Author: Lt. Col. John B. George
Publisher: Canton Press, Mar 2013
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 1-934044-29-6
Synopsis
This is the story of the Guadalcanal campaign as only a rifleman can tell it. In Shots Fired in Anger, Lieutenant Colonel John B. George recounts his brutal experiences in frontline jungle warfare and examines the weapons, tactics, equipment, and combat mentalities that won and lost the fight. 6x9 inches, 432 pgs.
More Information
This is the story of the Guadalcanal campaign as only a rifleman can tell it. In Shots Fired in Anger, Lieutenant Colonel John B. George recounts his brutal experiences in frontline jungle warfare and examines the weapons, tactics, equipment, and combat mentalities that won and lost the fight. For George, marksmanship was always more than a hobby it was a preparation for national defense. When he is inducted into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, he's shocked to see that the military lacks the same enthusiasm: the troops have not been taught to shoot or to march, and they are commanded by men obsessed with obsolete tactics and eyewash. It is only by desperate negotiating that he is able to secure two days of rifle training for his platoon before they are shipped to the Pacific. On Guadalcanal, George leads from the front with a sniper's calm and a scientist's eye for detail, analyzing what works and what doesn't from the terrifying but suicidal Japanese Banzai charge to the reliable and effective M1 Garand in trial by fire. The author interviews his fellow soldiers, questions prisoners, disassembles captured and borrowed weapons, and uses, commands, and faces these strategies and implements of war on the battlefield. All of this comes together in a fascinating combination of personal memoir and combat dossier. Few other writers have ever been able to rival George's combination of field experience and excellent storytelling. Laced with informative illustrations and lightened by stories of hunting, drinking, and military jokes played in the face of death, Shots Fired in Anger is one of the most important and entertaining firsthand accounts to arise from WWII.
REVIEW:
John B. George loves to shoot rifles. This book tells his story as a Lieutenant in the infantry, serving with the U.S. Army during the battle for Guadalcanal, during World War II. He joined the Illinois National Guard to be able to do more shooting. As luck would have it, this unit was called up to active duty before the United States entered the war. The story of battle is told more like that of an enlisted rifleman than an officer. But through the story of the long running battle, with the elements being every bit as much of a challenge as the enemy, he tells of the weapons used by both sides. His colorful descriptions of the life they lived show just how difficult conditions were. The account tells of Guadalcanal from the time the Army first arrived until they were finally pulled out. This gives the best view of what World War II was like in the Pacific Theater of any I have read. The remainder of the book is devoted to his descriptions of the various weapons used by both sides. He tells in detail about each and gives his assessment of the military value of each. The book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of World War II in the Pacific and particularly to those interested in collecting the arms of that period. --Robert C. Lovell, author of UNLIKELY WARRIOR, A Small Town Boy's View of WWII
