stars on a war bonds tour but fought to return to the Pacific. Unfortunately, just after getting married, he was killed on his first day on the beach at Iwo Jima. He is one of three soldiers featured in the current HBO series, "The Pacific." This would be a better book if the author, James Brady, had focused on Basilone instead of critiquing other books on the topic.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

A not particularly well written bio. of "Manila John" Basilone. It relies on dubious accounts that were written soon after the war by family members, but doesn't clear up many inconsistencies.
Granted, the author does point out the mistakes of previous bios., but this book brings us no closer to the man.
While Basilone's courage is not in question, we will likely never know the full details of his Guadalcanal heroics or the circumstances under which he was killed.
Perhaps it's enough to say he earned his Medal of Honor and move on.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that this book is disjointed and poorly edited...clearly still an unpolished work. Nevertheless, it is an interesting read and a good illustration of the challenges historians face in reconstructing the past in the face of conflicting evidence. The author clearly put a great deal of effort and passion into trying to track down an evaluate many facets of Basilone's story. I hope that the publisher will revise this book and tighten up the narrative (it sometimes reads as though the author forgot that he told you something a few pages back).