Guadalcanal Diary (book)

Guadalcanal Diary is a memoir written by war correspondent Richard Tregaskis and first published by Random House on January 1st 1943. The book recounts the author's time with the United States Marine Corps on Guadalcanal in the early stages of the pivotal months-long battle there starting in 1942.

Narrative style
Tregaskis relates combat and conversation in an immediately accessible vernacular, taking care to cite the full name, rank, and hometown of each of the Marines he encountered over the weeks he was on the island.

Legacy
The book was well received at home upon publication in particular for its description of the camaraderie amongst the Marines. It was subsequently made required reading for all USMC officer candidates.

In 1943 the memoir was made into a film of the same name starring William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn, and John Archer, marking the film debut of Richard Jaeckel.