THE GHOST MOUNTAIN BOYS Their Epic March and the Terrifying Battle for New Guinea—The Forgotten War of the South Pacific

Stephen Hoye gives a solid reading of Campbell’s account of the battle for New Guinea during WWII. The campaign, largely eclipsed by the struggle over Guadalcanal, was a pivotal struggle that might even have been a turning point in the Pacific theater. In the long, grueling, dirty fight men were felled by disease as often as by bullets. Listeners follow individual soldiers, the 32nd Division’s Ghost Mountain Boys, from their training through the campaign. Campbell often quotes from letters home. He also quotes from Japanese journals found later. This gives the book real humanity. Hoye doesn’t try to give each character a distinctive voice, but he varies pace and tone to show when individuals are speaking for themselves. R.C.G. 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]