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    Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific
    Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific
    Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific
    Audiobook6 hours

    Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific

    Written by R.V. Burgin and William Marvel

    Narrated by Sean Runnette

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    This is an eyewitness-and eye-opening-account of some of the most savage and brutal fighting in the war against Japan, told from the perspective of a young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps to escape a life as a traveling salesman. R. V. Burgin enlisted at the age of twenty and, with his sharp intelligence and earnest work ethic, climbed the ranks from a green private to a seasoned sergeant. Along the way, he shouldered a rifle as a member of a mortar squad. He saw friends die and enemies killed. He saw scenes he wanted to forget but never did-from enemy snipers who tied themselves to branches in the highest trees, to ambushes along narrow jungle trails, to the abandoned corpses of hara kiri victims, to the final howling banzai attacks as the Japanese embraced their inevitable defeat.

    An unforgettable narrative of a young Marine in combat, Islands of the Damned brings to life the hell that was the Pacific War.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 2, 2010
    ISBN9781400184644
    Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific

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    Reviews for Islands of the Damned

    4.5/5

    137 ratings16 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Very succinct and to the point biography about the battles on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Sometimes it’s painful to hear about the moments these heroes went though. The pain, blood, and tears. It should never be forgotten. Best quote:

      “What sticks with me now is not so much the pain and terror and sorrow of the war, though I remember that well enough. What really sticks with me is the honor I had of defending my country, and of serving in the company of these men.”
    • 5/5
      Great book detailing the history of 3/5K in the Pacific during WWII. It also illustrates the importance of the sacrifice of great men that America has made to preserve the free world. We must never forget our history and who we are.
    • 5/5
      A great listen. The stuff the men had to endure was unimaginable in my mind. I learned a lot from this book and the amount of respect I have for the veterans of war is more then I can say with words.it is a shame that they don't teach about what so many people have fought and died so we can have freedom.
    • 5/5
      Really good I enjoyed this and will never forget or will my kids.
      Thanks for your service Marine.
    • 5/5
      A really well written book that keeps your attention the whole way through
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book, I was a Mortarman with the 5th Marines & I carried a mortar in the Okinawa jungle during training. The Peleliu & Okinawa campaigns were tough battles for the Marines, and it was easy to put myself there as I got into this audiobook.
    • 5/5
      Great book, great story. I fancy myself as a history buff when it comes to WW2 and I admit I had never heard of Peleliu. I highly recommend to those who like first hand accounts.
    • 5/5
      Loved it! Real no bullshit, down to earth story telling. Highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      First hand account of marine fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese. The brutality and terrible conditions were a revelation.
    • 4/5
      Blood Red Snow and Islands of the damned tell two tales worth reading. This will serve as a review for two WW2 memoirs that unrelated by distance and disparate cultures are inexorably bound by the profound similarities of their wartime experiences. One was a heavy machine gunner for the German Wehrmacht and the second was a mortar gunner for the US Marine Corp. Both started as replacements but were very soon the veterans. Both served in hellishly brutal campaigns; one started at Stalingrad and fought all the way back to Germany during the retreat from Russia, the other was part of four island landings, Peleliu and Okinawa the two notable for their US casualties, as part of the "Old Breed" in the Pacific".Not authors but storytellers as they describe the wounding and deaths of their comrades some of whom, they never knew their names. Neither side was taking prisoners and it seemed appropriate given the circumstances. Heroism abounded and ineptitude at the command level was a frequent cause of casualties. Bad food, no food, frostbite and trench foot, mud, as well as snow, became part of their daily lives. Disease, accidents and friendly fire killed or wounded more men than did the enemy's weapons. Hitler's and Tojo's ambitions sent them to a war that became a fight to the bitter end. Their experiences clearly demonstrate that "War is Hell
    • 5/5
      A wonderful first-person view of the some the most fierce fighting during WW2. R.V. Burgin is a naturally likable person and his personality and character comes through in his autobiography. Great insight on what it means to be a Marine and how one deals successfully with life in combat.
    • 3/5
      There is great power in reading the story of someone that has actually been there. This is the not the back seat telling of war from the scholars desk. It is the front line experiences of a man that lived through some of the most brutal combat of the Pacific Islands during WWII.

      He does no sugar coat what it was like. He tells funny things that happened. Describes training, transport, time off, as well was the trials of combat. If you want to understand what it would have been like to have been a Marine in this conflict this is the book to read.

      The style is engaging and personal and the author keeps you informed of the big picture going on while he is over there but focuses on what he experienced. An excellent memoir.
    • 4/5
      Easy to listen to (excellent narrator) book about WWII stories in the Pacific. I thought it was very similar to With the Old Breed (Eugene Sledge) in style and, of course, content (because Mr. Sledge was in the same outfit as Mr. Burgin). I found it funny that RV Burgin occasionally said "I didn't agree with Sledge" about some person and then proceeded to describe the person exactly as Sledge described him... so he actually kinda DID agree but I guess RV Burgin was a bit more generous in his friendship. I just found it funny.
    • 5/5
      Excellent and honest look at the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa as seen through the memory of R.V. Burgin. The prose is simple but engaging. He points out at various times when he doesnt agree with fellow vet and author Eugene Sledge's book 'With the Old Breed' which is fine but at the same time I feel those little things couldve been left out. Regardless thats the only nitpick I have with this book.
    • 4/5
      Burgin joined the U.S. marines in November 1942 and served to the last battle on Okinawa. He served in Company K, Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, First Marine Division battling his way across the Pacific Islands of New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa. He found the Marine rest area on the pacific island of Pavuvu a very unpleasant place as well.if you have watched the TV series Pacific, you may recognize his name as he is depicted in the series because as the Sergeant in charge of mortars in Company K, he had Eugene Sledge as an ammo carrier. Sledge wrote With the Old Breed, one of the books used as the basis for the program.Life as a Marine fighting fanatical Japanese soldiers was full of terror, horror, and disgusting scenes but there were those humorous moments. He is candid about some of the accidents that occurred in the heat of battle. A very vivid picture of war in the Pacific as seen by the man on the ground.
    • 5/5
      R.V. Burgin's book is a must read for those who are interested in a first hand account of some of the hellacious Pacific Battles (Peleliu, Okinawa). Burgin did an excellent job detailing his first hand experiences in some of the Pacific battles. He meshed the battles nicely with the USMC life in between the battles on Pavuvu.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am so glad that I purchased it. This is a definite keeper for my book collection! The book was a very fast paced read that left me with chills at times. I have also read Leckie's, Helmet For My Pillow. With all do respect to Leckie, read Burgin's account if you are looking for more information about the actual battles.