GUADALCANAL
The U.S. Marines in World War II
A Pictorial Tribute
by Eric Hammel
Hardcover Edition: $34.95

- The victory of the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal, told here with the help of 250 stunning photographs with extended captions, ranks among the most heroic, dramatic, and enduring sagas in military history. The six-month campaign to secure Guadalcanal was by far the longest and most complicated operation the Marines faced in the Pacific War. It began with the weapons and tactics of 1918 combat in France and ended with an awareness of the tactics that would sweep aside the Japanese defenders of numerous formidable bases all across the wide Pacific, ultimately bringing the United States armed forces to total victory in the Pacific. This beautiful book is a fitting tribute to the men who sacrificed so much to win this first stepping stone on the path to Tokyo Bay and victory over Japan.

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Naval History, August, 2007:
“This book can be described as the best collection of photos ever published about Marines in Guadalcanal … no one has ever assembled a more complete set and put it into print … In total, they paint a fuller visual portrait of the Marine experience on that island than any compilation previously available.”

Leatherneck, August 2007:
“Crisp writing and storytelling utilizing more than 270 pictures are the Hammel tools that take the reader through the assembling of a patchwork division made up of a borrowed regiment, lightly manned independent units and ill-advised Navy support … Hammel’s adept description of the action is easily followed in a collection of rare and perhaps never-before-viewed pictures of this major campaign … Hammel’s pictorial tribute is a worthy addition to the library of those who have interest in Marine history.”

WWII History, November 2007:
“From Zenith Press and Eric Hammel comes another handsome, profusely illustrated tribute to the United States Marine Corps, this time focusing on the first major land battle involving American troops in the Pacific. Following his earlier achievements with Iwo Jima and Pacific Warriors, Hammel thrusts the readers into the hell and stench of battle on this Solomon island with both words and photographs, many of the most gruesome kind. Obsessed with Guadalcanal, Hammel pays tribute to the Marines’ spirit in his fourth book on the subject ... Guadalcanal is truly an outstanding effort to document the sacrifice and struggle in America’s first stepping-stone on the path to victory over Japan.”

Time Out For Entertainment, November 2007:
“A richly illustrated tribute to the first U.S. land offensive in the Pacific in World War II. Told with an amazing attention to detail that makes you feel the muck on your feet and smell the rot of the jungle, author Eric Hammel succeeds in adding a new wrinkle to the story of the battle through rare photos and first-hand accounts.”