As I resume reading my history books I finish off the last of some books given to me for Christmas 2010 (well war books anayway).

This book is Helmet for my Pillow by Robert Leckie. This book is one of the ones that is part of a group of books that is what the book and tv shows The Pacific were based on.

The books like the others is based on the experiences of a Marine Cop soldier during WW2 in the pacific Islands campaign. Where this one differs to the others is that Leckie (also known as lucky) started off from the very outset of the Island campaign fighting on Guadalcanal.

Unlike most others Lucky was a bit of a miscreant or as he described himself a brig rat. It follows his experiences during the island campaigns on Guadalcanal, New Brittain and the opening days of Pelielu.

However this book isn’t all guts and glory. Leckie is truly a writer and was a journalist before and after the war and it feels more like poetry at times as the book is just so well written.

His descriptions of events border on poetry as be describes events, feelings or the sights around him and some times wonder if it is even real.

This is one of the best books I have read about this part of the war and thoroughly recommend it to everyone interested.