I dont think anyone here is wrong. This began as an argument based on 1942-1945 (see posts above). That is why I purposefully put that in my post too. 37-42 was totally different. But post 1942, when the US got involeved this was a Japan/US war, the rest of the world was running on fumes. Although this just does not sound right, the Pacific war pales in comparison to the European ar in casulties. Why does it not sond right, well probably ~5 million died in the pacific war, that is a lot of people to still be the "smaller" casulty list.
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Sigh...has the world already forgotten the Battling Bastards of Bataan and Corregidor, who held off superior Japanese forces for over four months in 1941-42 and inflicted three times the casualties before being overrun?

The Russians actually had an earlier involvement in the Asian war that has been almost forgotten. In 1940(?), at Changkufeng and Nomonhan (high points on the Russian-Mongolian border) the Japanese Kwantung Army tangled with the Red Army, and at Nomonhan the Soviets (under the leadership of an obscure general named Georgi Zhukov) employed superior tanks and infantry tactics to kick the Japanese' ass inside out. It was the Japanese' first engagement with a modern opponent, a chance to learn and adopt their tactics...and instead they swept the whole thing under the rug.
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That is not right. Most conservative estimates put China at 3 million combat deaths and 25 million civilian deaths. Japan over two million causalities and half a million civilian deaths. Add in the US, Commonwealth, and Phillipino losses and you have a pretty hefty number.
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This is coming out in March! I can’t wait!

Linky
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Gentlemen, my father (who is still alive) fought in the pacific in WWII and I'm pretty sure he'll tell ya it was a sh*t storm there just like over in Europe. To the men and women who were in the thick of it on the ground, on the water or in the air, the war was only as big as your/their eyes could see and it sucked no matter what part of the world they were in.
BTW, I too cannot wait for the new series to come out!:-)
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I've read two of the books they say "The Pacific" series is partly based on. "Helmet for My Pillow" by Robert Leckie and "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge. Both of them are excellent reads. I read Robert Leckie's book first which ended up being perfect because if you read both books back-to-back it kind of follows a chronological order. Leckie first entered the Pacific Theater at Guadalcanal and was done by the battle of Peleliu. Sledge started at Peleliu and was done after the battle of Okinawa.

I was on quite a WWII kick for a while. I read "Band of Brothers" along with the two books mentioned above right in a row. Then I moved on to a book called "The Marines of Autumn" by James Brady. This one is historical fiction about the Korean War.

I can't wait for "The Pacific" to start. Without taking anything away from the soldiers who fought in Europe, the battles in the Pacific were so brutal and savage I can't keep myself from wondering what this new series is going to look like. I've also watches Band of Brothers so many times I've lost count. If this Pacific series is even close to as good as Band of Brothers I'll be happy.


Eric
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I'd like to shake your father's hand, Kevin.

I can't wait till see this show.

jack I read the Sledge book...that's a really good read for any military or war buff.
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I think the Sledge book is definitely an easier read compared to "Helmet for My Pillow". Sledge's book is set up in more of a memoir style. I've seen "Helmet" refered to as a sort of epic poem. The crappy thing is there are so few of both books in print that the price can be a little high for them. I picked up Band of Brothers, brand new, for something like $.98. The two books about the Pacific were around $10 or $12 each for new paperbacks. They were both well worth the pirce, however.
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