In Helmet for My Pillow we follow Robert Leckie’s journey, from boot camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, all the way to the raging battles in the Pacific, where some of the war's fiercest fighting took place. Recounting his service with the 1st Marine Division and the brutal action on Guadalcanal, New Britain and Peleliu, Leckie spares no detail of the horrors and sacrifice of war, painting an unsentimental portrait of how real warriors are made, fight, and all too often die in the defense of their country. Unparalleled in its immediacy and accuracy, Helmet for My Pillow is a gripping account from an ordinary soldier fighting in extraordinary conditions. -- From Amazon.com.

"Originally published in hardcover in slightly different form ... by Random House ... in 1957"--T.p. verso. Includes maps of: Guadalcanal and Nggela Group; Pacific Theater; Peleliu Island; U.S.M.C. - Guadalcanal to Peleliu. Basis for the HBO miniseries "The Pacific." -- Cover.

Boot -- Marine -- Warrior -- Lotus-eater -- Brig-rat -- Veteran -- Victim.