For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the authors best ideas. Robert leckie was 21 when he enlisted in the us marine corps in january 1942. Woven throughout are leckies hardwon, eloquent, and thoroughly unsentimental meditations on the meaning of war and why we fight. Sep 10, 2017 robert leckies helmet for my pillow is his account of combat with the first marine division in the pacific during the second world war. Licensed to youtube by umg on behalf of kid ina korner interscope. I thought hfmp would be a rehash of the same, but its told by a different kind of writer. The title of this book is helmet for my pillow bantam war book series and it was written by robert leckie. Audible studios, in partnership with playtone, the production company c. Helmet for my pillow is a grand and epic prose poem. The purely human experience of war in the pacific, written in the graceful imagery of a human.
A bullet or a mortar fragment had torn a hole in these frail vessels and the substance had leaked out. He enlisted in the united states marine corps on the day following the attack on pearl. I got both these books at a church garage sale during a fill a bag for a buck sale. Feb 03, 2011 helmet for my pillow is a grand and epic prose poem. Robert leckie is the protagonist and author of the book helmet for my pillow from parris island.
Feb 02, 2010 this is a book that brings you as close to the mud, the blood, and the experience of war as it is safe to come. Helmet for my pillow penguin random house secondary education. Mypillow the national sleep foundation who supposedly recommends the my pillow is a fraud. Unparalleled in its immediacy and accuracy, helmet for my pillow is a gripping account from an ordinary soldier fighting in extraordinary conditions. Helmet for my pillow illustrated edition bookshare. From parris island to the pacific is the title of the memoirs of pfc. It was published by bantam and has a total of 295 pages in the book. The story is about a man named robert leckie who fought in world war two as us marine.
He said i have to tell the story of how it really was. The whisper of the kunai, the murmur of the sea, the sighing palm and night so calm betray no enemy. Within another twentyfour hours we would not dare address a lowly pfc. Mar 28, 2014 the cover of the book has a quote from tom hanks. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Leckie was awarded five battle stars, the naval commendation medal with combat v, and the purple heart. From parris island to the pacific by robert leckie free copies june 6, 2019 0 comments in for young adults. Since 1939 that the project had started to harness the power of nuclear energy, they had done it. It does not delve into the technical nor does it have the staccatolike narration i usually relate with history, specially war. The celebrated 2010 hbo miniseries the pacific, winner of eight emmy awards, was based on two classic books about the war in the pacific, helmet for my pillow and with the old breed. Helmet for my pillow bantam war book series by robert.
Unparalleled in its immediacy and accuracy, helmet for my pillow tells the gripping true story of an ordinary soldier fighting in extraordinary conditions. Tom hanks, one of the executive producers, has written and narrated an original introduction to helmet for my pillow, where he describes his appreciation for the book s author, the narrators, and the soldiers who had fought in the cauldron of the pacific theater during world war ii. This particular edition is in a mass market paperback format. Jul 18, 2007 its called helmet for my pillow and was written by robert leckie 19202001 who served as a machine gunner in the first marine division and survived the war to become a sports writer and.
In helmet for my pillow we follow his odyssey, from basic training on parris island, south carolina, all the way to the raging battles in the pacific, where some of the wars fiercest fighting took place. Unparalleled in its immediacy and accuracy, helmet for my pillow will leave no reader untouched. He joined in 1942 and arrived on guadalcanal after the. Helmet for my pillow illustrated edition by robert leckie book. From parris island to the pacific robert leckie author. Helmet for my pillow audiobook robert leckie audible. First published in 1957, the story begins with leckies enlisting in the united states marines shortly after the 1941 attack on pearl harbor. Read helmet for my pillow from parris island to the pacific by robert leckie available from rakuten kobo. And it was helmet for my pillow and then i did strongmen armed and a thing about growing up, lord, what a family, and then idoubleday, world, harperso.
A helmet for my pillow, a poncho for my bed, my rifle rests across my chest the stars swing overhead. Raised in rutherford, new jersey, he started writing professionally at age sixteen, covering sports for the bergen evening record of hackensack. Helmet for my pillow is leckies first and bestselling book, and he went on to write more than 40 books on american war history, though helmet for my pillow is still leckies bestselling book to this very day. Robert leckies theme is the purely human experience of war in the pacific, written in the graceful imagery of a human being who somehow survived. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. This is a book that brings you as close to the mud, the blood. From parris island to the pacific 9780553593310 by leckie, robert and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. I listened to the audio version of the book, and it was cogent and wellpaced.
In 1945 the so called manhattan project was a sucess. Book report on robert leckies helmet for my pillow mrs. Audible studios, in partnership with playtone, the. This world war ii classic is the story of the author, robert leckie. Robert leckies helmet for my pillow is his account of combat with the first marine division in the pacific during the second world war. Sep 12, 2010 robert leckie is the protagonist and author of the book helmet for my pillow from parris island. Dec 24, 2001 he said i have to tell the story of how it really was. Now producers tom hanks, steven spielberg, and gary goetzman, the men behind band of brothers, have adapted material from helmet for my pillow for hbos epic miniseries the pacific, which will thrill and edify a whole new generation.
Jun 06, 2019 robert leckies helmet for my pillow has been my single favorite military book for over 30 years. In helmet for my pillow, robert leckie enlisted in the united states marine corps in january 1942, shortly after the japanese attack on pearl harbor. In helmet for my pillow we follow his journey, from boot camp on parris island, south. Robert leckie was the author of more than thirty works of military history as well as marines, a collection of short stories, and lord, what a family. And you will be reading it and people in the other room will ask you whats so funny. Helmet for my pillow by robert leckie and john allen. Helmet for my pillow is the personal narrative written by world war ii united states marine corps veteran, author, and military historian robert leckie. First published in 1957, it formed the basis for the 2010 hbo miniseries the pacific which i have not seen. He is a world war ii veteran and describes what it is like in the united states marine corps and how he endures the pain and devastating days of the horrors of world war ii against the japanese. Helmet for my pillow by robert leckie overdrive rakuten. From parris island to the pacific ebook written by robert leckie. Helmet for my pillow ebook by robert leckie 9780553907483. I was given this book by a veteran named robert brutinel who had served in the marine paratroops.
Leckie subsequently wrote more than 40 books on american war history, spanning. From parris island to the pacific, helmet for my pillow. Mar 09, 2017 this is a book that brings you as close to the mud, the blood, and the experience of war as it is safe to come. And it was from this moment that we dated the feeling of what is called expendability. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read helmet for my pillow. All armies have expendable items, that is, a part or unit the destruction of which will not be fatal to the whole. Written from the perspective of a young participant in the great endeavor that was world war ii, it is a soulful, wrenching, humorous, and insightful account of one youths journey into manhood via the pacific campaigns spearheaded by the. Oct 05, 2011 this is a book that brings you as close to the mud, the blood, and the experience of war as it is safe to come.
Began with random house, and my editor there was bob loomis, and it was his first book and my first book. Here is one of the most riveting firstperson accounts to ever come out of the second world war. Robert leckies theme is the purely human experience of war in the pacific, written in the graceful imagery of a human being whosomehowsurvived. Helmet for my pillow is a classic, required reading for any student of the pacific war, because the author participated in every major 1st marine division campaign, except okinawa. While sledge is thoughtful, simple in his prose, and sees most things through a moral lens, robert leckie is. She absolutely loved that one, but we finished it tonight and i need a new book fast. Its called helmet for my pillow and was written by robert leckie 19202001 who served as a machine gunner in the first marine division and survived the war to become a sports writer and. This riveting firstperson account follows his odyssey from basic training on parris island, south carolina, all the way to the raging battles in the pacific, where some of the wars fiercest. Feb 26, 2010 this is a book that brings you as close to the mud, the blood, and the experience of war as it is safe to come. Helmet for my pillow random house, 1957 was his first book. Helmet for my pillow from parris island to the pacific.
Helmet for my pillow is quite unlike other biographical accounts of war that i have read. Robert leckie quotes author of helmet for my pillow. The book should not be read only for the study in leadership, but also from the perspective of a marine engaged in a seemingly endless conflict. From audiofile the late author, who was a journalist before he joined the marine corps in 1942, wrote a humorous history of his wwii experiences. Helmet for my pillow is the personal narrative written by world war ii united states marine. Helmet for my pillow is told from an enlisted mans point of view.
From parris island to the pacific by leckie, robert and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Robert leckie that was written after his participation in the war, which became one of the main sources for the hbo miniseries, the pacific contentsshow history according to his wife, vera leckie, the book was first conceived in 1951 after leckie saw a musical broadway show called south pacific which. She is able to deal with concepts such as characters dying and similar tough. The inspiration behind the hbo series the pacific here is one of the most riveting firstperson accounts to ever come. Robert leckie enlisted in the united states marine corps in january 1942, shortly after the japanese attack on pearl harbor. Im very familiar with hbos series the pacific and was wondering which of these two books i should read first. I recently read the analog to this book, with the old breed by eugene sledge, about many of the same marine engagements in the south pacific during wwii.
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