Memorial Day books
It's always a good time to remember the men and women who have died to keep us free, but there's no better time than the Memorial Day weekend. Here are some suggested readings:
Leathernecks (Naval Institute Press, $60, 352 pages) by Merrill L. Bartlett and Jack Sweetman. Publishers Weekly praised this significantly updated version of The U.S. Marine Corps: An Illustrated History, noting that the illustrations have been overhauled and the text adds a chapter analyzing the corps' contributions to the war on terror. Newcomers will find even more useful the opening chapter, a survey of marine forces since antiquity, and the comprehensive overview of the U.S. Marines' history, PW said.
We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories From the Band of Brothers by Marcus Brotherton (Berkley, $24.95, 320 pages) On D-Day, Easy Company parachuted into Normandy and the Germans in a series of uphill battles. Twenty members of Easy Company recall their victories and defeats.
Easy Company Soldier by Sgt. Don Malarkey (with Bob Welch; St. Martin’s, $14.95, 304 pages) The paratrooper recalls the battles he and his fellow soldiers fought after landing in Normandy.
Iwo Jima: World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific by Larry Smith (W.W. Norton, $17.95, 384 pages) Smith interviewed a variety of military men who were involved in Operation Detachment — wrestling a strategic island from Japanese control.
The Box From Braunau by Jan Elvin (Amacom, $24.95, 272 pages) After decades of wondering, the author explored her father’s involvement in World War II. This is father-daughter memoir at its most poignant.
Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front by Todd DePastino (W.W. Norton, $16.95, 369 pages) Mauldin spoke for the American soldier in World War II through his famous cartoon characters, the infantrymen Willie and Joe. This is his biography.
A Tale of Two Subs by Jonathan J. McCullough (Grand Central, $14.99, 304 pages) The author traces the histories and drama of sister submarines — the USS Sculpin and USS Sailfish — during World War II.
Faces of War by Mark D. Faram (Berkley, $29.95, 256 pages) The daring men of the Aviation Photographic Unit chronicled World War II via their artistic black-and-white photos. An interesting story with great photos (includes a CD).
Soldiers Once by Catherine Whitney (Da Capo, $25, 240 pages) The author’s brother was among the many young men traumatized by his military tour in the Vietnam War. Through his story — which ended in his tragic death at age 53 — she “puts a face on veterans’ policies.”
Wiser in Battle by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez (Harper, $16.99, 528 pages) The former commander of coalition forces in Iraq offers a surprisingly candid, behind-the-scenes account of the conflagration there.
From wire reports
