Marines: An Illustrated History: The United States Marine Corps from 1775 to the 21st Century (Illustrated History (Zenith Press)) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was purchased for a gift. The recipients are both Marines and appreciated receiving it.

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Book DescriptionThe Marine Corps came into being with the nation it serves, in 1775--and has been a proud defender of the American ideal ever since. With photographs of historic missions and shots of the Corps in action today, this illustrated volume gives readers a feel for what it means--and has meant--to be a Marine. Here, over time and wherever duty calls, are the select few who make up the tightly knit fighting force known for its lightning speed, overwhelming power, and truly heroic sense of duty.About the AuthorChester G. Hearn, an American military veteran, has written several books on U.S. military and naval history, three of which have been main selections of the History Book Club. A graduate of Allegheny College, he is a full-time writer who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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A Country Such As This Review

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(More customer reviews)"A Country Such As This" is a timeless classic that chronicles the enormous social, economic and political upheavals that roiled America throughout the 1960s and 1970s. James Webb, a foremost author, Vietnam combat veteran and future Secretary of the Navy, presents a moving and incisive allegory in the life experiences of three 1951 U.S. Naval Academy graduates. Red Lescynski, Judd Smith and Joe Dingenfelder are "blood brothers" who swear an oath of allegiance to their country and each other. But their lives are destined to be sundered by the epochal changes sweeping the country: economic dislocation, an epidemic of divorce and fractured families and, most of all, societal and political divisions wrought by U.S. policy in Vietnam. Particularly insightful is the ongoing dialogue between Smith, a conservative Republican, and the ultra-liberal Dorothy Dingenfelder (Joe's estranged wife), who clash repeatedly and vociferously. Red Lesczynski's brutal plight in North Vietnam POW camps are heart rending, as are his difficulties assimilating into a fundamentally changed American society after a seven-year absence. Webb's descriptions of the opprobrious conduct of the anti-war movement are priceless.
We are fortunate that 18 years after its initial publication, the U.S. Navy's publishing arm has re-published "A Country Such As This," enabling a new generation of Americans to benefit from Webb's sage wisdom.

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The innocence the 1950s and turbulence of the 1960s and 70s--years when America reached out and touched the heavens, only to be torn apart by internal conflict and a war in Southeast Asia--provide a dramatic setting for this unforgettable story of three men and the women they love carving a place for themselves in a society where the rules keep changing. Written by bestselling novelist James Webb, it has been hailed as a major work of our time and a stunning commentary of political and social life in America over nearly three decades. From the wars in Korea and Vietnam to antiwar protests in Washington and POW camps in Hanoi, from young love and parenthood to divorce and reconciliation, Webb's eye for detail, provocative insights, and subtle revelations have earned him the highest literary accolades. His convincing characters and gripping scenes fully engage the reader as the three Naval Academy graduates reevaluate their lives, their country, and the cost of success.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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The Finishing School: Earning the Navy SEAL Trident Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Finishing School" is a terrific book, and every bit as fascinating as "The Warrior Elite." Dick Couch shows exceptional tenacity in following every twist and turn of training that these incredible warriors go through, and he handles the narrator's job superbly--giving us a personal reaction every now and then from his perspective as a SEAL in the Vietnam era.
Couch provides insight into what makes SEALS succeed (or fail) and enriches our understanding of how crucial training is to their complicated missions. I felt like I was there in the classroom and on the range with them at all times. Yes, the training evolutions do seem to go on without end, but that's one of the book's points: these guys are the best trained, toughest warriors the world has ever seen, and they will come after you from the sea, the air, or on land.
I particularly enjoyed the sections dealing with the SEAL weaponry; the choices they have are fascinating and scary. If you're a Navy buff, or in the least bit interested in what force America can project almost anywhere on earth, then this book is for you.

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Sea Service Medals: Military Awards and Decorations of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Review

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(More customer reviews)To book's dust jacket, claims the book is "the first and only complete historical examination of all the personal awards, decorations and medals that may be awarded to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel for heroism, achievement, and service." Borch and McDowell brilliantly succeed in meeting the claims on the dust jacket.
The book is broken up into four sections: "Decorations for Valor in Combat"; "Decorations and Medals for Noncombat Valor"; "Dual-Purpose Decorations for Performance or Valor"; and "Awards and Decorations for Outstanding achievement of Meritorious Service." Readers should note that the "I was there" medals (Liberation of Kuwait; Southwest Asia Service; Global War on Terror") are not included in this book, as these decorations are awarded for contributions of military units - not for the actions of an individual.
Each chapter follows the order of precedence, beginning with the medal awarded for the highest achievement. Each section then explains the establishing authority for the medal; the date it was established; the designer of the medal; the heraldic symbolism of the medal; the medal's first recipient; and the historical background on the medal. Each section also includes an illustrative citation or two for recipients of the medal.
There is no better reference book on how these medals came to be. I found the historic analysis to be fascinating, especially the theory of how the Purple Heart got its name.
The book includes 50 color photographs of the obverse and reverse of these medals (including the infamous "Tiffany Cross"). The authors should be commended for including the reverses of unique medals -- for example, hand-engraved Medals of Honor. However, these photos are also the source of a significant editing error - the list of illustrations at the beginning of the book incorrectly lists the first twelve illustrations. In spite of this minor flaw, the photos are excellent.
"Sea Service Medals" lives up to the claim of being the authoritative book for this topic. It was a great read, and I highly recommend the book.

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As the first and only complete history of all personal awards and decorations of the United States' three sea services, this book serves as a valuable resource of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard awards. It also provides little-known historical information on the background and development of each award and decoration, along with details of its design and award criteria. Some never-before-photographs of rare Navy Medals of Honor are featured.

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Silver Star: Navy and Marine Corps Gallantry in Iraq, Afghanistan and Other Conflicts (Blue Jacket Bks) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having chronicled USN/USMC winners of the Navy Cross, James Wise and Scott Baron shift focus to those Marines and sailors awarded the Silver Star in Afghanistan, Irag, Vietnam, Korea and World War II. Ninety-seven men - 24 sailors and 73 Marines - have been awarded Silver Stars in Iraq and Afghanistan as of March 2008. THE SILVER STAR recounts the exploits of 75 of those individuals and ten from the earlier conflicts.
As with their NAVY CROSS volume, Wise and Baron arrange the accounts alphabetically within each conflict. After presenting the official citation, they then recreate the action in narrative form. In some cases, several SS awards were made for the same action, 'Operation Phantom Fury,' for example, resulting in 10 awards. The most widely-known Afghanistan/Iraq SS winner is probably tank commander GySgt Nick Popaditch, who recently penned his autobiography ONCE A MARINE. Notables from the previous wars include Vietnam MoH-winner Jimmie Howard and WWII's FDR, Jr. and John Hamilton (aka actor Sterling Hayden).
Truth be told, the Iraq/Afghanistan accounts, which make up 70% of the book, have a depressing sameness to them; most being hellacious, in-your-face ambushes in narrow streets marked by dozens of RPG rounds and storms of AK fire. Time after time, superb training coupled with personal bravery and initiative made the difference.
While THE SILVER STAR is an inspiring chronicle of brave men in action, the Iraq sections leave you with a sense of sadness; all that bravery and suffering in an unnecessary war! And I still think the reverse chronological arrangement, first seen in NAVY CROSS, makes for a clumsy read. Recommended.

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Deciphering the Rising Sun: Navy and Marine Corps Codebreakers, Translators and Interpreters in the Pacific War Review

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(More customer reviews)The inside cover of "Deciphering the Rising Sun", by Roger Dingman, succinctly summarizes the book by stating "This book is the first to document the vital role played by Americans not of Japanese ancestry who served as Japanese language officers in World War II." It continues "This book reveals an exciting and previously unknown aspect of the Pacific War and demonstrates the enduring importance of linguistic and cross-cultural knowledge within America's armed forces in war and peace." The book was fully successful in living up to these goals.
I am always fascinated with the foresight America had in preparing for World War II months or years prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dingman opens the book by examining the efforts "to try and remedy an importance deficiency in the Navy and Marines Corps' readiness for war" by increasing the number of officers who were truly fluent in Japanese. So, in October 1940, the United States began the effort to train hundreds of officers in Japanese almost a full year before the Day that lives in infamy. What follows is the fascinating saga of how the United States ended up with language schools on both coasts, and finally at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Dingman next captures the memoirs of the students as they went through the demanding curriculum of the language school. These stories not only cover the technical aspects of learning the seemingly indecipherable Japanese characters; but also cover many of the personal stories that took place during the rare off-hours not spent studying.
The balance of the book is a continuation of the memoirs of the men's and women's combat assignments. Two chapters are logically grouped by service assignments - Marine Corps or Navy. The Marines were quickly thrown into the stresses of combat as combat interpreters, whereas the Navy interpreters served equally important but less dangerous assignments in Hawaii, Australia, or aboard ships. For these officers who trained together at Boulder, fate would take them down two very distinct paths. For some, their paths converged again on an island named Okinawa. These paths would remain intertwined through the surrender and the occupation of Japan.
Dingman does an excellent job of capturing the memories of these men and women who served in very unique assignments during the war. As an example of the writing style, Dingman writes "[Lt Hart Spiegel] had worried that he would be unable to understand the locals, who purportedly spoke an impenetrable dialect... sure enough, when he tried to question an approaching group of ragtag men, Spiegel could not understand a word they said. His sense of humiliation and incompetence vanished only when he learned they had wandered out of a home for the mentally incompetent." In this story, Spiegel was serving ashore with the invasion forces, and is serves to highlight the humor that Dingman laces throughout the book.
The front cover recommends this book for "those interested in America's intelligence establishment and in Japan's relations with the United States." A much broader audience can get value from this book. This book is an excellent case study for in bridging cultural divides. The United States identified a strategic cultural gap; mobilized academia to train a cadre of officers; and successfully integrated those personnel into military operations. This is certainly a lesson that America could dust off and apply again today.


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