The Matanikau battles proved to be the critical turning points in the land campaign for Guadalcanal-the campaign's longest and bloodiest ground fight. A fivemonth conflict raged along the river and its basin. The real importance of this area has long remained unrecognized, yet the American and Japanese forces that fought over it knew that it wa the key to the ultimate prize of Henderson Airfield. In this milelong bloody tugofwar from the river across to the hills and ravines were fought seven major battles and countless smaller skirmishes. While countless books have been published on the Guadalcanal Campaign; none have concentrated on the pivotal battles of the Matanikau basin. Extensively researched, this first indepth study of these important battles, objectively showing all sides, fills in this crucial missing piece of the history of the Guadalcanal campaign. The wellknown Guadalcanal battlefield guide Dave Holland spent three years walking the battlefields, researching, and documenting what he found. His unparalleled knowledge of the ground enables him to take the reader along with the men on the ground. Using his investigative skills and military background, he provides a fresh, detailed, and often completely new view of the land campaign, establishing previously unknown facts and specifically illustrating their significance as the campaign's land turning points. AUTHOR: Dave Holland is wellknown as an expert Guadalcanal battlefield guide. He served eight years in the U.S. Marines as an infantryman, along with over 26 years as a law enforcement investigator. He lived on Guadalcanal for three years, walking the ground, researching and documenting. Dave is also the owner of the very popular Facebook and YouTube sites: Guadalcanal-Walking a Battlefield. He has appeared in many podcasts and shows discussing the Guadalcanal land campaign. He lives in Canberra, Australia, and returns to Guadalcanal yearly. Guadalcanal's Longest Fight is a culmination of his years of research and walking the ground.
