I'm Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC

Written by Jim Proser and Jerry Cutter

Narrated by Joe Barrett

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 3,000 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. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in first person, allowing listeners to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as "Manila John."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jun 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781541475304

Jim Proser

Jim Proser is an award-winning author and filmmaker. His book, I’m Staying with My Boys, has remained on the Marine Corps Commandant’s Professional Reading List since 2011. He lives in Sarasota, Florida.

Reviews for I'm Staying with My Boys

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel by the Canadian SF writer concerns a blackout where everyone in the whole world suddenly falls unconscious for two minutes, resulting in car and plane crashes, patients dying in hospital and lesser injuries for many. During this two minutes almost everyone experiences a vision of their future 21 years hence (in 2030, the novel being set in 2009, though written in 1999). As with Sawyer's other novels, there is lengthy and interesting exploration of ethical ideas, here the clash between free will and determinism to which the glimpse into the future gives rise. Again, as in some of his other novels, there is quite a lot of hard science, here about particle physics that seems overdone at points. The characters are generally weak, and the two leading male characters, Lloyd and Theo I found irritating and rather self-centred, though they mellowed in the last part of the novel when the real 2030 came about.Some of the 1999 predictions about technology in 2009 were off beam (everyone is still using VCRs, just more advanced ones), though the novel correctly predicts that Benedict XVI will be Pope!There is a US TV series based on the central idea from the novel, though the characters are different (I just watched the first episode after reading this and it looks good).

[ficusfan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book for a RL book group. I originally rated it 4 stars, but then downgraded to 3.5. Sawyer is hit or miss for me, and since this was one of his better ones I got carried away. He usually sets up well and then blows it. This time he didn't so I gave him a high rating, but the book is still a bit on the fluffy side. A combination of science and soap opera. It was a quick read, that flowed well. I didn't care for the main character much though. He was whiny, weak willed and a wimp.The premise of the book is that in 2009, in CERN in Switzerland they run an experiment on the Large Hadron Collider that takes human consciousness, and sends it 21 years into the future. All over the world people become unconscious and have a vision of the future. Unfortunately no one was prepared for it, and many are killed or kill others when they black out. Car crashes, planes crashes, falling down all take their toll on the human body.It eventually comes out that everyone who had a vision, had one of the same day in the future. Some who were sleeping in the future, had dreams, and others had nothing - presumably they had no future and were dead. There are technical and social changes that are shown from the future, but they are not the focus of the story.It struck me as a scientific version of the religious 'Rapture" thing that some believe and is written about in the Left Behind series. Not that I have read it, but the talk is always about being beamed up while driving or flying a plane, leaving the rest to die in fiery crashes. That callousness of the suffering of others is a strong comment on religion and what is acceptable in the relations between those who believe and those who do not.Sawyer uses The Rapture effect for a big impact at the start of the story. He has a real bone to pick with religion (as evidenced in his other books), so he may have indeed done it on purpose.The rest of the book is about determination VS free will, as the personal stories of the characters are used to explore the ideas. This is the part that becomes soap opera-ish. One character frets over his vision that shows him married to a different woman than his current fiancee. Another is apparently murdered and spends his time trying to track down the killer and exact circumstances. Different theories of time and space are explored. The legal, political and social reactions are really marginalized and down played, making it seem even more unbelievable.It was OK, but it didn't really grab me. But as I said it was better than usual for Sawyer. He tends to produce shallow bland characters, and his stories fall apart 2/3 of the way through and fizzle at the end. This one did have dubious characters, but was pretty good the rest to of the way.Damning with faint praise I guess.

[brian55_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this because I've been very intrigued by the TV show based on this book. I found the first part of the engrossing but, there was deffinitely a change of pace during the second half when moving to the year 2030. The story seemed to split into too many directions and seemed to loose some continuity. I enjoyed the science discussions, although I was lost many times but, it didn't impact the plot.

[scott_clements_21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great book that left me pondering my own life. What would I do if I had a 2 minute glimpse into my own future? It's fun to see Sawyer's view of what the entire world did with that 2 minute glimpse.They made the TV show out of this, which is why I read it, and the book was far better (and I loved the TV show)Well done Robert J. Sawyer!

[ague_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great plot twists. Excellent physics. Hard to put down. 8.5/10.

[ct4bergeron · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I reserved this book at my library, only after I found out that the TV serie with the same name was based on this book. Now After reading the book I can safely say it was loosely based on it. The story was very fun to read, I am not a huge fan of science fiction, but the story was not incredibly fictionnal. It shown a possible future, a possible experiment, a possible ending. Truly interesting, not to heavy, especially when the author was explaining all the physic required. I would recommand it to everyone.

[piersanti-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first half of this book was excellent, fast-paced and well-written science fiction. However, the last half was new age mumbo jumbo. I read it because the TV series was fairly interesting, but this is one of those few cases where the TV show/movie is actually better than the book.

[ketchupman36 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I started reading this book because I had become a fan of the television show. With that being said, the book is nothing like the TV show. The characters, the story, the location, everything. Which is actually good because that way the book would still be new to me. The story takes place at CERN in Switzerland where the Large Hadron Collider is located. The LHC gets booted up and well... I'm sure you can figure it out. The book does get sciency in parts, but they are not so overwhelming or lengthy as to be a hindrance to the novel. The book touches briefly on some philosophical points such as free will & fate and it would have been nice to seem those ideas expanded. But understandably the author is a physicist so his philosophical musings are brief. Overall, the book is actually quite a light read and is generally aimed at all audiences. It was enjoyable and I would recommend it if you're looking for a comprehensible sci-fi novel.

[csweder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'll admit my reading this book came from watching the TV series first. Netflix was oh-so-right in recommending the show to me, and after breezing through the one and only season, I knew I had to read the book.

Other than the title, the premise and a few (one?) of the characters--the show and the book don't have much in common. Both were excellent--even though they are differnt. I realize that writing a book and writing a tv show are different genres, and so I accept the changes made.

If you want to know about the show, Netflix has it. If you want to know about the book, keep reading.

Within pages of the novel, the reader understands that scientists are undergoing a pretty major experiment in Geneva--the result of which is that every person on earth loses consciousness for about two minutes...this wasn't was the experiment was supposed to do, mind you, but it was a side effect. Most people had a vision--but not any vision--a vision of who and what they would be doing twenty-one years in the future. Those who didn't have visions are left with the haunting realization, perhaps they didn't see anything becaue indeed they were not alive in 21 years. Much debate goes on--is this the ONLY future? A possible future? Not even the future? Should the experiment be tried again?

The plot, storyline, characters, everything was great! If you like sci-fi in its true form (an outrageous story with just enough science in it to make you think it could come true). You need to read this! :)

[jet1_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very different to the TV series. Good concepts and interesting, but I found I lost interest mid way through. It was worth keeping going to the end.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This science fiction novel was the basis for a short-lived tv series of the same name. During an experiment in a particle collider in Switzerland, everyone in the world "blacks out" for a few minutes and sees or lives their lives about 20 years in the future, and are able to discern how their lives have progressed. If they have died in the interim, they see only blackness.Along with the story of the scientists trying to figure out what caused this anomaly, the book concerns itself with characters who think about and try to decide if they liked what they saw of their futures. If they don't they want to investigate whether there is anything one can do to change the future--is it already fixed, or can an individual's actions alter what happens? Does free will exist?There's lots of action in this novel, and lots of characters. Some are realistic and some are not. I enjoyed this, but it's pretty typical science fiction which is sometimes short on character development. A quick, distracting read.2 1/2 stars

[chintas_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this but felt that the setup and development was let down by the ending. Not bad, but had more promise that pay-off.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An incident with the particle accelerator in Europe creates visions of the future in 20 years that everyone on Earth sees. This novel is about how that changes the way people think, whether the future is fluid or fixed, and whether or not we should respond if we know what is going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although sometimes the physics discussions left me shaking my head. It's an interesting premise, and it's interesting to see how the characters reacted. I heard this author speak at DragonCon and found him very fascinating. Apparently, this novel was made into a short-lived mini-series, but in it, the flashforward was only a year rather than 20 because of the makeup hassles involved in aging someone, according to Sawyer.

[tlryan1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The ending reduced this book by one star. The entire books seems to be a set up for the author to discuss his "philosophy". Also too numerous to count the number of time "doubtless" was used - a good editor would have helped.

[mrstevens_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was just okay. I was compelled to read it because of the television previews. The book starts off interesting but slows down considerably following the "main event" throughout the rest of the book.I also found the ending quite heavy-handed and difficult to identify with.

[klh_4 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Similar to the writing style of Kim Stanley Robinson. Reads somewhat like a novelized TV movie. Far more about interpersonal relations than science, free will vs. destiny. Even goes so far as to mention directly the (actual) works of a physicist who has written works linking quantum theory and Christianity. Final section wraps everything up with excessive neatness. There was some fun in reading it a week or two AFTER when the bulk of the action is set (April, 2009), especially with the LHC offline instead of causing problems as depicted in the story.

[seldombites · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Being a fan of the TV series, I approached this book with great enthusiasm. I'm sorry to say I was sorely disappointed. The concept behind the story is interesting - particularly with regard to the contentious topic of the Hadron Collider. Unfortunately, the author failed to live up to the promise. The writing style was dull, the characters flat, and, frankly, I thought twenty one years was too great a jump. I much prefer the six months presented in the television series.I'm afraid this is one of those rare occasions when I prefer the drama of the TV series over the written word.

[christineellei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Theo and Lloyd are two scientists working on the high energy, acclerated particle experiment at CERN. In the midst of the experiment something completely unexpected happens and everyone is given a glimpse into their own future, precisely two minutes 20 years into their future. When everyone comes back to the present the world is understandably in complete turmoil. Theo’s future is bleak indeed and he begins a journey to tempt the fates and change his own future while Lloyd begins to question the concept of free will.

I picked up this book for two reasons; it is the basis of the television program, which I have admittedly not seen and I was curious as to what I was missing and, I have been following the CERN experiments to some degree, have read a couple of the other books dealing with the topic and wanted to see what Mr. Sawyer would do with it. I do not read much sci-fi and this book is definitely heavy into the science but still a worthwhile read for anyone interested in time travel, physics, philosophy or the CERN experiment.

[murphywaggoner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Techy books interest me to a certain extent, but my attraction to this book was to see how the author resolved the important questions raised.Almost immediately “Flashforward” opens with an unexplained disaster. Everyone in the world has blacked out and most people have had a realistic “dream.” Unfortunately, cars crashed, doctors blacked out in the middle of surgery, landing planes crashed, etc., and as a result many people died. After comparing “dreams,” it was discovered that everyone had a vision of their own life 21 years in the future. The visions are consistent in content, and life on earth two decades into the future are pieced together from the various accounts. These episodes are called flash forwards, and websites are created to help people share their flash forwards with others. Some people experienced nothing for the two minutes of the blackout and it is assumed that these people will die in the next 20 years.The people in “Flashforward” had mixed feelings about knowing their futures. The question they face is whether they can change the future they saw.I found the end of “Flashforward” disappointing from a Hollywood viewpoint. The book raises many philosophical and scientific questions, and if you are interested in considering those questions, then this is a great book. On the other hand, if you are looking for strong character development and plot resolution, the book lacks that. I don’t understand physics beyond simple mechanics and electricity, so I don’t know if the science discussed, and there is a lot of physics in this book, was well presented or not. So, I could see this book being used in a course that analyzes science in literature. The philosophical questions of knowing and changing the future would be interesting to discuss in a class also, maybe for first-year college students.(audible.com) I like to say something about the narration of books I listen to, and my first thought was that I had no thoughts about this reader. The reading by Mark Deakins was so natural that I was able to concentrate on the story with no distraction. I look forward to other books read by Mark Deakins.

[silverthistle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Robert Sawyer always finds great stories to write about. His ideas always draw me in and I think I'm in for a fantastic tale. Then I reach the end and I feel like it could have been more.

Flashforward had a great pull - See your own life 20 years into the future for 2 minutes and try to work out how to get there.

It was a brilliant start and a real page turner. I loved reading about everyone's flashforward, I was rivited by all the connotations that flashforward threw up. Even the loss and devestation caused by the flashforward made for interesting reading...The first half is about the here and now. It's great.

When we reach the second half, it's all about edging towards the 20 year future that had been predicted. Getting there takes a lot of technical info that frankly I could have done without. The why's and how's don't really interest me. Also the two leads at this stage become a bit whiney. Lloyd simcoe wants to be with his girl, then he's got doubts, then he's sure again, then he has doubts again....and Theo is so wrapped up in himself that he gets tedious really fast. It's all me, me, me with Theo. THEN we get to the future and it's all wraped up in a paragrah or 3. It was a bit of a let down.

The ending left me with a bit of a 'whaaat??' moment and I imagine for the hard-core sci-fi fans it was the best bit, but I just wasn't feeling it. The conclusion was over in a flash.

.....And it's nothing like the tv show...... just sayin'

[kristymk18-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

After reading 50% of this book, I decided to just skip to the last chapter. My biggest issue with I'm Staying with My Boys is that it is written in the first person even though this is not an autobiography. There is also no evidence that Basilone kept a journal or diary, which makes this (to me) read more like historical fiction than an actual biography. I was really interested in learning about Sgt. Basilone's life, specifically his time in the service and his tragic death, but unfortunately I felt this book dragged.

[Gustav W. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Now It’s clear to me why this book is on the USMC recommended reading list.

I’d recommend it to anyone who loves history.

[nicola26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really, really liked this. I've seen some of the television series, but the book is very different. The plot focuses around the people responsible for a world wide black out, during which everyone saw the future. It definitely portrays humanity in a very interesting light, and the book is a complete page turner. I wasn't very fond of the ending- mostly due to the sheer amount of physics explanations that went way over my head. Other than that, an excellent, unique and enjoyable book. I really look forward to reading more from Sawyer.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Flash Forward by Robert J. Sawyer was the inspiration for ABC's series, Flashforward which ran for a season (2009-2010). While Drs. Simcoe and Procopides are trying to prove the existence of the Higgs Boson particle through their experiments at CERN, they and the rest of the world experience a blackout. During the blackout most people on earth report having glimpses into the future — all the way to a specific day and time in the not to distant future (or in the case of the TV series — six months into the future).Most of the book then is the aftermath of that worldwide vision. First there's the what the fuck just happened? Followed by, how widespread was the event? Followed by who or what caused it? Here, there is the aftermath of the event — minor and major accidents, even deaths. Here the focus is on the media and its influence (for good or bad) on science. Science should be something rational but funding is often driven by public opinion.Then comes the so now what? stage. When an experiment gives you something unexpected, the data needs to be analyzed. Maybe the method was wrong? Maybe the hypothesis was wrong. In this case, the data is the visions experienced by the vast majority of mankind.The final piece wraps up all the various strings into a mystery set in the days and minutes before the recorded vision way back when in 2009. In that regard, the book feels more like three interconnected novellas with the same cast of characters.For people coming to the book by way of the television show, be prepared for CERN oriented plot (rather than hot young agents in the United States). Be prepared for lengthy discussions on science and many glimpses into the day in the life of a scientists. Also, as the author is Canadian, the big DAMN HERO, (if there is one in this ensemble) is Canadian.That said, the book is was an excellent and entertaining read as an audio book. My son and I listened to it over the course of a week. I originally had started listening to it on my own but he overheard snatches of it and decided to listen in with me.

[Rick Phillips · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Left me wanting more. Highly recommended to all

[membrillu-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No es el libro que tenía planeado leer, pero ya que lo tengo lo leeré antes de que empiecen a emitir la serie.
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A pesar de que no ha colmado mis expectativas, se deja leer. La idea de base del libro es muy buena. En manos de alguien como Greg Egan hubiera dado lugar a una novela tremenda, pero Robert J. Sawyer no le saca suficiente partido. Mi impresión es que no sabe trabajar los personajes (aunque Theo es ok) ni el impacto emocional de las situaciones. Te da un poco igual lo que les pase, pero lo lees porque quieres saber cómo acaba y una vez acabado, el final se queda corto.

[frozencapybara · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While reading this, I was confused as to how anyone without a degree in physics could like this book.Fortunately, I do have a degree in physics, and I quite liked it. Though I can see from the reviews before this one that I was right - the science, while fairly interesting to me, is in-depth enough that it's going to bog down anyone without a reasonable grounding in the concepts. (This is not meant to be condescending. I'm sure there are tons of books firmly based in the works of famous philosophers that I just wouldn't get at all.) I liked the characters - they're physicists, not action heros, and their characterization reflects that. My only issue with the book was one kind of incongruous foray into the action genre - it wasn't bad, just kind of out of place, and took me away from what was otherwise a really interesting bit of speculative fiction. (Note to anyone reading this and fearing to jump in: my degree is only an undergrad degree, and any knowledge of quantum and astrophysics is ten years out of date and fuzzy at this point - so if you've done any serious reading of popular books on either topic, you're probably good. If you haven't... well, as others report, the science bits may be a bit of a slog.)For what it's worth, I like the TV series as well, but they're extremely different. If you're reading this hoping for more of the TV series, don't bother. If you like interesting conceptual physics - or just good hard SF - go for it.

[cait815 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

More like 3.5 stars. This was a quick and engaging read, and I loved the premise. However, the writing itself wasn't that great, and I thought that the conclusion was a bit lackluster. Even so, I enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to the television series this fall.

[majkia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you’re a science nerd and the thought of working at, or even just touring CERN, this is the book for you! I loved all the particle physics parts.It is far far different from the TV series, by the way. CERN attempts an experiment to produce the Higgs boson. Suddenly every person on earth loses complete consciousness and many have visions of a few minutes in the future, in the year 2030 to be precise. Was it the experiment? If so, why? How? Could they reproduce the phenomenon? Should they? How else to discover what was the cause? Nerdy scientists arise!

[tororojo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's the same premise as the television show but with a much harder science-fiction treatment. Unlike the television show, there's no criminal conspiracy, it's not a procedural novel, etc.The novel begins in April 2009, when a new kind of experiment is performed at CERN. At the moment of the experiment, there's a global blackout, most humans (and as briefly described, some other primates) suddenly find themselves experiencing events in October 2030.What do you do with such knowledge? Some seek the partners they'll have in the future, others are alarmed that they're with other partners. An aspiring writer despairs that he's still working a dead-end job. Asian countries are unhappy that the flashforward occurred when more Westerners are awake and that their countries are able to take better advantage of the insight.But is the future as immutable as the past? If we discover that the future is mutable, is the past mutable too?All in all, I enjoyed the book. It's not too science-fictiony, but the hard science pops up every now and then.People who don't like the television show might still like the book very much, and folks who like the television show might not think very highly of the book. There's considerable difference between the two.