An agonizing reminder of the futility, horror and loss from war.  Yes, a thread of grace, but so very slender a thread.
937171
The author acqauints us with the cast of characters and then we have to watch as they are destroyed one by one.  I cannot refrain from asking over and over again WHY??  We do not learn to treasure and value human life; instead we destroy it bit by bit in deference to one piece of political loyalty or another, but we also see the hate which that engenders in all but a few.
 I am not good at a technical review, only able to praise the intensity with which I was given the scene by the skill of this author.  Not for the easily depressed!!
883482
This is a personal account of the harrowing and brutal fighting and horror these brave men faced and hand-to-hand fighting seemingly without parallel in the annals of U.S. warfare.

These are the unrelenting, earth shattering and macabre experiences that show how their love for each other did as much for their perseverence as any training or experience ever did. Courage beyond belief, and tragedy without let up until literally the last volleys were expended, and the last Japs and Marines, dead.

They lived with death, dying and destruction, artillery noise that shattered eardrums,unthinkable wounds, concussions, shattered bodies hanging in trees, screaming and insanity often minute by minute hour by hour day by day and sometimes, week by week...without letup. Add to those elements, dysentery, pneumonia, walking wounded, the physically and mentally missing...get the picture?

AND YET, THEY WERE VICTORIOUS WITHOUT EXCEPTION!

Read these old breeds then ask yourself, "Could I ever begin to muster up to what it takes to wear the Eagle Globe and Anchor"? Their grandsons are today guarding what we all should be so grateful for here, as they continue to spill their blood in the mountains, marshes and deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq.
1175096
I dare say that Robert Fisk has seen modern war up close in all its ugly forms more than any soldier and certainly more than any of the leaders who cause these wars. And he has come to loathe what he has seen and have contempt for those who bring about these horrors and sympathy for the innocent who suffer the results. The book is difficult to read because of the details of the horrors and the betrayals of innocence and the record of man's inhumanity to his fellow man. Contrary to what some say he does have some heroes and they are the little people, the soldiers who showed humanity under difficult circumstances and civilians who did not lose their humanity. Anyone who has a romantic or patriotic view of war should read this book.
4186985
Doesn't get anymore real. Sad, true, hard to accept. Reminded me of Vietnam,only without the protests,because of the all volunteer army. But the stop loss clause was a stealth draft, with no notice and nobody fighting for those subjected to it.
333617
I didn't finish the book. It very vividly describes the ugliness, suffering, destruction and the folly of war - and like it was for the poor soldiers in the book, and like it is for the unfortunate people in the world who live in war, it just goes on and on. Although it may be interesting to some, I found it depressing.
2947261
Hard to describe the pain and anger felt just reading about the atrocities and crimes against humanity-- against children, of all people-- documented here. Evil is the only word for it. Unlike the children, where illegal actions are understandable given that they ARE children (brain development not complete until the 20's) and the backgrounds of abuse and neglect they come from, the discrimination they face, the actions of those responsible defy any hope for reform or excuse except a basic lack of humanity. Yet, the ones responsible are generally rewarded and praised, a blind eye turned to the torture of the most vulnerable members of our society.

This is something that I believe future generations will look back on in the way we look on the worst incidents of human history, asking each other how this could have been allowed to have happened, why decent people didn't storm the gates and bring down the walls themselves. The statistics and types of incidents the author cites are very well documented. The "Oh, this couldn't have happened..." and "Oh, she couldn't have been put there for THAT..." type of comments I've seen online are quite disturbing in themselves, that people would rather just stick their heads in the sand.
1841321
A meandering, ruminative book about a family's experiences with prejudice, tsunamis and Hiroshima.  These are but a few of the painful moments in a very difficult to read novel.  I can read it for only a short while, put it down and the return to it much later.  It is Not a page-turner.  Very slow, sad, tormented and tortuous.  Poetically written.
4795357
Hard to wrap my brain around, images were stark, the two sisters were darkly drawn, much suffering in the service of ?living a constricted  prescribed life?  Of living with PTSD?  Bloody love, death and potential renewal......not particularly hopeful.
4461017
A quick read, but filled with agonizing sorrow and respect for her honesty and resilience. A story to share with others.
3203448
It was with much reluctance I put this movie aside.  It is a painful retelling of a time in our earth's history when sanity and humanity were laid aside for murderous insanity.  And yet here we are 70 years later poised on the brink of disaster and mindless hatreds of some who are forcing with threats of death and disaster on others to obey or die...
2793873
This book is one slaves experiences in slavery.  To a generation accustomed to graphic gore to the point that there is very little empathy for another's pain, his mild descriptions - to spare our sensibilities - will not seem so bad.  The reader has to read between the lines.  If you haven't felt the helplessness of having your limbs tied and then being beaten, you might think, so what?  If you haven't fasted from food or water for days, you won't really understand the hardship.
What is it in our country that makes so many Americans hate our fellow black Americans?  Treating then worse than they would treat an animal?  And people who claim to be "Christian" also.
I feel the shame that the "Land of the Free and the Brave"  is one of the last "modernized" countries to still be fighting this battle.  That such organizations as the KKK, and neo-Nazis are able to survive in this country is a great shame.
I want to be proud of this country, my birthplace, but with this still-fresh blot against us, I cannot.
I recommend this short book.
2217031
"Human sadism seems capable of going to any lengths."

By 1942's end the summation of wars effect on the population changed from its terrible onslaught to how it was affecting them personally due to lack of food and their ability to heat their homes.

Astrid acknowledged that Sweden knew of the horrific acts of Nazi Germany, including their extermination of populations it trampled for tbe sake of the Reich including the knowledge that Jews were surely being singled out and murdered. Additionally they allowed troops transit through their own country, writing in January 1943: "April 1940 ... how could we have let troops through? I don't believe it. But we did let trains through with troops on leave after the fighting stopped, and still are doing; I wish we'd stop."

November 3, 1942
" And now the real war readiness is setting in: people are so tired of the war that they simply don't know what to do, it's all so depressing".

January 24, 1943
"Poor people, I can't help feeling sorry for the German soldiers having to suffer so terribly, no matter how much I detest Nazism and all the acts of violence the Germans have committed in the countries they occupied. "

April 16, 1944
"The Allies are cross with us and other neutral states for supplying things to Germany. And send us stern memos about it. But we don't care."

After 2 plus years I find it morally reprehensible that a country, Sweden, could sit back and refuse to take a stand one way or another. ALTHOUGH, IT IS INTERESTING THAT TODAY EUROPE, AFRICA THE MIDDLE EAST, ETC INCLUDING SOME IN THE USA ARE REFUSING TO STAND UP AGAINST RADICAL ISLAM. On my moral soapbox I imagine that this diary could have been similar to any family far apart from the fighting. As wars have continued it seems that only the soldiers and their families are making sacrafices.

This book was marginally interesting and forced myself to finish when the pattern of the narrative was about her knowledge of WWII, menus for holidays, and her children's school activities and birthday presents.
1542760
I have a vague recollection of the Vietnam war as I was very young. I remember the protests in America. I remember watching the film The Killing Fields. There was a song in the charts "19" about this war, the average age of a soldier back then. In a quiet English town, there was no conversation other than disgraceful war, unjust war. Then the Rambo movies started. There we saw a broken vet rejected by his own country.
I started reading this book with its every word carved out in pain, to takes to the very heart of the Vietnamese War. A man so broken and so dark, one wonders how he ever, stood up and returned to the war. He takes you through actual skirmishes without jargon, simply telling you how it is. The enemy sending out children with guns who killed you if you did not kill them first. To see a man beginning to scratch his way back into civilisation. The book ends with a letter left to him by Stella. The contents seem to be ominous. I look forward to Book 2 to see what the letter says.
1692606
It is well written, and holds your attention.  You seem to be there and feel the suffering.  A time that needs to be remembered.
1755046
The author takes us through a sad and deeply disturbing event during WWII. To read the depiction of horrid events while knowing that Japan never has, nor seems to be willing in the future to, publicly acknowledge and atone for their actions is heart-wrenching. The author's own torment and ultimate early death is yet another tragedy. This book moved me deeply with glimmers of hope that something like this will never happen again.
648491
The pain in this book so outweighed the joy that it was not worth it for me. It is very hard to read - even agonizing at times. There is some beauty, but it's fleeting. Don't say I didn't warn you.
4205151
I only made it about halfway through this thing before the mental illness was just too much for me to stomach any longer.  ANYone who believes that killing and war is something to enjoy and it's ok that I die bcz I'm doing something that I enjoy (direct quote about his own brother's death) needs serious mental help. The far-reaching scope of this piece of Americana is one I am thankful to not be a part of, yet horrified to know that these are my countrymen and women. The women who boast about the handsomeness of their husbands, uncles, and fathers perhaps should find something more important in life to focus on when describing an ideal partner. I actually wanted to watch this. I love stories of our military men and women, their bravery and sacrifice have always been near and dear to my heart, even if their politics are not. I could not, in good conscience, watch another second of these poor brainwashed people love war and it's destruction.  "Thank God he was incinerated and didn't feel a thing."  I don't know about you, but I would like to think that God would have preferred no war.  God had nothing to do with incinerating that man.  smdh