First they shot the t.v. series, then they wrote the book. And it shows. If you have read any of the underlying histories upon which The Pacific is based, you will find this a severely compromised read. The book lacks structure, theme, passion, originality, careful editing, literary or academic rigor. Although this can easily be chalked up to the rush job attempt to get a companion piece out in time for the mini-series, other factors are also at play.
First and foremost is the fact that Mr. Ambrose has taken on his father's mantle of WWII historian, but lacks the chops to fill Ambrose Sr.'s shoes. The Pacific strings together episodes in the lives of a pilot and various marines in a patchwork that doesn't give the reader any sense for each individual's achievements, or for the greater successes/failures of the war. It's as if he read a handful of stellar biographies and autobiographies, cut and pasted the high points, and put them down in random order.
Eugene Sledge's autobiography is particularly butchered. Ambrose takes the incident with Lt. Mackenzie and turns a complex, revealing mismatch between enlisted marines and their officer into a bland encounter that leaves out the crucial detail: Mackenzie had failed to completely empty the grenade, and but for its location it would have killed several marines as a "harmless prank."
This book was given to me as a gift by a good friend, so the price was exactly right. But for anyone trying to decide whether or not to lay out $26+ for a WWII book, I'd really suggest spending it on something else.Get more detail about The Pacific.
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