With the Old Breed

At Peleliu and Okinawa

De: E. B. Sledge

Narrado por: Marc Vietor, Joe Mazzello, Tom Hanks (introduction)

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.

With the Old Breed is a modern classic of military history AND has been called "one of the most important personal accounts of war that I have ever read," by distinguished historian John Keegan. Author E. B. Sledge served with the First Marine Division during World War II, and his first-hand narrative is unsurpassed in its sincerity. Sledge's experience shows in this fascinating account of two of the most harrowing and pivotal island battles of the Pacific theater.

On Peleliu and Okinawa, the action was extremely fierce. Amidst oppressive heat and over land obliterated by artillery shells, the combat raged ferociously. Casualties were extreme on both sides, and by the time the Americans had broken through at Okinawa, more than 62,000 Japanese soldiers were dead. Against military policy, Sledge scribbled notes and jammed them into his copy of the New Testament. Those notes form the backbone of what Navy Times said "has been called the best World War II memoir of an enlisted man."

BONUS AUDIO: Tom Hanks, one of the executive producers, has written and narrated an original introduction to With the Old Breed 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.

For more from Audible and Playtone, click here.

©1981 E.B. Sledge (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

This is the second audio book of Sledge's work

Narrators matter and it is rare for me to buy an audiobook that I already own, and enjoy just to hear another perspective in the way it is read. But this book lends itself to the two pretty much different voices. Sledge wrote this book about his combat experience in his maturity. I think like many veterans of war, especially ground combat. some distance, in terms of years, often decades, is required to tell the story. But E. B. Sledge lived it and survived it, and not just physically, as a young man.

George Wilson does a terrific job of telling this story as an adult explaining what happened, in the voice of someone who not only survived, but is strong enough to remember and acknowledge the ordinary people who accomplished remarkable things, good, bad, and horrific. The drama comes from the written word, and Sledge does not add many flourishes. The stated facts of what he saw and experienced do not need them.

Marc Vietor reads in the voice of the young man experiencing the fatigue, terror and even humor, of the ground combat soldier in the Pacific of World War II. It is good to remember that Sledge and his fellow marines were very young. In another time they would have been deciding what they would do when they grew up. In that time they were just trying to stay alive to grow up.

I am glad I indulged myself and bought both books.

Incredible, raw and real

Joe mazzelo is a great narrator and sounds just like he did in the HBO series, the pacific. The story is incredibly moving. There's no overblown heroics, just the raw emotion, good, bad, and horrific of what Sledge witnessed.

I was shocked at some of the things he saw, and you instantly know that you will never be able to truly understand combat - unless of course you've seen it. Even then, the conditions, lack of technology and equipment they had compared to now...its a wonder we didn't lose more men. But, that's why the marines are the best. If you're a fan of history, not just WWII, you need to read or hear this book!

Great War Memoir, Great Voice Acting

An outstanding book! I now understand why this was one of the books selected for the HBO series The Pacific. This book, like most books, better displays and conveys the physical and emotional hardship of Sledge.

Love this story.

Every American should have to read this twice. So the snivelling candy asses will the prices paid for the freedoms they are so eager to give away.

Incredible story, incredible book

The greatest generation is right. These men went through something other soldiers won't, I dare say. Have you thanked a veteran today?

Amazing war memoir marred by poor reader

I'll leave it to others to describe the horror, excitement, fear, poignancy, chaos, brutality and occasional moments of beauty portrayed simply but indelibly by EB Sledge in his gripping and disturbing first-hand account of war in the Pacific. I want to warn potential buyers of this audiobook to listen to a sample before purchasing. The reader has an odd, halting, staccato rhythm and frequently misplaces emphases so that what you hear does not seem to match the prose structure of Sledge's writing: It is. Like. Reading SENTENCES like. These ONES. I wondered if he was reading it aloud for the first time. If the narrative hadn't been so compelling, there were times I would have been too distracted to continue listening.

Great book will listen to again!

A great book to hear how the write was in the battle and his point of view and how he drops you in to it like you where there and shows what us simple warriors have to go through to keep others safe war is hell and this book gives it to you straight as a Marine my self and being deployed to Iraq twice this book shows the esprit de corps of the old corps.


Corporal Kevin Thomas
3531 USMC
Semper Fi

Striking and fantastic

One of the most profound and moving books I have ever read or listened to. The story of E.B. Sledge and the men of K Company describes the horrors of combat and the loyalties that tragedy and hardship forms between servicemen. Listening to this makes one eternally grateful for the everyday luxuries that are often taken for granted. It is a story that will stick with me for some time.

awesome history of war with Japan

love it and gets u in the fight with Japan deleting one battle of the two islands

A new perspective and appreciation!

This story was outstanding. The narration is perfect for the content. For myself it felt like I was just listening to a veteran talk about his experiences. My grandfather was also a U.S. Marine in the pacific theater of WW2. He never really talked about it and I was too young to understand anyway. After this book I wonder what he took to his grave?
This book gave me nightmares! It was it the bullet and the explosions or the combat. It was the description of the sights and smells of a long battle where the dead are left where they fell. The horrible conditions that these very young men endured day after day. Not eating bit sleeping, the heat, the rain. Immersion foot, the filth, mud, blood and rotting flesh of both allies and enemies.
Everyone should read this at least once to understand the sacrifices and lives that were given for our country.
WW2 veterans are almost all gone now. This book will bring you to appreciate what they gave.