Battle Cry is a novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer Leon Uris

Leon Uris

Leon Marcus Uris was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.-Life:...

, published in 1953. Many of the events in the book are based on Uris's own World War II experience with the 6th Marine Regiment.
The story is largely told in First Person

First-person narrative

First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...

 from the viewpoint of the Battalion Communications Chief, "Mac," although it frequently shifts to Third Person in scenes where Mac is not personally present.

Plot summary

Battle Cry is the story of a group of young men who enlist in the United States Marines

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 at the time of the United States entry into World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, going through Boot Camp at the Recruit Training Depot at San Diego, California, and serving as Radiomen in 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. Events in the book span the period from Spring, 1942 to Spring, 1945.

The characters in the book come from a variety of backgrounds, and cover a broad range of American archetypes. The interaction of the characters as they learn to put aside their prejudices and biases to bond, developing "esprit de corps," is a primary theme of the novel.

• "Mac": A Master Tech Sergeant, a career Marine with 30 years of service in the Corps, and the Battalion Communications Chief. He gives his name only as "Mac." He is the book's primary narrator and provides much of the old hand viewpoint of the story, also providing perspective on changes in the Marine Corps during the war.
• Daniel "Danny" Forester: An All-American boy from Baltimore
  Baltimore
  Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
  
  . While the book does not have one central character, the story tends to focus on Danny more than anyone else. He leaves High School before graduation and gives up a scholarship to Georgia Tech to join the Marine Corps when the war breaks out; goes through Boot Camp and becomes a member of 2nd Battalion's radio squad.
• Lamont Quincy "L.Q." Jones: The unit's clown, from Los Angeles. He goes through Boot Camp with Danny and is assigned to the radio squad.
• Constantine "Ski" Zvonski: A street youth from Philadelphia, from a Polish immigrant family. He also goes though Boot Camp with Danny and LQ, and is assigned to the radio squad.
• Marion "Sister Mary" Hodgekiss: A small town boy and the unit's intellectual, with a fondness for classical music and poetry, particularly Shakespeare. Aspires to be a writer. A member of the radio squad.
• Cyril "Seabags" Brown: A farm boy from Iowa who refers to everybody as "Cousin." A member of the radio squad.
• Mortimer "Speedy" Gray: A cowboy type from Texas. A member of the radio squad. The most openly racist character in the unit. His attitude toward certain other men, particularly Pedro Rojas and Jake Levine, is the source of significant interpersonal conflict.
• Andrew "Andy" Hookans: A lumberjack from Wisconsin, the "big dumb swede." A member of the radio squad.
• Shining Lighttower: A Navajo
  Navajo people
  The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
  
   native american
  Native Americans in the United States
  Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
  
  , but not a code talker
  Code talker
  Code talkers was a term used to describe people who talk using a coded language. It is frequently used to describe 400 Native American Marines who served in the United States Marine Corps whose primary job was the transmission of secret tactical messages...
  
  . Lighttower occasionally plays on the Indian stereotype, talking in native pidgin
  Pidgin
  A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
  
   and asking if he could go home to "the reservation." A member of the radio squad.
• Joseph "Spanish Joe" Gomez: A Hispanic American, the radio squad's troublemaker and slacker.
• Jacob "Jake" Levine: A replacement from Brooklyn who joins the radio squad after Guadalcanal.
• Pedro Rojas: A Navy hospital corpsman
  United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
  A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
  
   assigned to Headquarter's Company. From Texas, the son of Mexican migrant laborers. He is a Pharmacist's Mate who dreams of becoming a doctor.
• Major Samuel "Highpockets" Huxley: The Battalion Commander.
• Ziltch: The Battalion Commander's orderly.
• Marine Gunner Jack Keats: Another old hand and the Battalion Communications Officer.
• Captain Max Shapiro: Company Commander of Fox Company.
• First Lieutenant Bryce: Headquarter's Company commander.
• Staff Sergeant Burnside: Another old hand, squad leader of the radio squad.
• Gunnery Sergeant McQuade: Another old hand in the Corps, Company Gunnery Sergeant for Fox Company and friend of Mac and Burnside.
• First Sergeant Pucchi: Another old hand and the Headquarters Company First Sergeant.
• Milton "Professor" Norton: A fellow recruit at Boot Camp, Norton was an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania prior to joining the Marines. He later volunteers as a Pioneer.
• Corporal "Tex" Whitlock: The drill instructor at Boot Camp.
• Platoon Sergeant Beller: The platoon leader at Boot Camp.
• Theodore "Ted" Dwyer: Another recruit at Boot Camp.
• Shannon O'Hearne: Another recruit at Boot Camp, a troublemaker. Later becomes a rifle range instructor.
• Kathleen "Kathy" Walker: Danny's high school sweetheart.
• Elaine Yarbourough: An older woman Danny has an affair with, the wife of a Navy officer.
• Susan: Ski's girlfriend.
• Rae: A woman that Hodgekiss falls in love with.
• Pat Rogers: A New Zealand woman that Swede falls in love with.

The book tells the story of how this diverse group came together to form an effective team, as well as describing the battles they fought in, including the Battle of Guadalcanal, Tarawa

Battle of Tarawa

The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....

 and the Battle of Saipan

Battle of Saipan

The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...

.

The film version

Battle Cry (film)

Battle Cry is a 1955 CinemaScope film, starring Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, James Whitmore, Tab Hunter, Anne Francis, Dorothy Malone, Raymond Massey, and Mona Freeman...

 of this novel was made in 1955

1955 in film

The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....

, directed by Raoul Walsh

Raoul Walsh

Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh...

 and written by Uris. The film stars Van Heflin

Van Heflin

Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin, Jr. was an American film and theatre actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man...

, Aldo Ray

Aldo Ray

Aldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...

, James Whitmore

James Whitmore

James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...

, Tab Hunter

Tab Hunter

Tab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...

 and Fess Parker

Fess Parker

Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...