Cutthroats: The Adventures of a Sherman Tank Driver in the Pacific

By Robert Dick and Robert C. Dick

Book Overview

Soon after we landed it became apparent that there was more than enough artillery here, that the enemy were excellent shots, and that their ammo supply seemed to be endless. With the Japanese deeply entrenched and determined to die rather than surrender, Robert Dick and his fellow soldiers quickly realized that theirs would be a war fought inch by bloody inch-and that their Sherman tanks would serve front and center. As driver, Dick had to maneuver his five-man crew in and out of dangerous and often deadly situations. Whether crawling up beaches, bogged down in the mud-soaked Leyte jungle, or exposed in the treacherous valleys of Okinawa, the Sherman was a favorite target. A land mine could blow off the tracks, leaving its crew marooned and helpless, and the nightmare of swarms of Japanese armed with satchel charges was all too real. But there was a war to be won, and Americans like Robert Dick did their jobs without fanfare, and without glory. This gripping account of tanker combat is a ringing testament to the awe-inspiring bravery of ordinary Americans.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891418849
• ISBN13: 9780891418849
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Good read even for a women

Robert wrote about the war from his point of view with his own unique brand of storytelling. It contains interesting detail of life in a Sherman tank and alot of laugh out loud humor to make it a wonderful read.

A "tanks-eye" view

Cutthroats is a fast, easy, and very enjoyable read. For those who haven't read it the title refers to the name painted on the author's tank, all tanks in C Company having to have a name starting with the letter C. The author's account of the days immediately following Pearl Harbor are both entertaining and really illuminating on the hysteria of the times. The author spent time guarding bridges and railroad tunnels with a .30 CAL machine gun crew at various locations in California. His accounts of combat as tank crewman in the Pacific theater make up the bulk of the book. His firsthand accounts of combat, the hardship of day-to-day life, and the camaraderie of his fellow tankers will make you laugh and at times get a lump in your throat. This is a great book with something for the serious and casual history buff alike.

He Lived To Tell About It

Excellent memoir, written by a guy who started out as a foot soldier before Pearl Harbor, and went on to drive Shermans on Leyte and Okinawa. The book reads fast and easy, is full of great detail, and told in a wry, reflective tone. Armor freaks especially will dig it. We need as many of these memoirs as we can get before these guys are all gone.

A Great Tanker's Eye View

Robert Dick has given us a great war memoir from the perspective of a tanker, which is all too rare, especially where the Pacific theater is concerned. This is a good, old-fashioned war story, emphasis on the war, but with just enough of the hijinks that veterans are so good at recalling. Dick offers a rare take on what it was really like to drive a tank in battle, the bond established between the tanker and the infantry he supported, and the odds and ends of a tank battalion's activities, such as firing as artillery. He honestly shares his painful experience nearing the "breaking point" after watching ever more of his buddies die in grueling combat. Buy this book!

Another great tanker memoir!

Robert Dick has given us a gem. His narrative is interesting, thought provoking, sometimes disturbing and very often humorous. Kind of a gallows humor. Probably appropriate for the times. He explains the technical aspects of the M-3 Stuart and M-4 Sherman in an easy to understand way. I suspect that some readers will not appreciate the frequent humor but we all cope with our ghosts in different ways. Great read.