"But he commanded our individual destinies under the most trying conditions with the utmost compassion."

I mentioned in my last post that I had become engrossed in The Pacific series. It was made by the same people who did Band of Brothers, which I also truly love, but while Band of Brothers was based on an entire company of men in WW2, The Pacific focuses on three individual soldiers and their stories: Sgt John Basilone, who won the medal of honor, and two first class privates, Eugene B. Sledge and Robert Leckie, both who wrote books about their experiences in the war which were used as material for The Pacific series.I cannot really explain what it is about the series that I love so much. It is the same with Band of Brothers; it is so intense, so important and so heart-breaking, but the fact that all this horror is shown through the eyes of such a small group of people completely fascinates me. I am currently reading Sledge's book With the Old Breed (I also have Leckie's ready to be read when I've finished this) and it really, really helps you understand the series. You can watch so many films and tv programmes, but you're still seperate from it, still an observer. But when I'm reading this book I feel as though I am a part of it; you start to really see and hear and feel the things that he is describing. It is such an education and personally I believe that books and shows like The Pacific should be shown as part of history courses in high school, because it is the highest of all anti-war campaigns. Eugene Sledge writies in such an honest, open way, and his observations on humanity are astonishingly astute.

You know the young lad in Jurassic Park? Yeah, he's grown up now.

If you are not a big reader, like I am, then skip the books for now and watch the series. It is only ten episodes, and it is such as life-changing - but also life-affirming - experience. It was for me, at least. It is brutal, horrific, blood-thirsty and shocking, but if you desire to try and understand the human soul, it is second to none. It is a story of true heroes.



Speaking of heroes, I found out this morning that Major Richard D. Winters (who is portrayed in Band of Brothers by Damian Lewis) died on 2nd January 2011. If you have seen Band of Brothers then you will know what a loss this is and what a great man he was. Thank you, and Rest In Peace.