Regarded as one of the best memoirs ever about World War II, E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed (published in 1981, over 35 years after he fought in the Pacific). Sledge began to write the memoir in 1944 based off the notes he took during battle. It gives a first-hand, brutally honest account of Sledge's time in the Pacific -- no holds bar. Sledge, who was at the Battles of Peleliu and Okinawa, details the Allied strategy called Island Hopping, as well as things like the conditions the soldiers had to fight in, how war changed the soldiers that fought, and even things like how the soldiers feared Banzai attacks. It is a story of the horrors of war and just how difficult it is to fight it -- for civilians and soldiers alike.
Upon release, With the Old Breed received nearly universally positive reviews from soldiers and the general public. The New York Times loved the book, calling it "an intimate look at terror in World War II" and "vivid," especially in Sledge's use of figurative language. Echoing The New York Times' sentiments, historian Paul Fussell said that With the Old Breed "is one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war." In fact, the book was so well-received, it was used to help and create the acclaimed documentary series The War and the equally well-received miniseries The Pacific.
