Book Review: With the Old Breed by EB Sledge

It's almost incomprehensible to read what author EB Sledge and the Marines in the Pacific theater had to go through in WWII. The conditions were so dangerous, the landscapes so different, the missions so life-threatening that it's hard to believe that human beings actually did this.

Not only that, but Sledge was in the Officer Training Corps at Georgia Tech, but when he found out how long it would take to see the field of battle he dropped out so he could put boots on the ground as a private.

With the Old Breed has been hailed as an amazing work, and rightfully so - it is comprehensive and absolutely gripping. It's also very well-rounded - it's hardly a rah-rah piece and seems to mostly exist to show how inhuman the concept of war actually is. There are great characters who are introduced throughout the book, followed by footnotes denoted when they were shot in the head in another battle. There are teenagers being kept alive by a tin of food a day, a few hours of sleep in a foxhole, and just a few drops of water from a barrel that used to hold diesel fuel being told to get up and charge some caves. Just jaw-dropping.

This is an absolute must-read for everyone, especially around Veteran's Day. Recommended - ten out of ten hot dogs.