Guadalcanal Diary (book)

"Guadalcanal Diary" is a memoir written by war correspondent Richard Tregaskis. The book recounts the author's time with the United States Marine Corps on Guadalcanal in the early stages of the pivotal months-long battle there in 1942.

Criticism of bias

The book has been hailed consistently for over half a century as a harrowing and realistic account of modern warfare as experienced in the tropical Pacific Theater of Operations, with allowances for the inherent bias of an American journalist living with American soldiers in a warzone.Fact|date=June 2008 It is evident in the manuscript that Tregaskis did make sincere journalistic efforts to control his natural bias.Fact|date=June 2008

Criticism of racism

Marines interviewed in the work often referred to their Japanese counterparts in derogatory terms offensive to modern-day sensibilities but accurate for the time.Fact|date=June 2008 It is worth noting, however, that combat soldiers often dehumanize the enemy as a means of lessening the moral and psychological impact of their actions – particularly the prospect of killing another human being in combat.Fact|date=June 2008

Narrative style

Tregaskis relates combat and conversation in an immediately accessible vernacular, taking care to cite the full name, rank and hometown of each of the Marines he encountered over the weeks he was on the island.

Legacy

The book was so well received at home upon publication, and spoke such volumes on the camaraderie amongst the Marines, that the USMC still makes "Guadalcanal Diary" required reading for all officer candidates.

In 1943 the memoir was made into a film of the same name starring William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn, and John Archer, marking the film debut of Richard Jaeckel.

ee also

* Battle of Guadalcanal
* Guadalcanal Diary (film)
* Second World War