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The Long Patrol: A WWII Novel: 164th Regiment Series, Book 1
During the bloody battle for Guadalcanal, one Army unit's mission to infiltrate enemy lines to arm and train a guerrilla force of natives goes horribly wrong.
The 164th Army Division has come to reinforce the beleaguered First Marine Division, which has been fighting the Japanese for months. It will be the Division's first combat test as well as it's bloodiest.
The fighting has come to a standstill with neither side giving ground. The 164th is desperate to break the stalemate and the mounting casualties.
Their possible solution comes in the form of a British Coast Watcher. Thomas Welch offers to take a small unit into the jungle to meet up with a force of natives to instigate a guerrilla war against the Japanese rear.
A unit from Able Company is selected for the job. Each man's been battle tested, defending Henderson field from hordes of attacking Japanese. The mission goes badly from the outset and the unit is cutoff and desperate to continue their mission.
As the battle for Guadalcanal rages on, their mission changes. As more men fall, the likelihood of completing it is slipping away. Betrayed, alone and hurt, they find themselves as the only soldiers able to deliver victory from the jaws of defeat.
The 164th Army Division has come to reinforce the beleaguered First Marine Division, which has been fighting the Japanese for months. It will be the Division's first combat test as well as it's bloodiest.
The fighting has come to a standstill with neither side giving ground. The 164th is desperate to break the stalemate and the mounting casualties.
Their possible solution comes in the form of a British Coast Watcher. Thomas Welch offers to take a small unit into the jungle to meet up with a force of natives to instigate a guerrilla war against the Japanese rear.
A unit from Able Company is selected for the job. Each man's been battle tested, defending Henderson field from hordes of attacking Japanese. The mission goes badly from the outset and the unit is cutoff and desperate to continue their mission.
As the battle for Guadalcanal rages on, their mission changes. As more men fall, the likelihood of completing it is slipping away. Betrayed, alone and hurt, they find themselves as the only soldiers able to deliver victory from the jaws of defeat.
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Published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 19, 2018
Good world war II story
My grandfather served in the Army in the Pacific Theatre and some of the stories that he would sometimes tell us were similar to this novel. Reading this gave me a soldiers perspective and a better understanding of what those boys experienced. If you are, like myself, interested in all things WWII, then this is a good book for you. I plan on reading the authors other books from here.
My grandfather served in the Army in the Pacific Theatre and some of the stories that he would sometimes tell us were similar to this novel. Reading this gave me a soldiers perspective and a better understanding of what those boys experienced. If you are, like myself, interested in all things WWII, then this is a good book for you. I plan on reading the authors other books from here.
June 14, 2018
Good read
Action packed. Fast read. Hard to put down. Recommend for anyone liking WW2 war books.
Will look forward to other stories by this author.
Action packed. Fast read. Hard to put down. Recommend for anyone liking WW2 war books.
Will look forward to other stories by this author.
April 8, 2019
Great read
Kept my interest through out, hard to put down. Portrays the feel you are there. Both the good and bad. Hooked on reading more from author.
Kept my interest through out, hard to put down. Portrays the feel you are there. Both the good and bad. Hooked on reading more from author.
January 14, 2018
I really wanted to like this novel, so let me begin with its strengths. The title suggests a military adventure novel and the subject of Guadalcanal during World War II: it delivers. The historical accuracy and attention to combat detail were excellent. Yet I was turned off by so much else. My book coach used to say "Write in such a way as to not annoy the reader." I was continually annoyed in this book by hackneyed expressions from combat descriptions to dialogue to internal emotional states. Characters were continually knowing the thoughts of other characters that they could not possibly know. One of the problems was the use of omniscient POV. This could have worked but the sudden shift in POV from a man being scared for his life on the ground during a bombing attack to the two pilots doing the bombing and the relationship between the two pilots who were in the process of doing the bombing, was jarring to the reader and took me out of the story and then we never heard about these two men again. Graphic violence: this was expected and at times appropriately described but so often there were long descriptions of violence and torture that did not advance the story and in fact distracted from the story line and seem to be included for their own sake. These issues could be cleared up if the book was put through a competent critique group during its inception and then an editor for final polishing. The author has a compelling knowledge of combat and tracking and a wonderful imagination. If he he will submit those talents to the help of other writers before publishing, his work will be powerful.
February 13, 2023
This story has heart. It is fast-paced and action-packed. The characters are a likeable group of soldiers who remind me of the kind of guys I worked with in the service. It seems that Chris Glatte has a good handle on human nature and how people respond to adversity and life threatening circumstances. He also has a good handle on the military ethos especially the concept of accomplishing the mission no matter what the obstacle. This novel has a lot going for it.
On the other hand there are some little issues that either pulled me out of the story to find an answer or merely made me shake my head. These include historical anachronisms, poor research of military history and protocols, and an outrageous "deus ex machina" miracle rescue.
For example the story's platoon sergeant Carver (no rank given, just his position) has a propensity to micromanage every operation the platoon undertakes. He doesn't even attempt to involve the squad leaders in planning or supervision - to him they're just up jumped privates. This made me shake my head. How does he manage without a proper chain of command?
In the story there are officers who demand salutes in a combat zone. In my day this was forbidden by regulation even during simulated combat conditions. This made me stop to check out the history of this prohibition. Although I have yet to find the answer on line, my father's Soldier's Handbook FM 21- 100 published in 1942 does mention that during a march on campaign, do not salute. Anyway, Carver discouraged one lieutenant's zealous desire for military courtesy by mentioning snipers.
Here's something else that made me roll my eyes:
"O'Connor had told Carver back on New Caledonia of his hunting experience, but for some reason he never let him take point. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, but he thought he’d be good at it. Crandall wasn’t bad, but he’d gotten them lost a few times in the thicker jungle."
Somebody thinks that Crandall, the point man, is responsible for navigation. It may be an esoteric piece of knowledge shared only by infantrymen and ex-infantrymen, but the guy at point is there to provide security. He really has enough on his plate breaking trail and looking out for bad guys. A separate man should be marking the distance covered and still another man should be working the compass and calling the turns.
There's plenty more to criticize, but I think I've established my credentials as a chicken-shit, pedantic prig. So, I'll stop here.
Seriously, I haven't had to suffer through these technical inaccuracies and annoyances when reading military fiction by Ed Ruggero or Harold Coyle. Why should I have to on this patrol?
As I said this story has heart. It just needs some polishing.
On the other hand there are some little issues that either pulled me out of the story to find an answer or merely made me shake my head. These include historical anachronisms, poor research of military history and protocols, and an outrageous "deus ex machina" miracle rescue.
For example the story's platoon sergeant Carver (no rank given, just his position) has a propensity to micromanage every operation the platoon undertakes. He doesn't even attempt to involve the squad leaders in planning or supervision - to him they're just up jumped privates. This made me shake my head. How does he manage without a proper chain of command?
In the story there are officers who demand salutes in a combat zone. In my day this was forbidden by regulation even during simulated combat conditions. This made me stop to check out the history of this prohibition. Although I have yet to find the answer on line, my father's Soldier's Handbook FM 21- 100 published in 1942 does mention that during a march on campaign, do not salute. Anyway, Carver discouraged one lieutenant's zealous desire for military courtesy by mentioning snipers.
Here's something else that made me roll my eyes:
"O'Connor had told Carver back on New Caledonia of his hunting experience, but for some reason he never let him take point. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, but he thought he’d be good at it. Crandall wasn’t bad, but he’d gotten them lost a few times in the thicker jungle."
Somebody thinks that Crandall, the point man, is responsible for navigation. It may be an esoteric piece of knowledge shared only by infantrymen and ex-infantrymen, but the guy at point is there to provide security. He really has enough on his plate breaking trail and looking out for bad guys. A separate man should be marking the distance covered and still another man should be working the compass and calling the turns.
There's plenty more to criticize, but I think I've established my credentials as a chicken-shit, pedantic prig. So, I'll stop here.
Seriously, I haven't had to suffer through these technical inaccuracies and annoyances when reading military fiction by Ed Ruggero or Harold Coyle. Why should I have to on this patrol?
As I said this story has heart. It just needs some polishing.
November 1, 2017
Had mixed feelings about this book, thus the lower rating.
First off, I thought the story line was compelling. It's an honest look at war and certainly one of the bloodiest and most horrific chapters in WII, that of Guadalcanal. I had a great-uncle who fought there; what few stories he would tell where nightmarish. The characters were interesting, and from my armchair perspective, true-to-life. While the story was fiction, the experiences seemed to be real and well researched.
On the other hand, I can't give this more than an average rating because of the technical aspects. This book displays problems so frequent in self-published books: Glatt needs another editor!!!!! Within the first couple of chapters I saw the book falling into that pit: just goofy things that Spellcheck would find: Run-on sentences, sentences starting out with a lower-case letter...things like that. While Spellcheck is certainly not the end-all proofreader, it is a good place to start!
I was confused with the capitalization of "Siren." Unless he wants to refer to mythological Sirens who lure sailors onto the rocks, or if Siren is a trade name like Kleenex, Dumpster or Jell-o, "siren" is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized. It's stuff like this that a truly professional editor should catch.
Another problem I had was that the dialog often seemed more like what you would find in a comic book. It just read like dialog in comic book bubbles, rather than the flow of more experienced authors.
Finally, there is no substitute for "being there." I can't fault the author for when he was born, but in reality, some of the best WWII books were written by journalists who where there and lived it. Uris and Michener are a couple of the prime examples. It takes a mighty-good skill set to write a book about something as dramatic and complicated as the war in the Pacific by just researching it.
Again, while the story is compelling and a good start, this book needed more serious work before it hit Amazon.
First off, I thought the story line was compelling. It's an honest look at war and certainly one of the bloodiest and most horrific chapters in WII, that of Guadalcanal. I had a great-uncle who fought there; what few stories he would tell where nightmarish. The characters were interesting, and from my armchair perspective, true-to-life. While the story was fiction, the experiences seemed to be real and well researched.
On the other hand, I can't give this more than an average rating because of the technical aspects. This book displays problems so frequent in self-published books: Glatt needs another editor!!!!! Within the first couple of chapters I saw the book falling into that pit: just goofy things that Spellcheck would find: Run-on sentences, sentences starting out with a lower-case letter...things like that. While Spellcheck is certainly not the end-all proofreader, it is a good place to start!
I was confused with the capitalization of "Siren." Unless he wants to refer to mythological Sirens who lure sailors onto the rocks, or if Siren is a trade name like Kleenex, Dumpster or Jell-o, "siren" is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized. It's stuff like this that a truly professional editor should catch.
Another problem I had was that the dialog often seemed more like what you would find in a comic book. It just read like dialog in comic book bubbles, rather than the flow of more experienced authors.
Finally, there is no substitute for "being there." I can't fault the author for when he was born, but in reality, some of the best WWII books were written by journalists who where there and lived it. Uris and Michener are a couple of the prime examples. It takes a mighty-good skill set to write a book about something as dramatic and complicated as the war in the Pacific by just researching it.
Again, while the story is compelling and a good start, this book needed more serious work before it hit Amazon.
August 28, 2017
Chris Glatte’s THE LONG PATROL tells the story of a squad fighting during the Battle of Guadalcanal during WW2. When intelligence produces an opportunity to go behind enemy lines and make contact with native guerillas, the squad ends up on a dangerous and bloody mission that may change the course of the battle and the war.
The Battle of Guadalcanal was fought to prevent the Japanese from securing capability to launch aircraft against Australia and the USA’s lifeline to that country. It followed up on the Battle of Midway with the USA taking the initiative by penetrating the Japanese Empire’s outer defensive ring. For months, American and Japanese planes fought over the island while ships skirmished and fought at sea. On the island itself, Americans fought tooth and nail to hold Henderson Airfield against ongoing Japanese assaults. The entire time, the outcome of the war hung in the balance.
Glatte’s story is a solid war novel, gritty and bloody. The plot and pacing never flag, punctuated by violence and the occasional ridiculous twist that occurs in war, such as a devastating friendly fire incident. The soldiers are heroic but realistically so. Glatte does a good job making them stand out as strong characters we care about. He also seems to avoid the usual pro- or anti-war message by simply describing a patrol and its influence on the outcome of the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Recommended if you like WW2 novels.
The Battle of Guadalcanal was fought to prevent the Japanese from securing capability to launch aircraft against Australia and the USA’s lifeline to that country. It followed up on the Battle of Midway with the USA taking the initiative by penetrating the Japanese Empire’s outer defensive ring. For months, American and Japanese planes fought over the island while ships skirmished and fought at sea. On the island itself, Americans fought tooth and nail to hold Henderson Airfield against ongoing Japanese assaults. The entire time, the outcome of the war hung in the balance.
Glatte’s story is a solid war novel, gritty and bloody. The plot and pacing never flag, punctuated by violence and the occasional ridiculous twist that occurs in war, such as a devastating friendly fire incident. The soldiers are heroic but realistically so. Glatte does a good job making them stand out as strong characters we care about. He also seems to avoid the usual pro- or anti-war message by simply describing a patrol and its influence on the outcome of the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Recommended if you like WW2 novels.
November 1, 2020
A fast, intense, and entertaining fictional read with the backdrop of WWII - Guadalcanal. Characters and plot are extremely well developed. Descriptions of the action and jungle are a joy to read.
For a first book, the author did extremely well and has a lot of talent. This book was definitely intended to be entertaining as a first objective and it certainly did it... and it did it well.
If I had to fault the book it would be for the following: (1) self-published with minute errors in grammar, (2) language of the characters was not indicative of the time, (3) F4U Corsair's were not at Guadalcanal until February 1943, not October 1942 which is when the book takes place. Nonetheless, a great work of fiction and I look forward to the next two installments of this trilogy.
For a first book, the author did extremely well and has a lot of talent. This book was definitely intended to be entertaining as a first objective and it certainly did it... and it did it well.
If I had to fault the book it would be for the following: (1) self-published with minute errors in grammar, (2) language of the characters was not indicative of the time, (3) F4U Corsair's were not at Guadalcanal until February 1943, not October 1942 which is when the book takes place. Nonetheless, a great work of fiction and I look forward to the next two installments of this trilogy.
August 12, 2021
Gritty picture of war
When I started this book I thought it was going to a so-so story set in WWII, but actually it turned out to be a good story set in WWII. The characters were a likeable group of men. Have served in the military the men seemed like the kind of guys you meet in the service. That is what I enjoyed most about this story was to me it was character driven and that made me want to find out what was going to happen next. I will say that at the end of the story it did not look good for the GIs in the story. But like with any war story you aren't sure if who is going to live or die and that makes for a good story. So if you like a good way story then check this one out.
When I started this book I thought it was going to a so-so story set in WWII, but actually it turned out to be a good story set in WWII. The characters were a likeable group of men. Have served in the military the men seemed like the kind of guys you meet in the service. That is what I enjoyed most about this story was to me it was character driven and that made me want to find out what was going to happen next. I will say that at the end of the story it did not look good for the GIs in the story. But like with any war story you aren't sure if who is going to live or die and that makes for a good story. So if you like a good way story then check this one out.
May 9, 2023
sorta of a good book
There were some things I just had some headache over. There are spoilers in this review. First is the rogue coast watcher. I know it was something to bring some excitement but I didn’t like this plot device. The second was the private who couldn’t keep his pants zip. It was not necessary for the story line. Finally, the patrol of death. Again, only a few remain out of 12. I think that was a bit too many gone. I think having a little more men say 2-3 more might make it easy to accept.
This is why I give 3 stars.
There were some things I just had some headache over. There are spoilers in this review. First is the rogue coast watcher. I know it was something to bring some excitement but I didn’t like this plot device. The second was the private who couldn’t keep his pants zip. It was not necessary for the story line. Finally, the patrol of death. Again, only a few remain out of 12. I think that was a bit too many gone. I think having a little more men say 2-3 more might make it easy to accept.
This is why I give 3 stars.
March 12, 2018
War is Hell
With character, determination and raw courage the young men who fought and died at Guadalcanal were a rare breed. This story centers on the patrol of a group of these men and how they made a difference that is often underappreciated today and sometimes it seems completely forgotten. Raw and detailed it delivers at a torrid pace of action and death proving war is indeed Hell.
With character, determination and raw courage the young men who fought and died at Guadalcanal were a rare breed. This story centers on the patrol of a group of these men and how they made a difference that is often underappreciated today and sometimes it seems completely forgotten. Raw and detailed it delivers at a torrid pace of action and death proving war is indeed Hell.
October 16, 2021
Front line combat against well entrenched and hidden bunkers is stark and real.
The early days of Pacific island warfare are brutal against hardened enemy emplacements with well prepared overlapping fields of fire and experienced troops. Japanese delusions of superiority brought the same merciless killing and murder to an already overwhelming butchery that Nazi pseudo super race doctrine reinforced. Tight and tense action throughout and well worth the time.
The early days of Pacific island warfare are brutal against hardened enemy emplacements with well prepared overlapping fields of fire and experienced troops. Japanese delusions of superiority brought the same merciless killing and murder to an already overwhelming butchery that Nazi pseudo super race doctrine reinforced. Tight and tense action throughout and well worth the time.
May 15, 2019
The WWII battle for Guadalcanal by a division of the US Army. I’m not an army veteran I’m Navy so some of this I’m not into but it was a fair read gave it 3 stars. My only thing is that there is no main character to be our explainer (is that. Good word?) of what we are reading for us sailors. Looks like O Conner will be that character.
December 31, 2019
Great Storyline and Characters
A well crafted story and excellent writing kept me turning pages without pause. The story of US Army units that served in he Pacific doesn’t get as much attention as the Marines or the European theater. The Long Patrol does the heroic soldiers of the 164th a great service and any WWII student should read this one.
A well crafted story and excellent writing kept me turning pages without pause. The story of US Army units that served in he Pacific doesn’t get as much attention as the Marines or the European theater. The Long Patrol does the heroic soldiers of the 164th a great service and any WWII student should read this one.
August 23, 2020
A good book to read...if you can overlook the typos
Like a pretty girl with a piece of spinach stuck in her front teeth, this book (and other Glatte novels) is memorable ...but not for all the right reasons.
I enjoy his writing style, but some easy proofing would have made a world of difference!
Like a pretty girl with a piece of spinach stuck in her front teeth, this book (and other Glatte novels) is memorable ...but not for all the right reasons.
I enjoy his writing style, but some easy proofing would have made a world of difference!
June 8, 2022
Boy, I didn't expect anything like this. I was kind of skeptical because the story and characters are fictional but the events are accurate.
I finished this in a day because I just couldn't stop reading, this is one hell of story and gives a great insight in the Pacific hell.
In the TV show 'The Pacific', army soldiers are shown as lazy and getting all the easy jobs. This sure puts that right.
Excellent !!
I finished this in a day because I just couldn't stop reading, this is one hell of story and gives a great insight in the Pacific hell.
In the TV show 'The Pacific', army soldiers are shown as lazy and getting all the easy jobs. This sure puts that right.
Excellent !!
February 14, 2018
Never in combat but this seems to be about how it is. Good read. Makes you appreciate a little more the sacrifice of our soldiers.
Look forward to your next book and the realities that you write into your books. Keep up the good work.
Look forward to your next book and the realities that you write into your books. Keep up the good work.
March 10, 2018
A Good Book About War
I enjoyed this book very much. The description of the battles with the Japanese made this a good book. Mr. Platte writes a good story and I plan on reading more books in this series.
I enjoyed this book very much. The description of the battles with the Japanese made this a good book. Mr. Platte writes a good story and I plan on reading more books in this series.
March 26, 2018
Great read, if you like action/war novels you will love this.
Highly recommeded,
Accurate with a great plot, twists and action, will read more of this author for sure, enjoy the ride
Highly recommeded,
Accurate with a great plot, twists and action, will read more of this author for sure, enjoy the ride
June 20, 2018
a good read
Heavy on details of combat. The story definitely keeps moving and keeps the readers interest. I rarely read fiction but I found this entertaining as a good story that happened to take place during the war.
Heavy on details of combat. The story definitely keeps moving and keeps the readers interest. I rarely read fiction but I found this entertaining as a good story that happened to take place during the war.
October 21, 2018
Excellent very well written hard to put down
As above anyone who loves a good war story will love this it's full of blood and guts and brings it to you the hard ships and pain these guys had to go through
As above anyone who loves a good war story will love this it's full of blood and guts and brings it to you the hard ships and pain these guys had to go through
February 19, 2020
Long Patrol
A very good read about how the Army, in particular one patrol played a signed role in the battle for Guadalcanal. I was especially interested in how the Coast Watchers were portrayed. Look forward to reading more books by this author.
A very good read about how the Army, in particular one patrol played a signed role in the battle for Guadalcanal. I was especially interested in how the Coast Watchers were portrayed. Look forward to reading more books by this author.
October 30, 2016
Excellent military actions
A real important Pacific battle in World War Two. A well written story developed around it. Great character development kept the interest.
A real important Pacific battle in World War Two. A well written story developed around it. Great character development kept the interest.
December 21, 2016
Excellent
Really well put together with great act. In addition to the action there was humor and sadness. If you like WWII fiction this will interest you
Really well put together with great act. In addition to the action there was humor and sadness. If you like WWII fiction this will interest you
November 1, 2017
A very entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable read. Great attention to historical detail and context combined with a fast paced narrative with lots of action. I can't wait to read more from Chris Glatte.
December 26, 2017
Riveting
Hard to put down! Enjoyed the stye, the easy to follow and the reality of the story. Will be reading more of this author!
Hard to put down! Enjoyed the stye, the easy to follow and the reality of the story. Will be reading more of this author!
March 25, 2018
Great Story
This is my first Pacific theatre novel I've read and I really enjoyed it. The way the nAtives and Americans worked together made the story that much more interesting
This is my first Pacific theatre novel I've read and I really enjoyed it. The way the nAtives and Americans worked together made the story that much more interesting
March 31, 2018
Not the usual war story
Good writing well paced to keep the reader moving with the action. Not the scenario expected. The drama and reality of war open and raw.
Good writing well paced to keep the reader moving with the action. Not the scenario expected. The drama and reality of war open and raw.
April 16, 2018
Good story and moves along nicely.
April 26, 2018
Good romp through Pacific
Solid characters with a enjoyable plot. Nothing too taxing and some decent twists. Accurate historical details added to interest. Give it a go.
Solid characters with a enjoyable plot. Nothing too taxing and some decent twists. Accurate historical details added to interest. Give it a go.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews