I'm Staying with My Boys

The authorized biography of the legendary Marine featured in HBO’S The Pacific, a true American hero who gave his life in service during World War II.

I’m Staying with My Boys is a firsthand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the Greatest Generation. Sgt. John Basilone held off three thousand Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his fifteen-member unit was reduced to three men. At Iwo Jima he single-handedly destroyed an enemy blockhouse, allowing his unit to capture an airfield. Minutes later he was killed by an enemy artillery round. He was the only Marine in World War II to have received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart, and is arguably the most famous Marine of all time.

I’m Staying with My Boys is the only family-authorized biography of Basilone, and it features photographs never before published. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in first person, allowing readers to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as “Manila John.”

Praise for I’m Staying with My Boys

“Everyone should read this book, the story of a true American hero. I served with John Basilone and I can hear his voice on every page.” —Thomas O. Nass, 5th Marine Division, World War II

“This book about the legendary John Basilone is presented in such a personal style that one would believe that “Manila John” is still alive. Not since William Manchester authored his memoir Goodbye, Darkness twenty-five years ago has a book been written about one man that seems so authentic.” —Col. Ken Jordan, USMC (Ret.)