In this dramatic journey through religious and artistic history; R. A. Scotti traces the defining event of a glorious epoch: the building of St. Peter?s Basilica. Begun by the ferociously ambitious Pope Julius II in 1506; the endeavor would span two tumultuous centuries; challenge the greatest Renaissance masters?Michelangelo; Raphael; and Bramante?and enrage Martin Luther. By the time it was completed; Shakespeare had written all of his plays; the Mayflower had reached Plymouth?and Rome had risen with its astounding basilica to become Europe?s holy metropolis. A dazzling portrait of human achievement and excess; Basilica is a triumph of historical writing.
#266281 in Books R V Burgin 2011-03-01 2011-03-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .67 x 5.92l; .71 #File Name: 0451232267304 pagesIslands of the Damned A Marine at War in the Pacific
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Perhaps too optimisticBy adrenalinI have been reading several war books this year; among others With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa and All Quiet on the Western Front and this was the last I can make before the year ends.This book refers quite often to Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed and I am happy that I read it first because of that. Viewpoints are very different with - as someone commented - Sledge trying to survive and Burgin trying to win the war.After finally seeing and afterwards reading Band of Brothers I became interested in the brotherhood between men in extreme conditions. Then I got immersed in the Pacific warfare and filth and waste of human life came along with With the Old Breed; and a classic All Quiet on the Western Front gave even more depth in waste. When old men send young to die and your sergeant has more power over you than your mother ever had. All the time going to more miserable; desperate and pacifistic point.Islands of the Damned diverted from a path leading to deeper and deeper desperation. It is a story of a humble and simple person; who went and did the job and didn't really brag about it.My grandfather fought for five long years against Soviet Union in the Army of Finland and I think that my interest derives from that. I like to think that my grandfather was much like Burgin. He started his war in 1939 as a rifleman against far larger and badly outnumbered by everything; eventually ending the war as a sergeant of a machine gun squad. People like them deserve - and in my opinion should have even been required - to tell their story for us to learn about the hardships; brotherhood and endurance.If you can; read both With the Old Breed and Islands of the Damned; but if you are to choose; I would recommend With the Old Breed. Even if the point of view concerning war is narrower from private's point of view; scope of emotions is far wider and Eugene Sledge is superior writer.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. a good firsthand accountBy Marc C. WaszkiewiczOne of the men featured in the HBO series THE PACIFIC wrote this firsthand account. A good book and story; at a regular soldier's language level. The real deal written in normal speak language.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Reads like a grandfather telling a story ...By DACHokieThe HBO miniseries "The Pacific" has stoked interest in the Pacific Theatre of World War II; but more importantly; it has introduced many to some of the finest accounts of combat ever put on paper (E.B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" and Robert Leckie's "Helmet for My Pillow"). R.V. Burgin's "Islands of the Damned" is a fine companion to the above-mentioned books. What makes Burgin's book worth the read is simple ... he's one of the dwindling number of World War II Marines alive that can still tell his story.My first introduction to R.V. Burgin was while watching the prologue to each episode of "The Pacific" that included brief but somber interviews with nameless grandfatherly men telling us what they experienced during the war. One gentleman in particular spoke of Peleliu in a stern and quiet manner that I found particularly mesmerizing. It wasn't until the end of the 10th and final episode that he was finally named: R.V. Burgin. He'd been portrayed in the series all along; as E.B. Sledge's sergeant and had more prominent roles in the final few episodes. When the credits revealed his "Islands of the Damned" as contributing to the miniseries; I had to buy it.More often than not; the fighting in the Pacific takes a back seat to the glory of Allied soldiers liberating historic European cities. However; the Pacific theatre arguably includes some of the most savage and intense combat of the entire war; including the Eastern Front. R.V. Burgin's personal account of his war experience echoes the brutal nature of the Pacific War as well as the misery the Marines endured and the bond that kept them together through it all. His story starts from childhood and carries on through the war to his current life in Texas (a perspective that the Leckie and Sledge books do not offer). His book reads exactly like he spoke in "The Pacific" prologues ... short; simple and effective sentences with no superfluous artistic drama added ... not that any is needed. Reading Burgin's book created an aura of sitting on a couch and listening to my grandfather tell stories of his youth. We're not only presented with the chaos; death and misery on places like Peleliu and Okinawa; we get a glimpse of his experience before and after the combat; aboard troopships and on the infamous island of Pavuvu. A major presence throughout the book is that of Florence; the woman he met while on leave in Australia (before he shipped off to Peleliu) who would become his wife after the war. The angst and pain experienced during a two-year courtship that ultimately depended on Burgin surviving Peleliu and Okinawa adds a point-of-view not common in many of the memoirs I've read. Additionally; I was left with the impression that Burgin's wartime experience had a less traumatizing effect on his life after the war (unlike E.B. Sledge); but then again; different people process horrible events in different ways."Islands of the Damned" is a lot like the books that veterans of Easy Company wrote following "Band of Brothers" in that Burgin adds clarity and a different perspective to the miniseries storyline (such as Burgin being wounded on Okinawa). His recollection of events are presented clearly and in a humble fashion ... even the action on Okinawa that earned him a Bronze Star is somewhat downplayed. As with most of these World War II veterans' recollections; the credit is always given to the men serving with them ... Burgin upholds this tradition. I see value in most veteran's memoirs; especially now that so few are left to tell us about their role in such an amazing historical event ... R.V. Burgin's story is definitely one that holds value.
