This book is the culmination of author John Innes research and battlefield explorations on Guadalcanal. Published by the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers Trust to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. The book also covers Tulagi, Gavutu Tananbogo plus the Naval battles in Iron Bottom Sound.

Author Innes was a resident of the Solomon Islands between the early 1990s until the late 2000s John became captivated by the island's World War II history after attending an August 7th commemoration. He began studying the battle and leading weekly battlefield tours for anyone interested in the history and worked with countless veterans who returned to the Solomon Islands to revisit wartime locations. Touring the battlefields on a weekly basis, he excelled at locating precise spots were actions occurred and even the exact foxhole or position specific Marines once defended.

Innes has become the undisputed expert on the battlefields of Guadalcanal and was uniquely position to learn incredible eyewitness accounts and oral histories from veterans. Over the years, he led Valor Tours trips to Guadalcanal and guided dignitaries including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and several U.S. Marine Corps commandants plus many other distinguished guests. He was inspired to write this book to share all the stories and battlefield knowledge he collected with readers.

This book includes the locations of several famous actions where Americans earned the Medal of Honor, the United States highest military decoration including the locations associated with U.S. Marines Plat/Sgt Mitchell Paige, Gy/Sgt John Bassalone. Also U.S. Coast Guard Sig 1c Douglas Munro.

The book is highly illustrated with maps, diagrams and satellite imagery. Many wartime photographs and present day photos provide then and now context, plus exact then and now comparisons of many key locations.

For anyone interested in the battlefields of Guadalcanal or who may dream of visiting the island someday, this book is a must for your bookshelf.

Review by Justin Taylan  

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Last Updated
September 21, 2023