"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC

It is interesting that Amazon asks whether one is over 13 years old when you are going to review a book here. I am sure a thirteen year old would LOVE this book. I know I would have if I were 13. It is just the kind of book I read back then (early 1960's) AND enjoyed.

I feel sorry thst the Basilone family could not find a better writer than Mr. Proser to write this book.

FIRST the attempt at first person NARRATIVE is off putting. Mr. Proser did not do enough research into actual military history, OR the history of the period to be able to pull his trick off. I find it outrageous (bordering on sacriligeious) that he felt competent to insert himself "into" the head of John Basilone- one of the Marine Corps' GREATEST heros.

Mr. Proser has a mighty high opinion of his writing skills that I do not share.

He mixes up facts, introduces wording/phrases that are not only incorrect for the period, but lifted almost directly from Hollywood "Marine" movies from the Sands of Iwo Jima to Heartbreak Ridge. He should be ashamed of himself.

He also makes the mistake, in trying to set scenes, of ascribing to Basilone information/knowledge he could not have known at the time that Proser has him saying them.

Second, when ANYONE writes military history, you need to have MAPS that allow one to understand the Strategic AND Tactical situation. This book is woefully inadequate in this department.

Someday, someone will write a definitive, respectful biography of this great American Warrior - THIS AIN'T IT!

It is interesting that Amazon asks whether one is over 13 years old when you are going to review a book here. I am sure a thirteen year old would LOVE this book. I know I would have if I were 13. It is just the kind of book I read back then (early 1960's) AND enjoyed.

I feel sorry thst the Basilone family could not find a better writer than Mr. Proser to write this book.

FIRST the attempt at first person NARRATIVE is off putting. Mr. Proser did not do enough research into actual military history, OR the history of the period to be able to pull his trick off. I find it outrageous (bordering on sacriligeious) that he felt competent to insert himself "into" the head of John Basilone- one of the Marine Corps' GREATEST heros.

Mr. Proser has a mighty high opinion of his writing skills that I do not share.

He mixes up facts, introduces wording/phrases that are not only incorrect for the period, but lifted almost directly from Hollywood "Marine" movies from the Sands of Iwo Jima to Heartbreak Ridge. He should be ashamed of himself.

He also makes the mistake, in trying to set scenes, of ascribing to Basilone information/knowledge he could not have known at the time that Proser has him saying them.

Second, when ANYONE writes military history, you need to have MAPS that allow one to understand the Strategic AND Tactical situation. This book is woefully inadequate in this department.

Someday, someone will write a definitive, respectful biography of this great American Warrior - THIS AIN'T IT!

If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.

Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.

Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.

He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.

My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.

Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.

Like most, if not all, Marines of my generation my boot camp experience was punctuated with references to Manila John Basilone, one of the heroes of the Battle of Guadalcanal. Sgt. Basilone won the Medal of Honor for his exploits there, and was sent on a widely successful war bond selling tour. Sgt. Basilone could have sat out the rest of the war, but that wouldn't do for John Basilone, who, as the title of this book says, wanted to stay with his boys, and so, ended up on the black sands of Iwo Jima. What I really appreciated about this biography was that a good portion of the book dealt with his life before joining the Marine Corps, such as explaining how he got his nickname, "Manila John" because of his boxing victories while serving with the U.S. Army, and his fascination for the heavy machine gun. The biography also dealt with Sgt. Basilone's home life, depicting him as a regular all-American guy, certainly no saint, but an honest, sometimes brawling and drinking young man who was mystified and somewhat disturbed by his survival in battles that took so many of his friends. This is not a chest-thumping, flag-waving glorification of war, but a heartfelt memorial to one of America's greatest fighting men - who also happened to be a regular guy who loved life and his fellow Marines.

"I'm Staying With My Boys..." is a wonderful book on a number of different levels. At face value alone, it is a fantastic book about a true "G.I. Joe" of World War II, a Marine who was awarded two of the highest military honors our nation has to offer (the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross). Taken from a different perspective, "I'm Staying With My Boys..." provides a very personal account of a young man who struggles with his own identity and his place in the world, which is a lesson that most 15- to 25-year-olds can relate to. Basilone never lost that young man's outlook on life, not only because he was a mere 28 years old when he died, but because he was never comfortable with the fame and attention he received after becoming a national hero.

When taken along with the stories told by other Pacific War veterans and scholars, such as those in "With The Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge and "Flags of our Fathers" by James Bradley, a more true understanding of the Pacific war is possible. Accounts of the brutality of the Japanese soldiers is uniform through each of these books, as are the struggles of American service men through out the theater, whether they served on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, or in China and Burma.

This is one of three primary books contributing to the new Spielberg/Hanks HBO miniseries The Pacific ("With The Old Breed" and Robert Leckie's memoir "Helmet For My Pillow" being the others). Considering how close Band of Brothers followed the facts of the Ambrose book, I really can't wait for March 2010 to come around.

John Basilone earned a Medal if Honor on Iwo Jima and then came to the States for a bond raising drive, His story was used in the DVD series Pacific which I highly recommend
This is Basilone's story about his life and why he went back overseas to fight and die in Guadacanal .
Basilone and 3 other men all were used as spokesmen in the series then each had a book written about their war time action.
If you are a WWII War Buff this book is a must for your colllection and reading, It is outstanding writing, Basilone speaks in his own simple words and puts you on the battlefield with him.
For the Iwo and Guadacanal invasions

I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it to any Marine wether active duty, reserve, or retired. This book is worth the money!