Islands of the Damned Audiobook By R. V. Burgin, Bill Marvel cover art

Islands of the Damned

A Marine at War in the Pacific

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

Islands of the Damned

By: R. V. Burgin, Bill Marvel
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.61

Buy for $14.61

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

This is an eyewitness - and eye-opening - account of some of the most savage and brutal fighting in the war against Japan, told from the perspective of a young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps to escape a life as a traveling salesman.

R. V. Burgin enlisted at the age of 20 and, with his sharp intelligence and earnest work ethic, climbed the ranks from a green private to a seasoned sergeant. Along the way, he shouldered a rifle as a member of a mortar squad. He saw friends die and enemies killed. He saw scenes he wanted to forget but never did - from enemy snipers who tied themselves to branches in the highest trees, to ambushes along narrow jungle trails, to the abandoned corpses of hara kiri victims, to the final howling banzai attacks as the Japanese embraced their inevitable defeat.

An unforgettable narrative of a young Marine in combat, Islands of the Damned brings to life the hell that was the Pacific War.

©2010 R.V. Burgin and William Marvel (P)2010 Tantor Military Military & War Wars & Conflicts World War II
Authentic Firsthand Account • Riveting War Experiences • Engaging Narration • Compelling Historical Perspective
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Mr. Burgin's story talks to the forgotten Pacific battles and the spirit that is Semper Fidelis!

Great story on the Pacific campaign

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I like the story very much. The performer was brilliant. He had the right frame of mind when telling the story. He wasn't just reading lines. I think every young person should read these books to, like he said, never forget.

true history that needs to be told

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great autobiography and well read. Must read for any Marine. Gives good perspective on reality of war from a warfighters lenses

Good war autobiography

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
After having watched The Pacific miniseries and doing a grad school research paper on Okinawa I wanted to go through Burgin’s account fully, and it did not disappoint. We need to remember these men and the sacrifices they made. I highly recommend this account for those interested in the American Pacific theatre and Marine Corps.

Excellent WWII history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
great first hand experience. goes along with history books. RV Burgin is an exampke for all Marines.

island of the damned. the untild story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I think I'll listen to it again in a couple weeks. No point in the entire book was boring or uninteresting. Burgin's stories were incredible. Makes me feel small listening to what he had done and accomplished so many years before I was even born. This book accurately portrays the heart and mind of a "Marine's Marine". Something we Marines say about someone that truly cares for that Marine to his right and left and honestly would give his life to defend his brother and his country. A Marine's Marine.. R.V. Burgin. There's no doubt.
What I wouldn't give to have served along side a man like that.

Outstanding. Nothing like listening to an old vet.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’ve enjoyed several other memoirs of Marines who fought in the Pacific Theater, and this is one of the best.

History shared by a participant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Where does Islands of the Damned rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Tied for # 1 ( This book is comparable to With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge)

Who was your favorite character and why?

The book in whole is a picture of the brutal situation that US Marines on the front faced and a glimpse on how some sought to hold on to their own humanity.

Any additional comments?

This book is a Must Read for anyone who knows or knew a Veteran of the WW2 Pacific Infantry. USMC & US ARMY.
While growing up, I knew men who were WW2 Pacific Vets.
I Saw them try to live struggling with their ghosts following them. Some were lost to the demons. Some overcame the demons. I never saw a Vet that did not struggle.
I never understood what they saw and went through.
If you want to partly understand - Islands of The damned - along with- "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge tells the actual story of the men who endured the Pacific Front and the price they paid to allow us our Freedom.
I can not say enough good things. I express my gratitude to these men who fought and have been forgotten and thanks to these 2 authors who tell their story.**These two books should be mandatory in every History Curriculum.

Excellent Reality From One Who Lived It

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well done and provides real detail of what these men really encountered in the pacific.

Great autobiography of really happened in the pacific!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
this book gives insight into the bravery of a man to protect his country.

learning about brave men

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews