Gooch's Regiment 1740-1742, America's First Marines [Paperback]

Lee Offen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0977788415 | ISBN-13: 978-0977788415 | Publication Date: September 21, 2009

In 1740 the British declared war on Spain in what was to become known as The War of Jenkin's Ear and included American soldiers in the land force element of their expedition to the Caribbean. They fought as Marines at the siege of Cartagena, an occupation of a part of Cuba known as Guantanamo Bay, as well as an assault on Portobello and finally an occupation of the Island of Ruatan. They were forced to serve as sailors, replacing an ever dwindling number of seamen suffering from life in the tropics in the days before modern medicine. The Regiment was disbanded in 1742 after having suffered as much as an 80% casualty rate, mostly due to disease. They Were America's First Marines! This is a first ever comprehensive regimental history of America's First Marines. Making extensive use of primary source material as well as secondary sources and analysis, this is an account of how the regiment was organized, equipped, who served and their exploits until the regiment was disbanded. From this account we get a glimpse of how these men, and their fellow colonists saw themselves, as they formed a separate identity ... becoming "Americans".

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"The research is thorough and well documented.  I'm sure our Marine crew would find it interesting, enjoyable and a worthwhile history. It's a piece of Corps history that I believe is quite rare." 
        Mr. Thomas Faught, Past Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Engineering
        and Systems) and Marine Officer

 "The lessons learned from this book are timeless.  They apply to those in uniform today and tomorrow.  There are few new lessons of expeditionary warfare to learn, even in the 21st century."
                                                         Lieutenant Colonel Mike Janay, USMC, Retired

"This book is about the first colonial Marines. One of the officers had a brother who became a great leader in our nation. A good book to read for Marines."
                                                            Mr. Jerry Knitis, Marine

About the Author

Lee Offen is a retired U.S. Army Major who resides in Springfield Virginia. He is an Armored Cavalry Combat Veteran, former Airborne Infantryman and a recipient of the Bronze Star.

He has his Masters Degree in Government and was Assistant Professor of Military Science at Georgetown University and George Mason University. A graduate of the U.S. Army Military History Instructors Course he is also a historical re-enactor and avid student of 17th and 18th century American and European history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Veterans Publishing Systems (September 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977788415
• ISBN-13: 978-0977788415
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,891,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A retired U.S. Army Major with 22 years of service, I have served as an Airborne Infantryman and Armored Cavalry Officer and enjoy reading and writing American and European Military History. I am an 18th and 17th century reenactor. I have a Batchelor of Science Degree in History, Sociolgy and Anthropolgy from St Andrew's College and a Masters of Science Degree in Political Science from Campbell University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was an excellent read., October 21, 2009

By 

Dennis Thompson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gooch's Regiment 1740-1742, America's First Marines (Paperback)

Mr. Offen's book covers a little known military unit in a rarely mentioned war in a way that both satisfies the readers interest in the stated topic, and piques the readers interest in the greater events. He intersperses source material with text seamlessly. Gooch's Regiment holds a unique place in our nations early military history and yet is almost never mentioned.

4.0 out of 5 stars Gooch's Marines, January 9, 2011

By 

Tom L. (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gooch's Regiment 1740-1742, America's First Marines (Paperback)

Plenty of info and detail about this regiment, needs a good editor and proofreader. But its currently the best compilation on this subject available.

3.0 out of 5 stars succeeds in spite of itself!, June 25, 2010

By 

Scholar "18th century student" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gooch's Regiment 1740-1742, America's First Marines (Paperback)

First, it is great to see a book about a subject that has not been covered much in colonial military history. I enjoyed reading the many accounts of the campaign, of raising troops for service, etc. The problem is that the book suffers from the mistakes of an amateur writer and a shoddy press. Many of the letters and reports the author provides are poorly interpreted and presented with little context. He also uses anachronistic military terminology (e.g., writing "CPT" for "captain") that comes across as jarring. The claim that these troops were "marines" is also open to debate, but that is not such a big point. The maps provided are so small many cannot be read at all, so why even place them in the volume? The book is of value due to the subject matter, but in that way it succeeds in spite of itself!