In the brutal island battles of World War II, victory in the Solomon Islands hinged on more than ships and planes. It depended on the coastwatchers.
Australian-born but Solomon-raised, these radio operators lived on the islands’ highest points, scanning the skies for Japanese aircraft and relaying critical warnings to Allied forces. Sometimes they worked from comfortable encampments, sometimes they endured the jungle’s heat, rain, and danger with enemy troops all around.
Their mission was simple and deadly: stay hidden, survive, and send word in time to save lives. Many paid with their own.
In Lonely Vigil, bestselling historian Walter Lord tells the extraordinary true story of the coastwatchers’ courage, sacrifice, and cunning that helped turn the tide of war in the Pacific.
