The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of Courage, Honor, and Sacrifice [Paperback]

Iain C. Martin (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Greatest | Publication Date: August 1, 2007

The amazing experiences of America's proud Marines, from the birth of the U.S. Marine Corps to today's operations around the globe. From the highly successful "Greatest Stories Ever Told" series--over 150,000 in print!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE BRAVE

 

On Friday, November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress approved a resolution for the organization of the Corps, creating what would become the hallowed few, the proud--the Marines. Since then, the men and women of the United States Marine Corps have created the finest traditions of service and honor, and supplied a pantheon of heroes who have upheld them. In The Greatest U.S. Marine Stories Ever Told, editor Iain Martin has accumulated the Marines' most gripping true tales of service and sacrifice, from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, to the conflicts where they serve today.

 

 

About the Author

Iain C. Martin is a freelance writer and historian, with an MA in history from Southern Connecticut State University. He lives with his family in Connecticut.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599210177
• ISBN-13: 978-1599210179
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Iain C. Martin is a freelance writer and historian with a MA in American history from Southern Connecticut State University. Originally from Owego, New York, he now resides in Connecticut with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended by ww2db.com, January 18, 2008

By 

ww2db (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of Courage, Honor, and Sacrifice (Paperback)

This book review is reproduced here on Amazon.com with explicit permission. The original URL is:

http://ww2db.com/read.php?read_id=76

The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told is a collection of 23 stories about the United States Marine Corps, each telling a tale of bravery and courage. They covered the span of the entire history of the USMC, and touched upon every major war the USMC engaged in from Tripoli to Iraq. Of course, there are plenty of World War II stories, they are why this review is here.

Some people simplify the Marines as a group of mindless trained killing machines. "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!" Famous quotes such as this one only reinforce that myth. This book presents otherwise. Throughout training and service, Marines were brought up with the history of the USMC, each taking heart stories of predecessors, and each striving to do better. Thus, in addition to being warriors, they are also historians. The understanding that they will always lead the way into the toughest battles does not make them simple killers; instead, it makes them effective decision makers and leaders.

This leads into yet another misconception of the USMC, one that the Marines wish for war. The truth is that they resent violence as much as anyone, for they are, beneath their uniforms, just like anyone else. The difference is that when the Marines are presented war, they will do their duty unquestioningly, and they will do their best. In journalist Robert Sherrod's chapter, "Tarawa-The First Day", he observed Marines shaking from fear as they waited their turn to storm the Tarawa beach; but yet, when a landing vehicle approached their boat, with the vehicle boss yelling "Quick! Half you men get in here. They need help bad on the beach", the same men who were just shaking from fear moments ago scrambled without hesitation. This theme echoes in nearly all of the stories in this book, connecting the seemingly independent chapters. Each story presents an otherwise ordinary American in the face of a challenge, and each story's main character or characters rise to meet that challenge as a Marine.

While the presentation of the Marines psyche is "great", what really gives the book the "greatest" claim is the fact that nearly all the stories are first hand accounts. Russell Davis told of the colorless landscape of Peleliu from his memory, while Eugene Sledge shared his experiences of the war-torn but yet still scenic Okinawa. The stories are "greatest" because they are personal. "History remembers the wounded men as numbers", Sledge wrote as he explained how the casualty statistics do not simply disappear at the end of the war. He spoke of his buddy whose wounds pained him for life, eventually leading to a hip replacement, and of another who lost his leg so that he needed help just to go to the bathroom. The personal manner that the stories are presented in truly makes them the "greatest" stories ever told.

"Each person's life, if truthfully told, would make a great story", said Ernest Hemingway; sure the 23 stories in this book are not exactly life stories, but perhaps they can collectively be considered the life story of the model Marine of the United States Marine Corps. If there is one great biography of this Marine, perhaps The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told is it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any who would read live-action, heart-stopping military stories needs The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told, December 4, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of Courage, Honor, and Sacrifice (Paperback)

Any who would read live-action, heart-stopping military stories needs The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told, an outstanding re-enactment of some of the greatest Marine battles in history. From the battles of the War of 1812 and struggles during the Mexican-American war to more modern times, these stories of sacrifice and courage come from a range of Marine eyewitness accounts and make for an outstanding, action-packed presentation of experience perfect not only for military holdings, but for general-interest libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Semper Fi, May 15, 2008

By 

Andrew W. Baggs (Provo, Utah) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of Courage, Honor, and Sacrifice (Paperback)

This book is a "MUST READ" for Marine Corps enthusiasts. It covers USMC history from Presley O'Bannon and the "Shores of Tripoli" to the "Halls of Montezuma" and up to Kuwait and Iraq. They are GREAT stories, well told, and well documented. A hearty recommendation.