Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific Floyd W. Radike Presidio Press December 18, 2007 ACROSS THE DARK ISLANDS The War in the Pacific Floyd W. Radike Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.) I remember sitting in a foxhole on Guadalcanal in the rain. The sergeant I shared the hole with shook his head and asked me: What in the hell are we doing on this godforsaken island? Why dont we let the Japs keep this stinking rock? I didnt have an answer. The war in the Pacific has never been portrayed more honestlyor in prose more powerfulthan in Across the Dark Islands . In this unflinching account, Brig. Gen.Floyd W. Radike remembers how he started his military career in the mud and mayhem of Guadalcanal, fighting a campaign as crucial to the wars outcome as it was chaotic and cruel. Here is no whitewashed view of that war or the men who waged it. Here instead is the sobering story of a junior officer in a National Guard unit suddenly shipped off to the front lines, disdained by regular army elitists who served beside him, and given second-class status so that others could earn headlines and promotions. While struggling to survive amid dirt and disease, routine and monotony, Radike endured harrowing missions incompetently, arrogantly, or just impatiently planned. As no book ever has, Across the Dark Islands reveals shocking details removed from myth and sentimentality: how American commanders were intimidated by the Japanese stereotype of fearlessness, night attacks, and cries of banzai . . . how imitations of John Wayne heroics caused immediate death . . . threats of court-martial quieted accusations of Army injustice . . . and panic and flight destroyed a fight for the enemys Munda Field airstrip, an event that disappeared from the record and appears in no official history. Emerging from the hellish conditions and military miscalculations is a tribute to common sense, courage, and respect for proper procedure, attributes that would help the author and soldiers like him to save their lives, succeed in battle, and win the war. From Guadalcanal to the Philippines to a planned invasion of Japan ended by the atom bomb, General Radikes experience spanned the entire course of the pivotal Pacific theater conflict. Candid and cautionary, his memoir is an important work whose writing rivals that of classic novels like James Joness The Thin Red Line and Norman Mailers The Naked and the Dead . It should be read by anyone looking to join an army or wage a war. From the Hardcover edition. About the Author After World War II, the late Floyd Radike returned to his home in Michigan where he was a career educator, teaching in Detroit. In 1949 he rejoined the Michigan National Guard (he originally enlisted in 1933) ultimately rising to the rank of brigadier general. He retired in 1975. Across the Dark Islands is his only book.From the Hardcover edition. About Iceberg The Iceberg Reader revolutionizes the reading experience, making it easier than ever to browse, buy and enjoy books. Features - Attractive interface provides a natural reading experience with full pagination. - Table of Contents incorporates one click navigation. - Vertical and horizontal page orientation. - Adjust font size with a pinch, text reflows automatically. - Search the text within a book. - Create margin notes with user notation. About Scrollmotion ScrollMotion, creator of the Iceberg Reader, is a content technology company based in New York City. For more information, visit www.scrollmotion.com. Support If you have any technical problems please email us at icebergsupport@scrollmotion.com before you post a review.
