Last night’s airing of the first episode of HBO’s ten-part series (stray question — why do they insist on calling something this long a mini-series?), The Pacific, propelled 3 titles into Amazon’s Top 100. Two of the main characters are introduced in this first episode, aspiring journalist Robert Leckie who experiences combat at Guadalcanal and Eugene Sledge, who is unable to enlist because of a heart murmur (a rundown of each episode is available here). The series is partially based on memoirs by both men.

For more titles related to the series, see our roundup under Now Playing — With Tie-ins.

#34 Helmet for My Pillow
See our earlier post for more about Leckie and his other memoirs of the war that have been rereleased to tie in with the series.

Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific Robert Leckie Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Bantam – (2010-02-02) ISBN / EAN: 0553593315 / 9780553593310

Trade; 9781400110506; 9 Audio CD; $34.99

Library; 9781400140503; 9 Audio CD; $69.99

MP3; 9781400160501; 1 MP3-CD; $24.99

eBook available from OverDrive

#37 The Pacific

The official companion to the series

The Pacific Hugh Ambrose Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 512 pages Publisher: NAL Hardcover – (2010-03-02) ISBN / EAN: 045123023X / 9780451230232

#40 With The Old Breed

With the Old Breed E.B. Sledge Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Presidio Press – (2007-05-01) ISBN / EAN: 0891419063 / 9780891419068

eBook available from OverDrive

An earlier paperback edition notes in a burst on the cover that it was “used by Ken Burns for The War on PBS.”

Cotinuing at #5 on the 3/21 NYT Nonfiction best seller list after five weeks, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks got feature treatment on CBS Sunday Morning yesterday.

Author Rebecca Skloot will also appear on the Colbert Report on Tuesday.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Crown – (2010-02-02) ISBN / EAN: 1400052173 / 9781400052172

Random House Audio; UNABR; 9780307712509; $35
Audio and e-book available from OverDrive

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The program also aired a shorter version of this segment on Letters to Jackie that originally appeared on CBS Evening News on Monday, March 8th.

Watch CBS News Videos Online
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Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation Ellen Fitzpatrick Retail Price: $26.99 Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Ecco – (2010-03-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061969842 / 9780061969843

ebook available from OverDrive.

…is heeeere!

The movie opens June 30th. The official site is here.

Lots of authors on tap for the week:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon, 3/8 — Harry Markopolos — the man who led an investigation that brought down Bernie Madoff.

No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller Harry Markopolos Retail Price: $27.95 Hardcover: 376 pages Publisher: Wiley – (2010-03-02) ISBN / EAN: 0470553731 / 9780470553732

ebook available from OverDrive

Tues, 3/9 — Marc Thiessen who says, “Barack Obama did arguably more damage to America’s national security in his first 100 days of office than any president in American history.”

Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is Inviting the Next Attack Marc A. Thiessen Retail Price: $29.95 Hardcover: 376 pages Publisher: Regnery Press – (2010-01-18) ISBN / EAN: 1596986034 / 9781596986039

Wed, 3/10 — Eamon Javers on the world of business warfare.

Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The Secret World of Corporate Espionage Eamon Javers Retail Price: $26.99 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: HarperBusiness – (2010-02-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061697206 / 9780061697203

ebook available on OverDrive

The Colbert Report

Tues, 3/9 — Annie Leonard. Her video, The Story of Stuff has been downloaded millions of times.

The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change Annie Leonard Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Free Press – (2010-03-09) ISBN / EAN: 143912566X / 9781439125663

S&S Audio; UNABR; 9780743599153; $26

Wed, 3/10 — Sean Carroll; ideas from the cutting edge of theoretical physics

From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time Sean Carroll Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 448 pages Publisher: Dutton Adult – (2010-01-07) ISBN / EAN: 0525951334 / 9780525951339

Tantor Audio:

Trade; 9781400115655; 13 Audio CD; $39.99
Library; 9781400145652; 13 Audio CD; $79.99
MP3; 9781400165650; 2 MP3-CD; $29.99

Thurs, 3/11 — David Aaronov on conspiracy theories.

Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History David Aaronovitch Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover – (2010-02-04) ISBN / EAN: 1594488959 / 9781594488955

Tantor Audio

Trade; 9781400115921; 12 Audio CD; $39.99
Library; 9781400145928; 12 Audio CD; $79.99
MP3; 9781400165926; 2 MP3-CD; $29.99

Like the movie The Titanic, the ten-part HBO series The Pacific, beginning March 14, is likely to make bestsellers of dozens of books by many publishers (as some said about The Titanic‘s effect on publishing, “it raised all boats”).

The producers based their earlier series, Band of Brothers, on the book of the same title by Stephen Ambrose. But they couldn’t find one single volume that gave them a story line that worked for The Pacific. According to the L.A. Times, screenwriter Bruce McKenna came up with the idea of following several main characters. He interviewed dozens of veterans and read nearly 50 books; one of the titles that emerged was the 1957 memoir by Robert Leckie, Helmet for My Pillow.

Leckie, who was a writer before the war, became one of the main characters in the series. ABC News singles out Leckie’s role as “perhaps the most pivotal… because of the insight the character brings to so many situations,” and gives actor James Badge Dale special note for his portrayal, “Not once does Dale falter.”

In the following, Tom Hanks calls Helmet for My Pillow “a magnificient piece of prose… almost like a long poem.”

Helmet for my Pillow, is being released as a tie-in (see earlier post, with other tie-ins and related titles).

Leckie went on to write 30 more books, including Okinawa, an account of that battle, which Penguin books is re-releasing to coincide with the series.

Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II Robert Leckie Retail Price: $15.00 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) – (1996-07-01) ISBN 9780140173895

eBook available from OverDrive

DeCapo Press is also re-releasing his Strong Men Armed, which Library Journal described as his “carefully researched history of the Marines from Guadalcanal to Okinawa.”

Strong Men Armed: The United States Marines Against Japan Robert Leckie Retail Price: $17.95 Paperback: 600 pages Publisher: Da Capo Press – (2010-02-09) ISBN / EAN: 0306818876 / 9780306818875

ebook available from OverDrive

HBO’s series, The Pacific, is based on memoirs that were published after the war.

A new memoir by a Marine who is featured in an episode of the series, was released yesterday.

It has not been reviewed. The publisher describes it as,

An unvarnished and moving memoir of a Marine veteran who fought his way across the Pacific Theater of World War II — whose story is featured in the upcoming HBO series The Pacific

This is an eyewitness — and eye-opening — account of some of the most savage and brutal fighting in the war against Japan, told from the perspective of a young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps to escape a life as a traveling salesman. R.V. Burgin enlisted at the age of twenty, and with his sharp intelligence and earnest work ethic, climbed the ranks from a green private to a seasoned sergeant. Along the way, he shouldered a rifle as a member of a mortar squad. He saw friends die-and enemies killed. He saw scenes he wanted to forget but never did-from enemy snipers who tied themselves to branches in the highest trees, to ambushes along narrow jungle trails, to the abandoned corpses of hara kiri victims, to the final howling banzai attacks as the Japanese embraced their inevitable defeat.

Burgin was one of the few surviving vets who attended the 2/24 premiere  in L.A. where he posed for photographers with actor Martin McCann, who portrays him on screen.

Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific R.V. Burgin, Bill Marvel Retail Price: $24.95 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: NAL Hardcover – (2010-03-02) ISBN / EAN: 0451229908 / 9780451229908

This Thursday, Oprah spends the show’s full hour with the only survivor of a tragic boating accident. Personal trainer Nick Schuyler set out for a deep-sea fishing trip one year ago with four friends. The boat capsized in unexpected bad weather. Clinging to the boat in rough seas, the friends helped each other as much as they could, but after 40 hours only Nick was left.

Schuyler writes about the frightening story in his memoir, Not Without Hope. It was not reviewed prepub, so many libraries have not ordered it.

Schuyler will also make appearances on the Today Show and Larry King Live. The book will be featured in People magazine and in USA Today (in the Sports section; two of the friends played for the NFL).

Not Without Hope Nick Schuyler, Jere Longman Retail Price: $25.99 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: William Morrow – (2010-03-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061993999 / 9780061993992

HarperCollins Audio: UNABR; 9780061999413; $18.99
Audio and ebook available from OverDrive

Coming in March is a ten-part HBO series, The Pacific, the follow-up to Band of Brothers. It debuts on March 14th, continuing on Sundays through May 16. Like Band of Brothers, it is produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

The series interweaves the stories of real-life Marines who were involved in various parts of the war and is based on two first-person accounts; Robert Leckie’s Helmet for My Pillow and Eugene B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. A companion book, The Pacific: Hell Was an Ocean Away, is coming out on 3/2.

Official Web site: HBO.com/The-Pacific

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Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific Robert Leckie Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Bantam – (2010-02-02) ISBN / EAN: 0553593315 / 9780553593310

Trade; 9781400110506; 9 Audio CD; $34.99

Library; 9781400140503; 9 Audio CD; $69.99

MP3; 9781400160501; 1 MP3-CD; $24.99

eBook available from OverDrive

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With the Old Breed E.B. Sledge Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Presidio Press – (2007-05-01) ISBN / EAN: 0891419063 / 9780891419068

ebook available from OverDrive

An earlier paperback edition notes in a burst on the cover that it was “used by Ken Burns for The War on PBS.”

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The Pacific Hugh Ambrose Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 512 pages Publisher: NAL Hardcover – (2010-03-02) ISBN / EAN: 045123023X / 9780451230232

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In addition, two new titles have been published about the third major figure in the series, John Basilone.

Hero of the Pacific is the final book by James Brady, known for his books about the military, who died shortly after the book was published. Basilone, “Manila John,” is from Raritan, New Jersey where the library has a small museum honoring Sergeant Basilone. Library Director Mary Paese told Wiley Public Library rep Trudy Lindsey (who writes the newsletter Trudy’s News and Views) that the author did some of his research there. HBO will hold a special screening of the series at the libray.

Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone James Brady Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Wiley – (2010-01-07) ISBN / EAN: 0470379413 / 9780470379417

Oasis Audio; UNABR; 9781598595970; $29.99
Audio and ebook available from OverDrive

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In addition, St. Martins is publishing an authorized biography of Basilone. The  Web site outlines his short and amazing life,

Sgt. John Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his 15-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.

I’m Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC Jim Proser, Jerry Cutter Retail Price: $14.99 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin – (2010-02-02) ISBN / EAN: 0312611447 / 9780312611446

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The series is likely to bring interest in other books about the war in the Pacific. Newmarket is re-releasing one about the sinking of the Japanese battleship, the Yamamato, told from both the American and the Japanese points of view.

A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato Russell Spurr Retail Price: $16.95 Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Newmarket Press – (2010-03-09) ISBN / EAN: 1557049130 / 9781557049131

One of the books highlighted in the HarperCollins MidWinter Buzz Session, was a title that had just been added to the list, Somewhere Inside by Lisa and Laura Ling.

You probably remember the news stories about Laura Ling being arrested last year in North Korea, along with fellow journalist Euna Lee. The women were dramatically rescued after Bill Clinton interceded by negotiating on their behalf with North Korean President Kim Jong-Il. Laura’s sister Lisa is also a journalist and the two tell their stories, in alternating chapters, from Laura’s perspective inside the North Korean prison and Lisa’s in the U.S., as she desperately tries to help her sister.

Lisa is a special correspondent for the Oprah show; it’s just been confirmed that the book will be featured on the show in mid-May.

Clare Danes plays autistic animal specialist Temple Grandin in an HBO biopic debuting on Saturday, February 6th.

Entertainment Weekly is very enthusiastic about it, admitting that the subject, autism and cattle handling, doesn’t scream “must see,” but that the movie is “…relatable to anyone with a heart, and fascinating to anyone with a brain. The fact that it does so with such a singular story only makes the movie that much greater.”

Grandin has written several books, including last year’s Animals Make Us Human; her autobiography has been reissued as the tie-in.

Thinking in Pictures (Expanded, Tie-in Edition): My Life with Autism Temple Grandin Ph.D. Retail Price: $15.00 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Vintage – (2010-01-26) ISBN / EAN: 0307739589 / 9780307739582

eBook and audio available from OverDrive.

Food guru Michael Pollan appears on the Oprah show on Wednesday. His most recent book is currently at #1 on the NYT paperback bestseller list.

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual Michael Pollan Retail Price: $11.00 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) – (2009-12-29) ISBN / EAN: 014311638X / 9780143116387

ebook available from OverDrive

Ethan Watters will appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Wednesday night.

Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche Ethan Watters Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Free Press – (2010-01-12) ISBN / EAN: 141658708X / 9781416587088

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Fox’s high school musical comedy Glee just won a Golden Globe for best TV musical or comedy series. I just learned that Little Brown Books for Young Readers will be publishing Glee books in the fall; original stories featuring our show favorites. Whoo, hooo!

Also coming is a Ghost Hunters series for middle grade readers, based on the Syfy series.

No bibliographic information yet; we’ll let you know when it’s available.

There’s a theme to the books that Jon Stewart will be featuring on The Daily Show this week:

Monday

Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility David Walker Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Random House – (2010-01-12) ISBN / EAN: 1400068606 / 9781400068609

Audio: Books on Tape
eBook and audio available from OverDrive

Wednesday

Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street Jim Wallis Retail Price: $24.00 Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Howard Books – (2010-01-05) ISBN / EAN: 1439183120 / 9781439183120

Unabridged Audio: S&S; 9781442305090

Premiering tonight on PBS’s American Masters is Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women. It was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition today.

Clips from the film:

• Little Women
• Louisa in Paris
• Louisa’s Pulp Fiction
• Civil War

The movie is based on a biography by Harriet Reisen, who is the writer/producer of the film.

Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women ) Harriet Reisen Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. – (2009-10-27) ISBN / EAN: 0805082999 / 9780805082999

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One of the commentators featured in the film is Geraldine Brooks, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for her novel, March, which imagines the Civil War experiences of the fictional Mr. March, the father of the “little women” of the book.

March Geraldine Brooks Retail Price: $15.00 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) – (2006-01-31) ISBN / EAN: 0143036661 / 9780143036661

Grace Lin appeared on the Today Show on Friday, to talk about her book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon with Al Roker and the Today Show Club Kids.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – (2009-07-01) ISBN / EAN: 0316114278 / 9780316114271

Al also announced that he’s reaching way back to his own childhood for the next Al’s Book Club selections.

Note that audios are available for both; we thought it was such an inspired idea to have Laura Linney read Nancy Drew that we included a clip.

The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1) Carolyn Keene Retail Price: $6.99 Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap – (1930-05-01) ISBN / EAN: 0448095017 / 9780448095011

Audio: Listening Library; Read by Laura Linney; 9780739349137; CD; $14.95

Book and audio downloadable from OverDrive

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The Tower Treasure (Hardy Boys, Book 1) Franklin W. Dixon Retail Price: $6.99 Hardcover: 180 pages Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap – (1959-06-01) ISBN / EAN: 0448089017 / 9780448089010

Audio: Listening Library; Read by Bill Irwin; 9780739366813; CD; $19.99

Book and audio downloadable from OverDrive

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