From Publishers Weekly
A tried-and-true Marine, Croizat enlisted in the Corps in 1940. As an "Amtrac" commander, he helped during WWII to pioneer the deployment and use of amphibious armored tracked vehicles designed to land troops under fire. Croizat was at Guadalcanal, a harrowing campaign that he describes in great detail here. Then followed Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. At war's end, a brief stint in China preceded education at the famed cole Superieure de Guerre in Paris, where he formed many lasting friendships. Thereafter, Croizat's career was as a military liaison and diplomat, aiding in war planning and international security issues in locales as far flung as Laos, Haiti, Upper Volta and Turkey. Croizat introduces readers to a host of world leaders. We meet Croizat's wife and children as well, and share their burdens. In spite of his expertise in Indochinese affairs, Croizat was inexplicably passed over for promotion and retired as a colonel in 1966; within months he was working for the Rand Corporation. His engrossing memoir offers insight into the Pacific War, Cold War relations and Indochina. Illustrations.
Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
