Into the Shadows Furious

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!
Review: Altobello does a great job describing the true enemy in the battle of New Georgia, the merciless terrain. His vivid descriptions of the unrelenting jungle of New Georgia and its arsenal of weapons (mangrove swamps, giant crabs, mosquito swarms, and torrential rains) make it easy for the reader to visualize the obstacles our young soldiers faced. Into the Shadows Furious is at its best, however, when Altobello is describing the emotional battles the soldiers endured. Through his own easy to read and insightful prose and through the oral accounts of actual battle of New Georgia participants, Altobello is able to capture the frustrations and mental anguish that our yet untested soldiers faced. The resulting story is a compelling account of both the physical and mental journey each solider underwent during the costly battle of New Georgia.

Rating:
Summary: Thank You
Review: As a retired naval officer, it gives me great pleasure to see someone from a different generation take an active interest in a war in which many know about, but until recently few have honored . Altobello gives a such a detailed account of this most gruesome battle that one would think he was actually there. Throughout the novel his respect and appreciation are shown in a manner that you do not see too often these days. I only wish that my children would have the appreciation of the sacrifices our generation made to insure their safety and happiness. I myself served in the Philippines, and know what these men went through. I am one of the sole survivors of the men who were in my battalion, and still grieve the many friends and comrades I had whose lives were tragically taken in this war.

I would like to close by thanking Mr. Altobello for his hard work in writing about a battle in which few know about, but was just as tragic as Guattacanal.

Sincerely,

John Paul Levesque

Rating:
Summary: The vivid, powerful story of an almost forgotten campaign
Review: Brian Altobello's Into The Shadows Furious is the vividly presented story of the American battle to drive out the Japanese from New Georgia after the U.S. armed forces had finally secured Guadalcanal in the spring of 1943. The Japanese airbase at Munda on the island of New Georgia was a vital target and the focus of the Army's 43rd Division. The Japanese commander, Major General Sasaki, had prepared a series of strong defensive positions and roadblocks on the trails east from Munda directly in front of the American advance. The ensuing combat in difficult terrain slowed the Americans long enough that General Sasaki managed to evacuate the bulk of his forces. Into The Shadows Furious is compelling reading and a superb addition to the growing library of World War II Pacific Theater with its vivid, powerful story of an almost forgotten campaign that took a tremendous toll in blood and lives.

Rating:
Summary: The Way it Was
Review: I participated in this operation and was a member of the lst Raider Bn. The author was very detailed in his various reports of the battles and accurate. His description of the battle fields and terrain were exactly what I remembered. He wrote about the "grunts" their feelings and miseries - the heroes and those not quite as heroics. He pulled no strings for marines or soldiers or sailors. He called the shots. He was so detailed in his reporting that I swear he must have been there. I recommend this to veterans of that campaign especially. You will never know what was going on over there, even if you were there, unless you read this book.

Frank Gee

Rating:
Summary: The Way it Was
Review: I participated in this operation and was a member of the lst Raider Bn. The author was very detailed in his various reports of the battles and accurate. His description of the battle fields and terrain were exactly what I remembered. He wrote about the "grunts" their feelings and miseries - the heroes and those not quite as heroics. He pulled no strings for marines or soldiers or sailors. He called the shots. He was so detailed in his reporting that I swear he must have been there. I recommend this to veterans of that campaign especially. You will never know what was going on over there, even if you were there, unless you read this book.

Frank Gee

Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive history of the New Georgia campaign
Review: Mr. Altobello's book does justice to a previously overlooked pacific campaign. Situated chronologically between Guadalcanal and Bougainville, it has become a footnote in history. It, unfortunately, was not a very well run campaign, lasting much longer and costing much more in men and material than anticipated. The reasons for this are several - inadequately trained, poorly led troops,a terrible attack plan that was made worse with modifications, poor intelligence, and a worthy opponent in defense. In all honesty, in 1943, the south pacific theater was low on the list for appropriations, most army troops available were national guard divisions with little or no combat experiance, and the navy was somewhat limited in its' support ability due to enormous losses at Guadalcanal - specifically no fleet carrier support. So, this campaign was a painful learning experiance for theses services ,and learn they did, with the much more successful campaigns in '44-45. The author has obviously done extensive research on this campaign and no facet of it is not well covered. I highly recommend this book to persons wanting in depth coverage of the Solomons campaign or someone with particular interest in the New Georgia campaign.

Rating:
Summary: It'll make you cry
Review: My father fought at Munda and New Georgia. He is now dead and he rarely talked about his experiences. As a 50 year old man, I have become interested in the New Georgia Campaign. Altobello makes you understand that Guadalcanal got all the press and that New Georgia was more violent. Altobello forces you to smell the rotten jungle floor and feel the blankets of mosquitos that covered bare skin. Altobello then wraps the physical conditions in terror and fright. I regret that I was ever a hippie.