Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons Book

This is Walter Lord?s best-selling account of the Coastwatchers of the Solomons?that remarkable band of individualists who operated deep behind Japanese lines in the dark days of 1942-43. Living by their wits, with the help of friendly natives, they passed along critical intelligence, rescued downed flyers, and saved men from their sinking ships?including John F. Kennedy?s PT 109. In Admiral Halsey?s words, "The Coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific." It is also the story of the natives who helped them, the missionaries they worked with, the downed flyers and castaways they rescued, the Marine patrols they guided, the pilots and submariners who serviced them, and even the Japanese who chased them. To piece the story together, Lord traveled 40,000 miles to interview the participants, pore through archives, and examine private letters and diaries. He even made a three-day hike through the Guadalcanal jungle to inspect the coastwatcher hideout on Gold Ridge, to put readers in their shoes. The result is a major contribution to the history of World War II told by a master storyteller. "A stirring tale of forgotten heroes, splendidly told by a master narrator."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. "So much of this exciting tale is new to me. I knew some of these valiant men well. Walter Lord has brought them to life again, and all of us who fought in those distant islands, in the seas around them and in the skies above them, may renew our thanks to those who kept the lonely vigil."--Samuel B. Griffith II, Brigadier General USMN (Ret.)Read More