Fire and Fortitude cover art

Fire and Fortitude

The US Army in the Pacific War, 1941-1943

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Fire and Fortitude

By: John C. McManus
Narrated by: Walter Dixon
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £23.28

Buy Now for £23.28

About this listen

 An engrossing, epic history of the US Army in the Pacific War, from the acclaimed author of The Dead and Those About to Die

“This eloquent and powerful narrative is military history written the way it should be.”—James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
 
"Out here, mention is seldom seen of the achievements of the Army ground troops," wrote one officer in the fall of 1943, "whereas the Marines are blown up to the skies." Even today, the Marines are celebrated as the victors of the Pacific, a reflection of a well-deserved reputation for valor. Yet the majority of fighting and dying in the war against Japan was done not by Marines but by unsung Army soldiers.
 
John C. McManus, one of our most highly acclaimed historians of World War II, takes readers from Pearl Harbor—a rude awakening for a military woefully unprepared for war—to Makin, a sliver of coral reef where the Army was tested against the increasingly desperate Japanese. In between were nearly two years of punishing combat as the Army transformed, at times unsteadily, from an undertrained garrison force into an unstoppable juggernaut, and America evolved from an inward-looking nation into a global superpower.
 
At the pinnacle of this richly told story are the generals: Douglas MacArthur, a military autocrat driven by his dysfunctional lust for fame and power; Robert Eichelberger, perhaps the greatest commander in the theater yet consigned to obscurity by MacArthur's jealousy; "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, a prickly soldier miscast in a diplomat's role; and Walter Krueger, a German-born officer who came to lead the largest American ground force in the Pacific. Enriching the narrative are the voices of men otherwise lost to history: the uncelebrated Army grunts who endured stifling temperatures, apocalyptic tropical storms, rampant malaria and other diseases, as well as a fanatical enemy bent on total destruction.
 
This is an essential, ambitious book, the first of two volumes, a compellingly written and boldly revisionist account of a war that reshaped the American military and the globe and continues to resonate today. Military Military & War World War II War Solider Imperial Japan
All stars
Most relevant
Really good read can't wait for the next installment well researched well written and well read

Fantastic read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am becoming a big fan of this author. He perfectly balances the political and strategic with the operational and tactical aspects of war. True to the title, this is very much tailored to the Army and therefore battles such as Midway are rightfully only briefly covered. Personal stories are also intertwined leaving one’s imagination captivated throughout.

I have learned of many commanders, troop movements and battles I’d never heard of before and will now look to read further on these topics. Likewise the logistical headache of this mind bogglingly large theatre of operations is well covered and has left me still wondering just how the allies managed this triumph in face of the difficulties they faced.

Very thorough and well written

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.