With no previous military experience or formal instruction, Soule felt his way through the Corps. Assigned to create a unit from scratch, he established policies for combat photography. He saw the suspicion and distrust of senior officers disappear as his unit's work in map production, intelligence photography, and photos released to the general public won their understanding and respect.

Shooting, the Pacific War is based on Soule's detailed wartime journals. He provides intriguing closeups of generals, admirals, sergeants, and privates -- everyone he met and worked with along the way. His story includes the heat of battle as well as the intense training before and rebuilding after each campaign.

Soule saw New Zealand in the desperate days of 1942. His Division was rebuilt in Australia following Guadalcanal. After a stint back in Quantico training more combat photographers, he went to Guam, which provided a quiet interlude before the conflagration at Iwo Jima. At war's end he was Photographic Officer, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, at Pearl Harbor.