Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die: Memoirs of a World War I Marine

by Elton Mackin

In the tradition of All Quiet on the Western Front, Elton E. Mackin’s memoirs are a haunting portrayal of war as seen through the eyes of a highly decorated Marine who fought in every Marine Brigade battle from Belleau Wood to the crossing of the Meuse on the eve of the Armistice.Praise for Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die“This beautifully written and truly gripping war memoir is a significant addition to battlefield literature. A minor classic . . . An altogether remarkable job [comparable] to Crane, Remarque and Mailer. Deserves the widest possible audience.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer “This immediate, eloquent report merit[s] comparison with Thomas Boyd’s Marine Corps [1923] classic Through the wheat.”—Publishers Weekly   “A real a highly mannered World War I diary, published nearly 80 years after being written and 20 years after its author’s death. Bright snapshots abound…sometimes a young man’s lyricism takes over [but] the horror of war never departs. The diary has the faults one expects, and the promise one prays for. A fine addition to WWI literature.”—Kirkus Reviews   “A forthright, eloquent, and powerful memoir certain to become an enduring testament to the drama and tragedy of World War I. Threaded with no small measure of poetry, this superb memoir is sure to become a classic.”—Great Battles   “A plain but powerful tale . . . [in] vivid prose loaded with details that bring the horrors of World War I to life, he tells an exceptional new version of the old story of battle transforming a boy into a veteran.”—American Library Association Booklist   “To the ranks of Erich Maria Remarque, E.E. Cummings, John Dos Passos and Siegfried Sassoon, we must now add Elton Mackin . . . who, in a terse style reminiscent of Hemingway, [succeeds] in making someone unfamiliar with war truly now the frightfulness of the trenches and the greatness of the many men who fought in them.”—Marine Corps Gazette

Genres: History, World War I, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Memoir, War, Biography

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[☄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

so many died that night, short hours away from armistice. they had held on to hope in spite of everything.

started out by dog-earing every page that moved, startled, or gave me pause, and ended up dog-earing the entire book.... this one is vying for remarque's spot at the top of my list. could and should be taught alongside all quiet, which it resembles in so many haunting ways.

the irony alone is so devastating! it could be squeezed out of this book like water out of a wet towel. & the prose – mackin has such an artist's way with language. his writing is so perfectly immersive, i felt like i was moving right alongside him thru those golden wheat fields at belleau wood, early june...

[Mark Mortensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mackin’s first hand account of his thoughts and adventures during WWI in the Marine Corps are very enlightening and historic to all. My grandfather, the patriarch of my family whom I knew very well, served alongside Mackin within the glorious 1st Battalion 5th Regiment. The Marines, who bonded closely together for a common purpose were labeled as “Devil Dogs” and known to be proud members of the “Old Breed”.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required for American Military History (1903-present) and having known nothing of WW1 and even less of what real war is like I really enjoyed this memoir, and I ESPECIALLY loved the vignette-style 4 to 5 page “chapters,” snapshots of the war written in an almost poetic way. A fabulous war memoir to be sure.

[Tj Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die
By Elton Mackin
Review By TJ Long
A3 English

I read "Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die" by Elton Mackin. The narrative is about a marine who faught in WWI and wrote about his first hand experiences in battles and everyday life while being at war. I think the authors purpose was to show how you face the thrill and terror during war and dealing with the awe of seeing men die next to you in battle.

I think the theme of this book is how men accommodate themselves to the terrifying realization that they are in a hopeless situation in which they will most likely be killed, and there is nothing they can do to prevent it. Many times during this book Elton Mackin was in battle situations when men all around him that he knew were dying and he stayed strong and didnt give in to the fear and terror of dying and did what he could to survive. Mackin never showed any signs of weakness.

This book is a narrative. Elton Mackin wrote about his first hand accounts during his service in WWI. Mackin is telling the story therefore it is a narrative. I think the style of writing was very effective because I got to see a hostile situation through someone else's eyes and I got to see what he was feeling during these times. Mackin shares his personal thoughts and experiences on what he dealt with and overcame during WWI.

I found this book very inspiring. The author shared some terrifying details and events that happened to him and I don't think I could have ever overcame some of the things that Mackin dealt with. What I really liked about this book is how Elton Mackin stayed strong through all the ups and downs during his service in WWI. He fought in many battles and lost many friends and never showed any signs of weakness. I did not dislike anything about this book and i would rate it 5 out of 5. This is a great book with a great theme and I've never read anything like it.

[Emily Batka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elton Mackin’s published WWI memoirs described in Suddenly we didn’t want to die accurately describe the routine life of an honorable WWI soldier. He describes the hardships and traumatic moments that him and his fellow runners had to endure. Suddenly we didn’t want to die tells the story of a young man, forced into the life of a WWI soldier.
Mackin’s acclaimed book is typically composed of short stories from his time over by Europe. He describes his job as a runner and how it came to be. He also explains that his life as a runner was determined in hours; you couldn’t expect, fully expect to see tomorrow. But Elton survived. He tells of people in the field who naturally varied from him also. Such as a young boy who chose to fight, but was sent home because he was too young and even though he could have stayed despite his injuries, they sent him home to live his life. Stories like these are what Mackin describes in his 6 months over near Europe.
This book is for anyone who love non-fiction, but also for people who are trying to experience new writing. I myself am mostly a fan of fiction stories, but after a few pages, you get to fully understand the meaning of Mackin’s words. Its great for anyone who is interested in WWI also.

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, if somewhat frustrating book.

Mackin as a very vivid voice as an author, and he gives the reader a clear look at how men of his generation put themselves through war.

On the other hand, the book consists of 'chapters' of varying lengths. Some take several pages and feel like short stories. Others are two or three pages, sometimes even one page, which gave me a "start/stop" feel about the book and made it hard to make progress.

Having a map or two would have helped the book enormously.

Still, I am glad I read this book and I recommend it to anyone interested in the American experience of the First World War.

[E B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book about a WW1 runner. Runners were an interesting side of the WW1 battlefield, but I had no idea that they were strictly volunteer jobs.

The other amazing thing about the book is how it tackles the idea of "how could these men/boys go over the top day after day into no mans land". Between the desire to impress your fellow soldiers, not be considered a coward and to prove you were tough; its amazing to hear some of the ways replacements were turned into veterans, or died quickly on the battlefield. Its a wonder anyone made it through WW1, especially a runner.

[Adelbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great personal account of a young Marine's experience in WWI. Writing style is interesting with short concise chapters recounting specific events. It is like having a conversation with him.
Highly recommended first person account of the American infantryman/rifleman's experience of the western front in the six months of the war.

[William Corrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best book ive read from men who suffered in the trenches. The author has an almost poetic prose and shares memoirs of horror, sadness, and surprisingly, humor. He shares the hopes of a generation that found itself lost in the mud of a war that wasnt theirs to fight. An absolute MUST read.

[Roxanne Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

WW2 French front, Execution of the Schlieffen Plan. The descriptions of traveling through villages expand the history book "this happened, then this, then this" bland itinerary into a real life experience.

[Bob Colvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on the experience of the war. Valuable to the WW1 historian.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories of what the life of Marine in WWI's trenches was like.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

(had to read for class, resulting in some sections being read super in depth, while other I read through quickly)

[Chris Isleib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Among the best books I will ever read. Poetic, in its short-paragraph structure, and its endless flow of poignant /striking observations.

[Jason Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Combat Memior

More than any other memoir, Mackin’s writings about his time on the Western Front in WWI are the most prolific, to me.

[George Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good, if not better, than All Quiet on the Western Front.

[Charlie Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very interesting. War books are always really good when I read them. Elton E. Mackin was the soldier's name. He is from The United States.The missions and tasks Elton had to go through were very harsh. He started off as a regular soldier. Then one of the generals said he needs a couple of runners. Elton at first didn't want to do it at first, but when the general came up to him face to face asking him if he wants to do it, Elton just couldn't back down. He volunteered for the job as the runner and went through many challenges along the way to victory. Elton was on the front line the war. His life was in jeopardy 100% of the path through the war. I liked this book because the plot was really good and war books are just my thing.

[Miguel Bohrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUDDENLY WE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE
BY: Elton E. Mackin


What's the authors purpose of writing this book? The author's purpose of writing this book is to inform the reader of what his experiences were like during WW1.I believe the author wants you to understand the great sacrifices made during the war and how scared they were but could not show it. I think that the title " SUDDENLY WE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE" supports my opinion.
This book follows a young Marine named Elton E. Mackin who has just joined the Marine Corps. Mackin a replacement had to join the 1st battalion 5th Marines a couple of days after the 5th Marines were put into action at Bellea Wood one of the most ferocious battles of WW1. This book is a first person narrative told through Mackin and his experiences as a Marine replacement. Mackin writes this book in a narrative point of view. He tells you what he saw when he was there as a young marine. There are some notes in the book that have a descriptive writing style to them as well. This style helps the reader know and understand Mackin and the events he went through during the war.
The theme of this book is that a soldier can't have emotion, because they have a job to do. I think the quote, " We had no emotions,because soldiers cant show emotion." supports this statement. The book has many quotes and other details that show Marines had to deal with their emotions differently during war time than peace time. This is a hard life, but as a soldier you have to survive so you can't let your emotions get the best of you. Elton E. Mackin tells you how they handled their emotions.
I thought this book was very depressing, but a true account of a Marine's life in battle, daily life, and the struggle of how they coped in all the madness. I liked how it told how rough and brutal war really is and how the outcome of a soldier might change his life forever.
This book taught me more things about how this was a brutal war just like any other war, and how most of the time the outcome is usually the same for the soldiers who come out of it alive. I did not dislike anything about this book. I would not change anything about this book. I read another book called "With The Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa". It was about a soldier during WWII. It was just as good as this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about WW1 or already likes reading about WW1. This is a excellent book.

[Trevor Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the authors purpose of writing this book was to show his experiences during the first World War. Suddenly We Didn't Want To Die was written by Elton E. Mackin talking about his war experiences during World War 1. Elton was apart of the Marine Corps and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. I believe the authors purpose was to inform the reader about how hard it was to learn to act like a man and not show weakness at a young age during the war. The author wrote about the battles that he took place in and how he lost many of his friends during battle to help the readers understand how scary the war was for a young kid.

The theme that the author was trying to express was that during World War 1 many young boys went out and fought for our country. Many of them going into the war didn't realize how scary and life changing the war really was. The boys had to mature into men quickly during the war. The theme is that young boys went to war not realizing how scary and dangerous it really is and that they had to become men quickly in order to survive.

The style that the author used in the book was narrative. He describes his experiences in the book like a story. He talks in third person because he talks about himself but calls himself Slim in the book. He tell the battles that he was in as if they were a story. He changed some of the peoples names in the story for personal reasons. One way I knew this was a narrative book was when Elton was describing the first battle scene and how he used dialogue with all the characters involved in the battle.

My opinion on this book is that i liked when they were in battle but i didn't like when he got to the dry parts of the book when nothing was really going on. I also liked how he turned his battle experiences into a story because i think that makes the reader more interested in the book. I am not a big fan of nonfiction books but I did not mind this book at all because if seemed like fiction because he made it into a story instead of just facts. It was also interesting to me because I like action books and war books and this book is all about war.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s purpose of writing this book was that it was his diary of World War I and that if you push on that you can defeat almost any enemy of your life. He has not written any other books. In this book he has been put in to the battlefield in World War I. The battlefield that he is put in is in Germany. He is forced to be put through training to be combat ready, he has to deal with mean people on the front lines, he is fighting for his life, and he is worrying about his family at home. The author kept me interested by having short quick diary entries (basically chapters). He also had a different topic for every entry. The theme is that if you work at stuff that you don’t always want to you still can achieve your goal. The style was a narration because it was in order by what had happened in World War I. This was a nonfiction book. I know it was nonfiction because it was an autobiography. I believe that the author has a good way of writing his book. It was in order, was very easy to understand and read, and it was about some American 1900s history. I thought that the book was average. He could have had a little more detail about his daily life in war. I would change that there should had been more detail added to the book. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes World War I.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a page, no maybe a paragraph, about WWI was all the coverage alloted in history class. Such a difficult war. Tanks were on the drawing board. The only way to advance the army was to charge through the grenades and machine guns. Otherwise, dig trenches and hold out. The author gives a fascinating picture of what fighting was like and how the young soldiers confronted fear.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good first person reflection of the closing day of the war by a young Marine. His account and reflections of the terrible conditions, desire to do his duty without "getting killed for nothing" with an end in view, truly helps one in sympathizing for those that fight what the politicians start.

[Homerun2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless story of a young man in a time of war, in this case the slaughter of World War One. This memoir is an articulate and poignant look at the author's service during some of the fiercest fighting of 1918: the battles of Belleau Wood and the Meuse-Argonne. A powerful book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating accounts of a young man's experiences at the tail end of the war. Felt like I was there as he described what he went through.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning, beautiful, and moving memoir of WWI. If you like memoirs, or war books, or both, then you definitely need to read this book.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to know more about WW I but don't want to read a dry history book. This is a great first hand account of a man that lived through the war. Very recommended