Once a Legend: "Red Mike" Edson of the Marine Raiders [Hardcover]

Jon T. Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1994

The first biography of the man described as the personification of the great fighting tradition of our Corps.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Merritt A. "Red Mike" Edson became a national hero on Guadalcanal during WW II for his epic defense of Henderson Field as the head of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. He sustained his reputation for fearlessness on Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian as a regimental commander, then as assistant commander of the 2nd Marine Division. In his final wartime assignment, to Service Command of the Fleet Marine Force, he saw the evolution of the Marine Corps into a virtually independent branch of the U.S. armed forces. Edson, a leading Marine advocate during the postwar debate on preserving the corps, resigned rather than accept the compromises of the 1947 National Security Act determing the missions of the services. His suicide in 1955 at age 58 has obscured his distinguished career. Military freelance writer Hoffman's comprehensive biography goes far to restore Red Mike's stature in the history of the corps he loved.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press; 1st edition (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891414932
• ISBN-13: 978-0891414933
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent biography of a fine Marine., October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Once a Legend: "Red Mike" Edson of the Marine Raiders (Hardcover)

"Red Mike" Edson was one fearless warrior. His frontline exploits on Tarawa, Saipan, and Guadalcanal (where he won the Medal of Honor and probably saved the campaign) are the stuff of legends, but he was also, improbably, a first-class staff officer.
This unusual talent for organization brought him two stars and a role in the highest echelons of the Corps, but it also took him into the fierce politics of the Pentagon and may have indirectly caused his death.
The history of this fine Marine is well told in this outstanding biography; with photos, bibliography, and index. Highly readable; essential for Marine Corps readers and of great interest to general military history readers and WWII buffs.

(The numerical rating above is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Military Biography, March 1, 2002

By 

Dan Lee (Brampton, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once a Legend: Red Mike Edson of the Marine Raiders (Paperback)

If you are really interested in the Marine Corps or WW2 History, this is something worth buying. Instead of just making 'Red Mike' Edson a saintly hero of great virtue and courage, the author describes Edson the man with warts and all.

My only complaint about the book (it wasn't that big because the rest of the book is excellent) was that book didn't go into as much detail about Bloody Ridge (the pinnacle of Edson's combat leadership and which won him the CMH) which is surprising considering how much detail was spent describing the fight against the Sandinistas between WW1 and WW2.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Semper Fidelis Red Mike!, December 22, 2007

By 

ThorBjorn "Norseman" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once a Legend: Red Mike Edson of the Marine Raiders (Paperback)

As a Marine Corps veteran, it surprises me how unfamiliar many contemporary Marines are with the extremely noteworthy and noble Mr. Edson. The author, Mr.Hoffman, also a Marine veteran, tells us the story of Mr. Edson's truly eventful life.

To think that in his early career, in the last days of World War I, Red Mike was seriously considering resigning! Yet, despite long periods of stagnation and limited opportunities for advancement, he stayed the course. During his life, Edson, a very humble and kindly man, never realized what a profoundly positive effect his contribution to the Marine Corps would have. This champion of the Marines was highly influential in planting the seeds of many of the U.S.M.C.s major institutions in the modern age. In fact, the thoroughly established status as a separate branch is significantly due to Red Mike's efforts.

-He contributed to the establishment of M.C.I., the Marine Corps Institute. This was his first major post WWI assignment.
-Being a highly proficient rifleman, he was a frequent member of the Marine Corps' competitive shooting teams. Although advanced marksmanship has always been a Marine Corps characteristic, Edson's influence in that field made it the institution it is today.
-He served as Vice-President of the National Rifle Association (an organization EVERY Marine should be a member of!).
-He was an aviator in the inter-war years, a rare qualification amongst his peers.
-His experience hunting Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua during the "Banana wars" era of the 1920s and 1930s gave him the knowledge to thoroughly revise the U.S.M.C. Small Wars manual. This is a guide to guerilla war and counter-insurgency still highly valid today.
-He was a founder of the Raiders during World War II. In fact, he was its greatest war-leader.
-He recieved the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valorous defense of the allied airfield on Guadalcanal, an action that very likely saved the entire allied effort in its most direly critical moment.
-He bravely and righteously stood up for the U.S.M.C., in the face of an aggressive and malicious campaign by Harry Truman and various army generals ...to disband, and abolish the Marines, ...or assimilate it into the army. Thankfully, common sense prevailed, and the Marines march on!