It's remarkable how much more likeable/human this chapter
makes Isilidur then PJ's cartoonish picturing in the prologue of
the movie FotR. Ditto for the awful depiction of Numenorean
defending against an orc attack. The book section description
hearkens to Harold's shieldwall against that Bastard William.
I'd thnk such a "rehabilitation" of Isildur was much of the point
of Tolkien's writing this section.