This books title sums up the story inside. Every Marine's story in this book carries a similar thread. They were scared as hell in combat but never regretted joining the core. Mr. Berry, (a WWII Marine himself, which is probaly the reason they opened up so much to him) brings a personnal story from every Marine battle during the war. The confusion and deprivation of Guadalcanal, the bloodbath of Tarawa, the Japanese suicidal frenzy of Saipan, the slaughter of Peleliu and Iwo Jima up to the conclusion at Okinawa. it is all here death, disease, and destruction. All first hand accounts told by tough Marines. It is amazing any of them survived, yet 75 of them share there memories here in short personnal histories. The only problem with the book is the length, but many did not survive to particiapte. But they are remembered here.

I really liked it's snapshot format of battles all across the Pacific. I even found out that the Confederate flag was used by several Marine units instead of Ol Glory; as a Southerner that made me even happier.

Henry Berry's 'Semper Fi, Mac" is an oral history of the Marine Corps in the Pacific in World War II. Berry interviewed about 75 Marines who had fought in some of the toughest battles and places in the Pacific. There is a rough chronological order to the interviews but most of the stories start on or about Dec. 7, 1941. The stories most of the men tell start with either this date or shortly before, coupled with with some background material, their training, the trip to the Pacific, and then their personal experiences in combat. There is misery and death, heroism and tragedy, but overall a sense of comradeship comes from every story. Berry sprinkles his work with humorous tidbits of Marine history and stories about famous Marines, such as Chesty Puller, the only Marine to win five Navy Crosses. Also there are sections on Marine lingo and a brief historical synopsis of the Marines' Pacific battles. Berry himself was in the Marines near the end of the war and gives a proper perspective of all events and personalities. But this book is about the men who fought and died on such places as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Its their book, their story, their history, and it should never be forgotten.

If you love poking into the obscure corners of history, you need to read this book. Henry Berry Lowery and his gang are driven into the swamp and hide there for years, living like a 19th-century Robin Hood and Merry Men. Tragedy, comedy, romance, and real history! A great combination! The author has discovered an astounding story, and tells it beautifully.

I don't care if you don't like "true story" books. Read this one. Henry Berry Lowery did exist, and he was a freedom-fighter, sort of, for his people (North Carolina native Americans), and he did some incredibly funny things and some incredibly violent things. But it's the writer who goes into the swamp to interview him and his gang who broke my heart and healed it. You never find out the writer's name and you don't need to. You won't forget him and you won't forget Henry Berry either.

I just wish someone had warned me first; normally I think "good literature" is stuffy. But this one is beautifully written AND it has low comedy and serious tragedy and bigtime action, which means that I couldn't put this thing down till past midnight. Open this one up on Friday, because you'll be wrecked at work the next day if you start it on a weeknight.

For those of you trying to get an understanding of where Prize Fighting came about this is a great book. This is a piece of history that any duelist should own. If your into heavy metal or the art of rapier you can get an idea of what men went thru to become " Masters of Defence".

A book you can still dream on.

This was written and rewritten when Victorian erudition was in the making. Some authors in the long series of its well parsed institutional writing would still like to see it continuing in THAT well established tradition.

Alas, the times have changed. Recent anatomy texts are dwarfs not even climbing on the shoulders of the likes of Gray, Braus and Testut. Those authors professed ideals of "seeing through the skin structures", "synmorphy" and "mentally reconstructing the living". Today we do all this with machines...

I stopped reading the huge text linearly at the complicated review of angiogenesis, but still browse dedicated chapters for standard, if somewhat elaborate descriptions. Comprehensive knowledge parsing seems to have lived a fruitful life and then exit the scene to enrich scientific obituaries. But if Gibbon were still an example of style, the fifth star would be added when that clarity, in my view mandatory for monuments, will be eventually reached.

This book is absolutely amazing. It was the required reference text for a gross anatomy class I took in graduate school and it made studying so easy! I used to go through and take notes out of it in order to have a solid base of what I should see when I would dissect. This book also described a lot of the abnormalities and variations that we would regularly see in the human body. A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WILL BE STUDYING ANATOMY!!!!!!

This book is truly a masterpiece. The writing and layout is good. Descriptions and illustrations are clear and well done. I am not a medical professional and yet I find this book fascinating in its breadth and scope. To better comprehend some of the anatomical structures I first read relevant portions of this book and then go to Netter's Atlas Of Human Anatomy. One point of caution though - get the 38th British Edition. This is by far superior to the American Edition which costs half as much. The extra money spent will be well worth it. After all there is a lifetime of adventure embedded in this volume.

This is a good book. You have to admire the author's initiative in hunting down jarheads from Maine to San Diego 30 years after the war is over. Berry has the men talk alot about their pre-service and pre-Korean War militayr experience, which adds alot of color to the book. Many of the stories get a bit repetitive as the fellas tell their tales of Pusan, Inchon, Chosin, and the subsequent stalemate, but there was enough of a twist to each rendition to keep this readers' interest. Berry does provide a useful survey of the post WWII political and military situation in the US...attempts to eliminate the Marine Corps, the severe force cuts and poor readiness of key personnel and equipment.

Every reader is likely to find a part of this book which sticks in his memory. Mine were as follows. ....Paul Martin, 1st Marine Division Recon, is sick and tired of this 'Chosin Reservoir trap stuff.' How could it be a 'trap' he asks, when everyone in the theater knew the hills were crawling with Chinese soldiers? Martin heaps praise on Major General Smith for going ahead with the runway at Hugaru-ri despite Almond's hesitation.

....Hal Roise on Vietnam as he neared the end of his career in the mid sixties. "It looked like a quagmire to me...I just don't think our intervening was worth the effort. This type of thinking made me a leper as far as the big wheels at the Pentagon were concerned. I figured i'd just get out."

....Maj. General Lem Sheppard's criticism of the denouement from Chosin, the Hungnam evacuation. The port was well defended from the ground, air and sea; the Chinese were 'finished.' Giving up the port was a "mistake which cost thousands of American lives over the next few years."

....The North Koreans would close the schools and release the kids to find escaped POW's. It was their version of 'kick the can...' when they found you they would start cheering. This from Colonel William Thrash, a Marine flyer who spent some time in Chinese captivity.

....Boston Red Sox fans will enjoy Ted William's stories about bombing missions, as well as his battles with pneumonia and inner ear infections.