Book cover of Strong Men Armed: The United States Marines Against Japan

Book description

Strong Men Armed relates the U. S. Marines' unprecedented, relentless drive across the Pacific during World War II, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, detailing their struggle to dislodge from heavily fortified islands an entrenched enemy who had vowed to fight to extinctionand did. (All but three of the Marines' victories required…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Strong Men Armed as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

If you were among the millions who watched the award-winning HBO series The Pacific, you know the story of the bloody Marine advance as they fought their way across the Pacific.

Based on the combat experiences of author Robert Leckie who fought on Guadalcanal and beyond until he was wounded and evacuated stateside, Leckie chronicles the ferocity of the no-surrender combat practiced by both sides. 

A skilled writer and journalist post-war, Leckie had an eye for details and an ability to set a scene that makes the reader feel part of the action: 

Bouganville; “the Japanese attacked, closing with yells…

If you love Strong Men Armed...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Strong Men Armed?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Strong Men Armed.

Browse books like Strong Men Armed

Book cover of Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Book cover of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
Book cover of Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Strong Men Armed, you might also like...

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

Book cover of Tsunami

Tsunami by LeeAnn Pickrell,

On the morning of December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people across fourteen countries, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Thailand to the Maldives to India and all the way to East Africa.…

5 book lists we think you will like!