Helmet for My Pillow
A Marine's memoir of Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu — from enlistment through combat to homecoming.
The Verdict
The other great Marine memoir of the Pacific, and the funnier, more raucous one. Robert Leckie enlisted after Pearl Harbor and fought across Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu, and he writes with a journalist's eye and a novelist's ear — for the boredom, the obscenity, the camaraderie, and the sudden horror. Where Sledge is grave, Leckie is wry and irreverent, which makes the violence land all the harder. Together with With the Old Breed, it formed the backbone of HBO's The Pacific.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- A vivid, irreverent Pacific combat memoir
- Readers who want character and dark humour
- One of the two memoirs behind The Pacific
- Guadalcanal through Peleliu, first-hand
Look elsewhere if you want
- Strategy and the campaign's big picture
- A solemn tone throughout (try Sledge)
- The naval side of the Pacific
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
Leckie served with the 1st Marine Division and fought at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester on New Britain, and Peleliu. Published in 1957, the memoir is written with the skill of the professional journalist Leckie became. The 2010 HBO miniseries The Pacific drew on it alongside Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Collector's Corner
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0553593310
Other Books About the Same Events
More by Robert Leckie
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does Helmet for My Pillow compare with With the Old Breed?
- Leckie is wittier and more irreverent; Sledge is graver and more harrowing. The two together give the fullest picture of the Marines' Pacific war.
- Is it connected to The Pacific TV series?
- Yes — it is one of the two memoirs the 2010 HBO miniseries is based on.