Description
The true story behind the character depicted in HBO's critically acclaimed, award-winning miniseries, The Pacific
I'm Staying with My Boys is a firsthand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the Greatest Generation. Sgt. John Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his 15-member unit was reduced to three men. At Iwo Jima he single-handedly destroyed an enemy blockhouse, allowing his unit to capture an airfield. Minutes later he was killed by an enemy artillery round. He was the only Marine in World War II to have received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart and is arguably the most famous Marine of all time.
I'm Staying with My Boys is the only family-authorized biography of Basilone, and it features photographs never before published. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in first person, allowing readers to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as "Manila John".
About the Author
Jim Proser's first book, I’m Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC, was awarded the United States Marine Corps Commandant’s Recommendation. Prosner wrote and directed, with Jerry Cutter, a documentary of the same name, and I’m Staying with My Boys was used as source material for HBO's critically acclaimed, award-winning miniseries, The Pacific.
Jerry Cutter is the nephew of Sgt. John Basilone, an American Hero of World War II in the Pacific whose courageous actions are described in his official biography, I'm Staying with My Boys. Cutter also worked with Jim Prosner on the documentary the same name. He lives in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Praise For…
“Everyone should read this book, the story of a true American Hero. I served with John Basilone and I can hear his voice in every page.” —Thomas O. Nass, 5th Marine Division, WWII
“This book about the legendary John Basilone is presented in such a personal style that one would believe that "Manila John" is still alive. Not since William Manchester authored his memoir GOODBYE DARKNESS twenty-five years ago has a book been written about one man that seems so authentic.” —Col. Ken Jordan, USMC, ret.
“A lot has been written about my brother in the war, but it's important to know his whole story. This book tells the story of John as a boy, a teenager, and a man. Every student should study and learn from it.” —Carlo Basilone, John's brother