Best Military Books

Manufacturer: Us Naval Institute Press

Customer Reviews

Exciting story of forgotten battles, May 18, 2004
By Andrew S. Rogers

Notwithstanding the impression you might get from some of the other reviewers here, "Lonely Vigil" is not a book about John F. Kennedy. Far from the coastwatchers being a footnote in JFK's biography, I prefer to think of JFK -- at least during these years -- as a minor bit of trivia in the far more interesting story of the coastwatchers themselves. Fishing JFK out of the drink was far from their most important contribution, either to the war effort or to history. I first read this book when I was in my teens, and I was captured even then by the drama of the coastwatchers and their Melanesian allies, hiding in the jungles while reporting on Japanese convoy and aircraft movements through the evocatively named "Slot" through the Solomon Islands. If you're familiar with Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific," you already know a little about the coastwatchers, since the mission embarked on by Lt. Joe Cable and planter Emile de Becque was modeled on the true-life exploits described in this book. It's too bad that the exciting story of the coastwatchers is still all but unknown in the U.S. But if it's true, as Admiral Halsey said (and who are we to doubt Admiral Halsey?), that "the coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal, and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific," then this well-researched, well-written, and engrossing book by Walter Lord deserves to be read by all students of the war in the Pacific.



Coastwatchers save the Pacific during WWII, February 21, 2002
By Clint L. Nash

I am partial to this book becuase Walter Lord interviewed my Father during the writing of this book. My Father Benjamin F. Nash was the only full time American Coastwatcher during WWII and was with Reg Evans when they spotted the fire ball that turned out to be the wreck of PT 109 when the Jananese destroyer ran over it. I met Mr. Lord during the days he talked to my Father during the Summer of 1976. I think it was '76. I have read the book several times. It is a fascinating history filled with facts, so you have to take your time in reading it to get the full impact. My Father told me that the facts that he knew of where 100% accurate in the book. Great book.



"Forty bombers heading yours", April 22, 2007
By Smallchief

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief



"Forty bombers heading yours", April 22, 2007
By Smallchief

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief




A great, but somewhat overlooked book by Walter Lord, March 9, 2010
By Solomon

Walter Lord has written some of the best narrative histories - "A Night to Remember", "Day of Infamy" and "Incredible Victory", to name just three. In my opinion, this book is in the class of those three, but since it covers a less dramatic aspect of WWII it has received much less attention. The lonely vigil was that of the Coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands who reported on Japanese shipping and flights to Guadalcanal. This was critical work and in the words of Admiral Halsey, "The Coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific" - a remarkable contribution of a few brave men who worked in relative isolation, knowing that capture meant torture and death.

Actually, the book is about much more than a lonely vigil. It not only tells the stories of the "official" Coastwatchers who were assigned to this work, but also of the planters, missionaries, island natives and rescued pilots and sailors, all of whom were caught up in the Japanese advance through the Solomon Islands. It shows how many conducted their own wars against the Japanese, not only by reporting on Japanese movements, but sometimes actively fighting them on islands such as Guadalcanal, Bougainvulle, New Georgia, Valla Lavella and a host of much smaller islands. The book tells how the Coastwatchers were organized and selected, and how many American flyers and sailors (including JFK) were rescued and shuttled through Japanese held territory to the American lines.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a well-written book - one that makes you feel that you are in the midst of the action. It is a great book for those who like history, especially the history of WWII.




Heroes At Their Best, July 10, 2009
By Bob T "Mister Boog"

I like how Walter Lord took his time for each Coastwatcher and told their stories. This book gave me a great sense of how interconnected the entire operation was for WWII, how every person had to do their job in order for the entire mission to be successful. But even more than that, I loved the individual stories, the details of what they encountered and how they adapted to each situation. From the rugged jungle, to the hot wet weather, to the natives switching allegiance between Japanese and Allied Forces, to the betrayer who gave away information, this book gives a complete sense (including many photographs of the people involved) of what it was like to operate behind enemy lines to get information that saved countless lives. God Bless them all.



Cloak and Dagger in the Jungle, January 30, 2008
By Dru Preston Jr. "Pacific Theatre Enthusiast"

Lonely Vigil is an absolute page turner from beginning to end. Walter Lord did a fine job putting together the story of the many coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands. There are many first person accounts of incidences on all the major islands. I especially liked the chapter on Donald Kennedy and his native guerilla army and their incredible exploits against the Japanese. Why a movie hasn't been made about this guy I don't know. The book covers a number of different coastwatchers and holds the readers attention very well. The photos and maps are a big plus as well. It's to bad that most people in the US don't know more about these brave and resourceful men. During this period of WW2 the issue was still in doubt and the coastwatchers played a tremendous role in turning this around. It would have been a priviledge to serve with and know these men and the brave Solomon Islanders who risked everything by standing by them. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book



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