Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island

The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation

De: John R Bruning

Narrado por: Brian Troxell

The pivotal true story of the first fifty-three days of the standoff between Imperial Japanese and a handful of Marine aviators defending the Americans dug in at Guadalcanal, from the New York Times bestselling author of Indestructible and Race of Aces.

On August 20, 1942, twelve Marine dive-bombers and nineteen Marine fighters landed at Guadalcanal. Their mission: defeat the Japanese navy and prevent it from sending more men and supplies to "Starvation Island," as Guadalcanal was nicknamed. The Japanese were turning the remote, jungle-covered mountain in the south Solomon Islands into an air base from which they could attack the supply lines between the U.S. and Australia. The night after the Marines landed and captured the partially completed airfield, the Imperial Navy launched a surprise night attack on the Allied fleet offshore, resulting in the worst defeat the U.S. Navy suffered in the 20th century, which prompted the abandonment of the Marines on Guadalcanal.

The Marines dug in, and waited for help, as those thirty-one pilots and twelve gunners flew against the Japanese, shooting down eighty-three planes in less than two months, while the dive bombers, carried out over thirty attacks on the Japanese fleet. Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island follows Major John L. Smith, a magnetic leader who became America’s top fighter ace for the time; Captain Marion Carl, the Marine Corps’ first ace, and one of the few survivors of his squadron at the Battle of Midway. He would be shot down and forced to make his way back to base through twenty-five miles of Japanese-held jungle. And Major Richard Mangrum, the lawyer-turned-dive-bomber commander whose inexperienced men wrought havoc on the Japanese Navy.

New York Times bestselling author John R. Bruning depicts the desperate effort to stop the Japanese long enough for America to muster reinforcements and turn the tide at Guadalcanal. Not just the story of an incredible stand on a distant jungle island, Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island also explores the consequences of victory to the men who secured it at a time when America had been at war for less than a year and its public had yet to fully understand what that meant. The home front they returned to after their jungle ordeal was a surreal montage of football games, nightclubs, fine dining with America’s elites, and inside looks at dysfunctional defense industries more interested in fleecing the government than properly equipping the military. Bruning tells the story of how one battle reshaped the Marine Corps and propelled its veterans into the highest positions of power just in time to lead the service into a new war in Southeast Asia.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Praise for Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island

"Intricately researched but intimately written, Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island takes us into the cockpits and muddy foxholes of the aviators that fought the Japanese in the skies over Guadalcanal. Bruning writes like the best war reporters of that generation, delivering a gripping personal account of survival during the very darkest period of World War II."—Jon Parshall, coauthor of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

Praise for Indestructible

"Paul Irvin Gunn's time in World War II is the stuff of legends - and its fast-paced, page-turning telling in Bruning's book does the man's Herculean feats justice.... The book reads more like an overly-detailed movie script than a work of historical non-fiction, complete with a heart-wrenching love story and heroic conclusion....Indestructible offers a glimpse of the Pacific theater like you've never before seen."
—Men's Journal

"This is a beautifully told story of a family separated by war, and of an extraordinary father, driven to avenge his family, who by sheer force of character changed the nature of warfare. A superbly told tale of love, honor, courage and devotion."
—Alex Kershaw, author of Avenue of Spies

"This thriller-like narrative not only reveals the disturbing plight of courageous American families held in Japanese internment camps, but also delivers a gripping portrait of a uniquely American hero, Pappy Gunn, who fought two wars--one for his country and one to rescue his wife and children."
—James Bradley, bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, The Imperial Cruise, and The China Mirage

"Here is a true story with something for everyone. Love, war, treachery, adventure, and above all an intimate portrait of the made-for-Hollywood life of a man who broke all the rules and remade them to his liking. Finally, we have a book that does justice to the legend of Colonel Paul 'Pappy' Gunn, a giant among heroes of World War II. John Bruning shows us a big-hearted man determined to save his family--and a brilliant scientist-pilot who was determined to win the war along the way."
—Adam Makos, author of A Higher Call and Devotion

"From the opening pages, Bruning grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the story, not letting go as he masterfully guides you through a part of World War II that is largely unknown. This is the work of a skilled wordsmith who knows how to tell a story."
—Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500

A Story Worthy of Being Told

Well told story. Thanks for shedding light on this journey of Marine aviation and WWII heroes.

Turning the Tide at the Tactical Level

Great story of the early Cactus Air Force and the heroes that changed the course of the war. The TEMPO and narration are on point and add to the story of the aviators.

Even if you think you know about WW2

You will learn something new in this book. Many accounts of the war leave out this important important part

Great book

John tells a good story that keeps you engaged. Small things the the football game hit you hard as context for the time. Have not enjoyed a book more this year.

Great

Wonderful work. Amazing history of Marine Corps Aviation. The reality of war during the Guadalcanal campaign is richly told.

A unique perspective

The author did an excellent job of staying with the key story and individuals of the Marine air squadrons fighting on Guadalcanal.
He included just the right amount of details outside the story to enrich it. Much like the right amount of seasoning makes food taste better.
Details of the Marines aerial war over Guadalcanal were new to me and much appreciated. I recommend this book.

The deep insite of the aviation I the Pacfic theater

The entire book kept my attention throughout its entirety. Well done to all involved in its development

Excellent story telling

Great story telling. Very detailed. Possibly the best Guadalcanal book I’ve read regarding cactus. Thank you

Gripping tale of heroism

Brilliantly written and narrated. A must read for those interested in the pacific chapter of WWII.

What a great story of the Marine aviators of Guadalcanal and their efforts to keep Henderson field in US hands.

I have read many books on the history of the war in the Pacific about WWII and have to rate this as one of the best if not the best in the telling of how impactful this group of Marine aviators were in the battle to keep Henderson Field in American hands. It is told in a manner that has made me appreciate how impactful these men with so little support were in saving and protecting the air field on the island from the Japanese efforts to retake it. Well worth the read or listen