This is a gripping piece of historical writing following the intertwined odysseys of four US Marines and a US Navy carrier pilot within the Pacific theatre during World War II. Between America's retreat from China in late November 1941 and the moment General MacArthur's airplane touched down on the Japanese mainland in August 1945, five men connected by happenstance fought the key battles of the war against Japan. In The Pacific, Hugh Ambrose focuses on the real-life stories of these five men, who put their lives on the line for their country. The book is published to coincide with the broadcast of the new HBO miniseries on the Seven Network in 2010.