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Helmet for My Pillow
- From Parris Island to the Pacific: A Young Marine's Stirring Account of Combat in World War II
- Narrated by: James Badge Dale, Tom Hanks (introduction)
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Military & War
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Publisher's Summary
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. Audible Studios, in partnership with Playtone, the production company co-owned by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and creator of the award-winning HBO series Band of Brothers, John Adams, and The Pacific, as well as the HBO movie Game Change, has created new recordings of these memoirs, narrated by the stars of the miniseries. James Badge Dale (who portrayed Robert Leckie) and Joseph Mazello (who played Eugene Sledge) bring all the passion and emotion of their riveting television performances to these new audio productions.
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. This riveting first-person 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 war's fiercest fighting took place. Recounting his service with the 1st Marine Division and the brutal action on Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu, Leckie spares no detail of the horrors and sacrifices of war, painting an unvarnished portrait of how real warriors are made, fight, and often die in the defense of their country.
From the live-for-today rowdiness of marines on leave to the terrors of jungle warfare against an enemy determined to fight to the last man, Leckie describes what war is really like when victory can only be measured inch by bloody inch. Woven throughout are Leckie's hard-won, eloquent, and thoroughly unsentimental meditations on the meaning of war and why we fight.
BONUS AUDIO: 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.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Tracyhr
- 2022-05-25
Outstanding
Incredible 1st Hand Account Of War In The Pacific & Wonderful Narration. Will Definitely Be Re-Listening To This Again.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-03-08
A Look at the Pacific theatre like never before
James Badge Dale does a tremendous job at bringing Bob Leckie's unapologetic look into life on the battlefield, in the Pacific theatre during WW2. From training to Peleliu Bob tells an uncompromising 1st hand account of being a 1st Marine during these times, the psychological effects of war and the fortitude it took to survive some of WW2 most brutal battles. Im thankful for Bob having the courage to share his experiences as i cam imagine it couldnt have been easy recalling these horrible events.
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- Nicholas Papp
- 2020-12-20
Poetry.
Robert Leckie was an incredible writer. I am not a brilliant reader. If I can get through a 50 page novel I'm doing well but dear lord. The writing of Robert Leckie brought me right to the Pacific with him.
Highly recommended.
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- Bruce M. Campbell
- 2020-11-30
Timeless Insights to Human Conflict
This Remembrance Day, given the imposed isolation of the pandemic, I decided it would be a good thing to re-watch things I haven’t seen for some time, including Saving Private Ryan & Band of Brothers, before shifting to The Pacific. For both precursor films, I had read Steven Ambrose’s work, and when first viewing The Pacific, I had meant to look up its source material. I finally got to it this year, and have blasted through Helmet For My Pillow in 24 hours, along with the first part of Sledge’s memoir, detailing his take on Pelilau.
I commented while 2/3 through listening to this audiobook, ably performed by the actor playing the author in The Pacific, that I felt it deserves a Pulitzer, as much as Norman Mailer’s The Naked & The Dead or James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. Perhaps it is the lengthy delay in Leckie’s getting it published that altered the focus on work deemed worthy of the prize.
There is a great gift that the additional time has given this work; contemplation on what makes young men so adaptable to destruction, and what forces move civilization to allow such horrors to persist. This is something I can sense underly those earlier mentioned prize-winning works, but here Leckie elevates the prevailing zeitgeist of civilized savagery to an unignorable question. Are humans savages, or saints?
I’m very glad I read this. It has helped me understand situational stressors much better, and far more viscerally than I expected. This book is under-rated in the interested public’s awareness.
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-05-14
A fantastic historical read
Listening to this, I truly felt the pain, the anger, the honesty and the comedic realities of the war in the pacific. Having seen “The Pacific” on HBO, I was interested to find the source material and learn more about these men. James Badge Dale continued a wonderful performance from the show and I have truly come to appreciate the way the war effected not only Robert Leckie, but also the men he served with.
I would recommend this to anyone with even the faintest interest in the pacific theatre during World War II. It was informative, entertaining and felt like an honest recount of the most influential, memorable and traumatic experiences of the war.
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- braden
- 2020-04-27
A Helmet for my Pillow
What an amazing book, along with, with he old breed, they tell one hell of a story of the US marines in the Pacific. To all those who died, respect.
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- ken l.
- 2020-01-21
Engaging Read, Transports You Through Time
Being in the shoes of a marine during WW2, James Badge Dale recounts Robert Leckie's memories of his time through the war in immersive delivery, gripping story that won't let you easily forget about the book, and the experience of the war. Emotional, personal, and a great listen.
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- Sean Mann
- 2019-10-17
amazing book
loved everything about this book. very well read and written. would rate 10/10 if I could
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- Kevin Johnston
- 2019-06-13
this is an amazing book
amazing book and the reason I joined the military thank you and I recommend it to all of you.
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- Marc
- 2018-09-19
The Pacific
Good book, the performance by James Badge Dale was great. #Audible1. Was a good read if you want more to the story of Robert Leckie from the HBO’s the Pacific.
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- Randall
- 2019-04-03
Should be required reading in high school
This is one of the top WW2 history or biographies that I've read or listened to,
and is a truly moving account. History for me is a passion and I try 5 or 6 new
books a year. This author Robert Leckie tells of his experiences in such a way
that you can truly begin to understand the horrors of war, and what it was like
to be a front line soldier.
They gave up so much, and their story deserves to be told and retold .
91 people found this helpful
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- Randall Mayer
- 2018-12-24
A must listen
Totally different than the old breed. Steady as you go commentary on military service. In and out of combat that makes it different than old breed. Not as much combat but still as moving and personal. Another must listen on war in the Pacific.
15 people found this helpful
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- Russell Bernard
- 2018-06-07
What a Great Book
The narration was perfect and should not be missed. I was moved by the prologue and found this book to stir emotions inmy sole about the ugliness of war. If you listen to any world war ll book this should be the one. This is how we would experience it if we where sent during this time. The writing is excellent. I am now listening to With The Old Breed as I work my through several world war ll books this summer.
Not for the faint of heart!
12 people found this helpful
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- ShadowOverlord4
- 2018-03-01
every American needs to read/hear this
A well described and explained account from the hell of the Pacific. Should be taught in schools.
18 people found this helpful
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- Sam
- 2018-12-15
Humbling
Great book and great read by those who put a voice to the words bring back to life what was to be learned and remembered.
6 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-06-15
Great Account
A wonderful experience from start to finish. Listen in conjunction with Eugene Sledge's "With the Old Breed".
6 people found this helpful
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- Jordan
- 2017-09-19
May We Never Forget
While his view of the USMC is bleak and cynical at times, Robert Leckie's account is stirring and eye opening of what our fellow Americans sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy today
5 people found this helpful
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- DrPhil
- 2014-08-05
A gripping first-hand account of the pacific war
What does James Badge Dale and Tom Hanks (introduction) bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Having seen the mini-series "the pacific" it was very appropriate to hear James Badge Dale as the narrator. He did a great job as well.
Any additional comments?
This book is an amazing account of the pacific war. I was worried about purchasing this at first because I know Leckie is a writer. This gave me pause because I figured there would be too many creative adjectives mucking up the story. I assumed there would be otherwise long descriptions of things that were quite elegant, but were side notes to the story. After having listened I feel like it really enhanced the story and he was not too verbose. The descriptions of things were just embellished or compared to creative normal experiences to make it colorful but not in an overly dramatic way as I had feared. I plan to purchase more of Leckie's books. I also read Sledge's 'with the old breed' and I think I liked both of these books about equally as well. Sledge's perhaps gave a better overall picture to the question 'what was it really like' as there are parts of this book were he tells what happened but can't remember all the details or glosses over some detail. Overall worth the time though. I recommend both.
14 people found this helpful
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- Tracie
- 2019-01-14
God bless America!
Poetic in verse, horrific in truth! Thank God for the men who stand and fight to keep us free!!
13 people found this helpful
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- bettersafethansorry
- 2014-07-15
Great story, but a bit too poetic
What did you love best about Helmet for My Pillow?
It's a great story and the narration was super, the only complaint would be that Leckie is a bit too flowery with his language, but that isn't a reason not to listen. Leckie really gets you to feel how horrible war is in a way that makes you ashamed if you've never been there and somehow thought it would be cool or glorious.
27 people found this helpful