Book Description
If the Marines are "the few, the proud," Recon Marines are the fewest and the proudest. Nathaniel Fick's career begins with a hellish summer at Quantico, after his junior year at Dartmouth. He leads a platoon in Afghanistan just after 9/11 and advances to the pinnacle—Recon—two years later, on the eve of war with Iraq. His vast skill set puts him in front of the front lines, leading twenty-two Marines into the deadliest conflict since Vietnam. He vows to bring all his men home safely, and to do so he'll need more than his top-flight education. Fick unveils the process that makes Marine officers such legendary leaders and shares his hard-won insights into the differences between military ideals and military practice, which can mock those ideals. In this deeply thoughtful account of what it's like to fight on today's front lines, Fick reveals the crushing pressure on young leaders in combat. Split-second decisions might have national consequences or horrible immediate repercussions, but hesitation isn't an option. One Bullet Away never shrinks from blunt truths, but ultimately it is an inspiring account of mastering the art of war.
Customer Reviews:
Real simple.......2007-09-08
Want to know the what it's like to be an junior Officer? The loneliness, the NCO's you rely on, the men, the idiots above you? Read this. A simultaneous must read is Evan Wright's Generation Kill. Identical time amd place seen from two very different perspectives.
Very Well Written.......2007-09-03
In addition to excellent content, this is a very readable book and Nate Fick compactly explains things about military life and the warrior ethos that aren't well understood outside the military. A couple page glossary of military abbreviations would be a welcome addition though.
Excellent and thought provoking.......2007-08-18
Most of my Amazon reviews deal with grilling, but I felt compelled to give my opinion. Nathaniel Fick is welcome to dine on steak or some pulled pork at my home any time he visits Bloomington, Indiana. The book is wonderfully written. He skillfully balanced descriptions of the people, events and emotions he encountered during his tour with the USMC. He did not rely on the tool of describing the technology of modern warfare to impress his reader. He is no Tom Clancy and I found this to be refreshing.
I went to his website and read an number of articles and reviews he has published since completing this book. He makes a number of astute observations on politics, the war, and the state of our nation. I hope to see more from him soon.
Nate: 2020?.......2007-08-15
Enough praise has already been heaped and another 5-star review won't change a 5-star average. A few hopefully new comments:
- Frick allows critical details of his personal life to trickle out in undeclared intimations; e.g., he's probably Catholic and probably had a girlfriend. The story would have meant more to me if I'd known exactly who was speaking. The narrative does a decently indirect job of this, but I wonder how many scenes were left out that could have showed us more of who he is?
- Why does that matter? Well, not to be a jaded 40-something who grew up in a very political environment, but I cannot imagine a clearer statement of intent to run for office. Let's see... Military hero? Check. Exposure of sensitive side? Check. Willingness to put in the hours? Check. Ability to lead others? Check. Ability to turn a phrase? Check. Empathy with the common man? Check.
I have nothing against the idea and I'd probably even vote for him. I'm just surprised nobody else has noticed this... And perhaps the explanation to my first comment is cleared up by the observation of the second.
A rare view of the USMC.......2007-08-11
Nathaniel Fick tells an interesting story from an unusual perspective. How many books can you find written about the experiences of a Marine Corps officer in war? A fair handful. How many such books can you find written by an articulate liberal arts major? Maybe just this one.
The author's educated perspective on the Marine Corps perfectly underlines the amazing strengths and the maddening weakness of the Marine Corps, depicting that certain je ne sais quois those in or around the Marines understand and critics never see.
He manages to illustrate his respect for the Marines and his mission while still exposing the stupidity of military bureaucracy, showing clearly that the good or evil possible with our military forces can really boil down to a good person or a fundamentally bad person in charge of a lowly combat platoon.
If you want a thoughtful perspective on the USMC or the opening days of the war in Iraq, this book is up your alley.
Amazon.com
Marines are different: distinct not only from ordinary U.S. citizens but from the ranks of the army, navy, and air force as well. The difference begins with boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, where the history and future of the United States Marine Corps intersect in the training of every new recruit. In Making the Corps, Ricks follows a platoon of young men through 11 grueling weeks of boot camp as their drill instructors indoctrinate them into the culture of the Few and the Proud. Many arrive at Parris Island undisciplined and apathetic; they leave as marines.
With the end of the cold war, the role of the American military has shifted in emphasis from making war to keeping peace. "The best way to see where the U.S. military is going is to look at the marines today," says Ricks, as the other armed forces have begun to emulate the marine model. To understand Parris Island--a central experience in the life of every marine--is to understand the ethos of the Marine Corps. Ricks examines the recent changes in the Standard Operating Procedures for Recruit Training (the bible of Parris Island), which indicate how the corps is dealing with critical social and political issues like race relations, gender equality, and sexual orientation. Making the Corps pierces the USMC's "sis-boom-bah" mythology to help outsiders understand this most esoteric and eccentric of U.S. armed forces. --Tim Hogan
Book Description
Making the Corps visits the front lines of boot camp, Parris Island, South Carolina. Here, old values are stripped away and new, Marine Corps values are forged. Acclaimed military journalist Thomas E. Ricks follows these men from their hometowns, through boot camp, and into their first year as Marines. As three fierce drill instructors fight a battle for the hearts and minds of this unforgettable group of young men, a larger picture emerges, brilliantly painted, of the growing gulf that divides the military from the rest of America.
Customer Reviews:
An accurate description of USMC boot camp.......2007-10-07
This is a book about the third recruit training battalion of the United States Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, SC. As a former USMC recruit in that very same battalion, reading this book brought back a lot of memories. Some of which I had worked hard to forget, apparently: I laughed out loud several times and got dewy-eyed once reading this book.
If you've never had the pleasure of going through USMC boot camp, Making the Corps is an accurate description of what it's like. Ricks follows a platoon of fledgling USMC recruits from their disorienting night time arrival at Parris Island all the way through to their lock-step graduation. He also follows up with many of these same Marines during their subsequent service in the Corps, which makes for interesting reading. Ricks also compares USMC recruit training to that of the Army, Air Force, and Navy. Unsurprisingly there is no comparison.
While the Marine Corps has slightly reworded a few stock expressions since my three-month training at Parris Island long ago, nonetheless every single detail Ricks recounts rings true.
On the one hand, I was happy to hear the Marine Corps has in fact beefed up recruit training and still maintains its emphasis on high ethical standards. (No matter what happens, I've always felt the Corps has a good heart, which accounts for its success.) On the other, I was amazed at how "lenient" things have gotten since my stint there. It's clearly still horrifying and grueling and transcendent. For example, the daily torture on "the quarterdeck", frequent trips to "the pit" for marathon platoon PT sessions, and being mercilessly bitten by sand fleas while standing at stone-rigid attention. But the good old-fashioned potentially lethal abuse by the drill instructors appears to have been "somewhat" curbed - (either that, or they made sure to get Ricks out of the way before the fun started).
As the Corps stationed me in Japan for several years, I agree heartily with Ricks' observation, "The culture that the Marines most resemble, oddly enough, is that of Japan. The Marines are almost a Japanese version of America - frugal, relatively harmonious, extremely hierarchical, and almost always placing the group over the individual" [page 199]. "The Marines ... are American samurai, in the way that they think of themselves and in the way they relate to their nation" [page 201].
My only critique of Making the Corps is Ricks' belaboring how Marines tend to view civilians as ill-disciplined and selfish. By Marine standards, civilians are. But while Ricks' analysis is correct, elitism can be an occupational hazard of any serious profession (lawyers, doctors, musicians, writers).
A well-written, accurate recounting of "Where It All Begins".
Just Like the Book.......2007-06-03
Before our son left for boot camp in 2004, the whole family read this book. In his first letter home, he said, "Mom, the first 24 hours were exactly like the book said it would be." I would say that's a great endorsement. Just a little outdated because it was written before the Crucible was added, but the rest is a great primer for recruits and their families. Very highly recommended by our Marine (now a Sergeant) son.
True Dedication.......2007-05-06
This book was a no nonsense look at the Marine Corp Basic Training. It showed the mental and physical hardships of each recruit who underwent platoon 8086. It is a great book for anyone who wants to join the corp it gives a realistic view of the inside of the Marine Corp. I would recommend this book to every man, woman and child of the USA.
Good Intro to Marines .......2007-03-20
The book narrates the story of platoon 3086. At Parris Island, SC, this platoon of roughly 60 men, undergoes training for 7 weeks in order to obtain the much yearned for qualification of "Marines." Every year about 320 platoons go through Parris Island (though with future cuts in the military, the number may be reduced significantly in the next few years). The young men come from all kinds of social, ethnic and family backgrounds, though the "proletarian" type abounds. The task of the drill instructors is to strip these kids of their individuality, of the "me" mentality, and to shape them into a cohesive unit, capable of sustaining the rigors of combat. The Marines try to instil values such as sacrifice, obedience, courage. The book also talks about the drill instructors, the real backbone of the Corps. The story of the recruits is interwoven with policy considerations, comparisons with the Army, the influence of James Webb and of the new commander.
Semper Fidelis - the structure and societal views of the corps.......2007-03-11
As a former active duty Marine who is currently in the reserves, I was excited to read this book, but perhaps it was to see what was missed more than relive the same experiences. Ricks does a great job of following the platoon through MCRD training (boot camp) and also does a great overview of the corps in terms of its own rich, eccentric and often times misunderstood culture compared to today's society and the youth that come from it.
You could never take the entire 12-week process and show every detail, but this is the first book that I feel does a good job of trying. From crying in their bunks at night to realizing potential they never knew they had, we follow a group of kids that start out together as nothing more than misfits of various race, religion and background and turn into a specialized team where "I" is nothing more than a letter in the English Alphabet that you avoid at all costs.
I felt Ricks did a fine job in showing how valuable the Corps values are. The happenings within this book are over 10 years old now and the "Nintendo Generation" as given way to a new one that is now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I could definitely relate to the honor and prestige that being a Marine on the "street" gave many of the members. From having police treat you slightly differently if you were pulled over for a speeding ticket to seeing the "kid made of water" who cried all the time end up having a successful career in the corps.
At times again, it seems dated with some of the outlooks and things that were happening around the world in 1995, but overall this is the best book for any prospective recruit to get. It will show you that you will sweat and bleed for that uniform, but it will also present to you challenges and rewards that you will never, ever find in the civilian field. MCRD was tough, but if you ask anyone who went through it if they wished it were "easier", their reply will probably be no. Teamwork, Hard work and perseverance are wrought throughout Ricks journey with this platoon, and in the end you may have a much better understanding of what the corps is all about. As a quote said in a movie once, "Its not just all John Wayne".
Book Description
"The book makes a convincing case that battlefield techniques really do work in the business world."--Fortune
"A colorful, entertaining, and highly effective way of conveying some powerful lessons along with lots of very interesting military history." --Miami Herald
Customer Reviews:
business .......2007-07-11
This is one of the best 'military & business" books to come out in years.
In a highly readable yet intelligent writing style, the authors explain how preparation, planning, execution AND a lack of ego all combine to build an organization as small as a rifle team to a billion-dollar multinational.
With examples taken from both the military and business worlds, this book gives everyone from newbie managers to punk MBA types a clue how to succeed in the real world. Highly reccommended !
A Winning Strategy For Business.......2006-05-11
This book is an interesting and well written analysis of how to apply maneuver warfare to a commercial business. The authors prove their analysis by illustrating the similarities between military and competitive business environments.
First, this book is an easy read. It is approximately 181 pages long and broken into easily digested parts. Seven of the thirteen chapters focus exclusively on each of the principles of maneuver warfare. Generally speaking, all the chapters follow a similar format. The authors will make a point and follow it up with an example from military history. They then provide an example from the commercial world. Each of these examples is followed by a brief analysis of the principle in discussion. The reader is then given a general analysis that cuts across both the military and business examples. Finally, each chapter ends with a discussion of how the Marine Corps applies and/or views this principle. The advantage of this format is that the reader knows what to expect. The book finishes with a discussion on leadership, the glue that holds the maneuver warfare principles together.
There is nothing new in this book. All of these principles can be found in other management and leadership teaching aids. This book's true value is the clear, concise, and easy format in which it is written. The true standard for good writing is the ability to clearly convey a point to the reader. This book meets that standard. It has valuable lessons for managers in all organizations, be they military, civilian-government, commercial, or non-profit. Anyone in a leadership position would find their time well spent in reading this book.
Excellent practical concepts for any organisation.......2006-01-28
I had reservations about this book before reading it because I happen to agree with those who say that business and war are two very different things.
However, the author makes it clear at the start of this book that he knows business and war are different phenomena, but the principles he outlines are applicable to both arenas.
I believe he is absolutely correct and to be clear what is discussed in this book is exactly that, a set of principles or qualities that are sure to be an effective boost to anyone working in any number of competitive arenas.
I think Warfighting by the USMC is an excellent work - from where these principles are largely derived - and this book builds on those and essentially outlines how they can be transferred into civilian organisational life and business - even a very small business.
These principles are completely practically-based on real world experience - tried and tested more so than many theoretical systems that no-one has ever tried.
Well the USMC is nothing if not an effective organisation based not only on what works, but what brings about outstanding breakthrough results.
I also regard the principles outlined as being useful in other areas of life and very easy to carry in mind.
I also really enjoyed reading this book, the military and business examples used are inspirational.
My personal favourite is the story of a USMC Captain fighting against enemy forces in Vietnam using ingenuity and the principle of decentralised decision making to thwart an attack by 30,000 enemy and 200 tanks.
Don't you wish your staff could make an equivalent achievement in your business?
To my mind, this book is worth much more than many business books on the market.
It is not some macho testosterone-soaked work, it is not all about how great the USMC is, it is about what works.
Yes, business is not war, but the skills of resource management and competition do share strategic, operational and tactical similarities.
Well worth reading and applying to work.
Curious but Not Effective.......2005-12-02
Read this book and listened to a discussion from one of the authors. Most of the material is extremely offensive to any educated person. While the correlation between success and military campaigns is curious reading for military buffs - this material is largely non-applicable for a real business.
Excellent.......2005-06-18
A great introduction to the strategy tenets of the USMC. The authors do a splendid job of combining theory with practical examples. I especially liked their integration of tactics and execution.
Book Description
For more than 200 years, the U.S. Marine Corps has been a paragon of world-class leadership, excelling in the areas of motivation, training, and management. Semper Fi -- which since its hardcover publication has become a best-selling, business leadership classic -- shows readers how to adapt these proven practices for their own organizations.Now in a paperback edition with a new introduction by the authors, Semper Fi goes behind the scenes to pinpoint what works for the USMC, showing readers how to create a training and management culture that brings out the best in all their employees. The book gives readers tough, practical tips for:* inspiring individual initiative * rewarding hard work * encouraging loyalty * working with limited resources * dealing with change * "leading the troops" at every level of the organization"This is not," according to Dan Rather, "one of those mumbo-jumbo, pseudo-philosophical books on leadership. Semper Fi is a book you will actually USE, read, and refer to again and again."
Customer Reviews:
A lot depends on your people and your culture.......2007-02-19
Semper Fi does a good job of relating the organizational and cultural strengths of the Marine Corps to successful essentials for corporate America. The beginning of the book emphasizes the importance of recruiting and maintaining the enthusiasm and energy or new hires. The book keeps it focus on sharing the attributes of the Marine Corps' organizational attributes contributing to its success rather than organizing around what corporate America needs and how the Marine Corps has solved those problems. Strongly recommended for HR professionals and managers leading large organizations. Always a good book for former Marines although some may remember a few details of Marine life differently.
Leadership Requires That You Lead!.......2007-02-04
Want to develop sound leadership and solid loyalty? This book clears up many of the misconceptions of USMC training and brings the same form of positive supportive leadership into the civilian and business world. Leadership is more than just telling people what to do. Leadership is established by being in the front lines with all your "troops". It's you're willingness to get your shoes just as dirty as anyone else's while providing an example of being out in front and at the same time making sure that everyone is up there with you. You, the leader, are the example! It is extremely well-written and should be in any top sensei's [martial arts instructor's] book collection. Dan Carrison is one of my Black Belts. I recommend this book to all my black belts!
A great read to learn why USMC excels, though not highly commercial world applicable.......2006-10-17
In case you want to know how this 175,000 strong force is led/managed to live up to the "Send the Marines" legend, you will be largely satisfied. Many unique features, including the Buddy System (two friends get recruited, trained, and deployed together), Tour of Duty (a Marine can opt to remain or transfer several times during the enlistment period of four years), the strong emphasis on quality HR and recruiters, the "Crucible" (the 54 sleepless hours of hellish training with only one meal), the need for an officer/NCO to be better in all aspects (esp physically) than his fellow men till his retirement and so on are vividly discussed. However, I am obliged to comment that the successful principles of USMC are not readily applicable to the commercial world, primarily because, as per pg 123, "Unlike the Marine Corps, the workplace environment is not one of self sacrifice. Employees are motivated much more by self interest than by the collective good and are not shy about asking, "Why did he or she get this assignment and not me?" Anyway, this is definitely a good read. Highly recommended!
Below please find my most favorite passages for your reference:-
One of the legends every NCO has heard tells of a young officer who did not return an enlisted man's salute - and was subsequently ordered by the renowned Marine general Chesty Puller to stand there and salute the nervous private one hundred times. pg 66
The "monkey experiment" is a classic laboratory experiment that illustrates exactly what the Marines try to avoid - the thoughtless passing from one group to another of a learned tradition. Six monkeys were put into a cage in which bananas were suspended by chains...when a monkey pulled on the bananas, the entire group received a shower of cold water. It didnt take long for the six monkeys to learn that the bananas were to be left alone. A new monkey was then introduced into the group, while one of the original monkeys were removed. Of course, the newcomer saw the bananas and thought it was in monkey paradise. But, as it climbed upward, the five remaining original monkeys would actually prevent it from reaching the bananas.....Other newcomers were introduced, for each one, a monkey from the original group was removed.....Soon, none of the original group was left in the cage, yet the bananas were undisturbed - by monkeys who had never felt the cold shower themselves and who did not know why the bananas were to be left alone. pg 115
Today, teams of recruits clash in the pugil stick circle so that one learns not to just fight for himself but for his buddy as well. If his buddies are "killed", the remaining recruit must defend himself against multiple attackers, who close in intelligently, as a team. Thus teamwork is taught while defending and attacking. pg 130
If a manager has not called his own customer service desk in a week, then he has no idea how many times the phone will ring before it is answered, how politely the customer will be greeted, how willingly that customer will be helped and then thanked. pg 171
p.s. Semper Fidelis (Always Faihtful), the motto of USMC, is an indication of how much value is placed upon the virtue of loyalty.
Rename to: Business Management the Marine Corps Way.......2005-12-14
Overall the book had many good concepts, but were more in line with management philosophys rather than leadership. I was expecting a book to align an individual to lead an organization, but what I got was a great book on how to align an organization.
Totally new approach to corporate leadership.......2005-08-05
Semper fidelis-Latin for "always faithful"-is both the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps and the inspiration for this totally new approach to corporate leadership.
Written by two former marines who are now successful businessmen, Semper Fi goes behind the scenes to pinpoint what works for the USMC. But the book is about far more than barking orders to underlings, mandating a grueling fitness program, or charging over the top with bayonets flashing. Rather, it takes the best leadership tactics used by the Corps and translates them to a corporate environment-with results that can be surprising and highly effective.
For all the differences between the armed services and the profit-driven corporation, they share a key goal: to build and sustain a committed, motivated group of people that will band together to achieve success. Semper Fi is an evocative and ingenious guide for making that goal a reality.
Book Description
On the morning of December 7, 1941, within the first minute of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a torpedo slammed into the port bow of the USS Arizona. Major Alan Shapley, the senior marine officer aboard, was thrown from the foremast into the water; he flew at least 100 feet, but managed to swim clear to Ford Islandand to rescue two shipmates along the way. Most of his men were not so lucky. Among the more than 1,500 men assigned to the Arizona on December 7, 88 were marines. And of the marines who scrambled to their battle stations that infamous Sunday morning, including to one of the ships 5-inch gun mounts and many of the small-caliber, anti-aircraft positions, 80 lost their lives. This book is the first to tell the little-known story of the Arizonas marines. Rich in the traditions of the corps and its years of service to our country and navy, the history of this detachment on that fateful day also involves a broader history of shipboard marines. Even as it captures the harrowing moments of December 7, Battleship Arizonas Marines At War conveys the story of Americas battleship marines between the world wars, richly evoking a way of life now past. With more than 100 historic photographs, many never before published, the book is a fitting tribute to marine detachment Arizona and to all of Americas ship-borne marines.
Customer Reviews:
From one Soley to another..........2007-03-06
I have several uncles who fought in WWII, including my father. My living uncle is proud of the way this book was presented, through the eyes of the Marines. In addition, his brother, my uncle, is found several times throughout the book with accurate accounts of the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It is a very fascinating read even if you are not a war buff.
Great book.......2007-01-11
I bought this for my husband who is a USS Arizona historian, and he loved it. Picture quality is good, book put together well, etc. When I hear no complaints from hubby, its a VERY good sign. I would say that its worth the money
Average customer rating:
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Making Star Trek
Paramount picture corp , and
Gene Roddenberry
Manufacturer: Star Trek
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0671791095 |
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Windtalkers: The Making of the John Woo Film about the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II (Newmarket Pictorial Movebooks)
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1557045151 |
Book Description
With more than 100 dramatic movie and historical photos, the official tie-in to the film starring Nicolas Cage, based on real events about the Navajo Marine code talkers, who developed the only American code the Japanese never cracked—from MGM in June 2002. In the first movie made on the subject, director John Woo (Mission: Impossible 2, Face/Off) reveals the invaluable actions of the Navajo code talkers during the war in the Pacific, heroes whose bravery earned them the Congressional Medal of Honor. The code talkers transmitted radio messages using a secret, efficient, unbreakable code based on their native language. The film's gripping climax takes place during the Battle of Saipan, when the Marines, fighting off the Japanese, must risk their lives to safeguard the code. This full-color companion book tells the fascinating story behind the movie—from facts about the code's creation to historical background of the Navajo nation; from a glimpse into the rigorous code talker training program to production details about transforming a Hawaiian landscape into a Saipan battlefront. The pages are filled with captivating color images from the film and historic photographs from the U.S. Marines and the National Archives, as well personal reflections by Woo and Senator Jeff Bingaman, screenwriters, producers, and actors—plus samples and translations of the Navajo code. Approx. 100 color photos.
Book Description
Fifty-four grueling hours that complete the process of turning recruits into Marines.
Customer Reviews:
Recomended reading for all Marine Corp Parents.......2006-08-26
As a former Marine myself and now father of a Marine, I was interested in seeing what the crucible was all about. When I went through boot camp in 1982 there was no crucible. I purchased this book and read it as my son was going through the crucible. I found it to be a very informative book and a great insight as to what the crucible is all about. It chronicles the transformation of our young men and women into United States Marines.
Outstanding.......2006-07-05
James Woulfe nails this look at the culmination of Marine boot camp -The Crucible. The book follows a group through the training program. The book is an easy read but very insightful.
AMAZING!.......2006-05-25
I just finished reading this book today, I am about to head on down to boot camp myself this summer and wanted to just get a little taste of what its going to be like in the crucible, this is a non-stop action packed book, it was so hard to put down, and usually I can't keep intrest in books. This told you the story of young men making their way to becoming a United States Marine. I recommend this for anyone who is joing or has joined or just anyone wanting to read an amazing book, it will give you a whole respect for what the USMC is all about.
Semper Fi
Into the Crucible.......2006-03-21
If you have an interest in Marine training, especially this very challenging drill that young men in boot camp must master to graduate, then this is a very informative read for you. I have a son who is a Marine and I wanted to understand the 13 week process that they go through in their training. By studying the training schedule and reading this book, I had more of an understanding of what he had gotten himself into. This is an incredibly grueling 52 hour "march" and training regimen--this Crucible. The author takes us through the very beginning of the march, what the recruits are thinking, feeling, their fatique, all the way to the long march back to bootcamp. We actually finally see a human side to the drill sargents, because they are participating in this as well. I really liked the way that the author took the reader from station to station and explained how each challenge was named for a particular Marine who had given his life and the valor behind the story. That is something you will not forget after reading this book. Another point is that there is so little contemporary material available concerning Marine training for readers such as myself, and this is so fresh and fairly easy to understand.
The Change is Forever.......2005-11-14
My youngest Son is currently in the Marines, and this book helped me understand what some of the things, he went thru at Camp Pendleton during the Crucible, must of felt like, that transformed him forever.
The Crucible is now done in the middle of Boot Camp, and the recruits become Marines the day before graduation, at a special pinning ceremony, after a motivational run.
I really felt like I was going through the exercise. A really great part of each obstacle, is the history behind the name it is given, and while reading many of the stories of heroism, associated with each obstacle, I swelled up with pride that my Dad (USMC Cpl Korea 52-54) had and my Son currently has the courage & commitment to our country.
Customer Reviews:
The few, the proud..........2005-11-08
Thomas Ricks' Making the Corps is one of the best books on today's Marine Corps available. The book looks at the Corps from the perspective of following a cohort of recruits through book camp on Parris Island. As the subtitle, one of the longest I have ever seen on a non-academic book (and longer, indeed, than most of those), boot camp is difficult, but is also reflective of America in general. 'Sixty-three men came to Parris Island to become Marines. Not all of them made it. This is the story of boot camp Platoon 3086, the Marine Corps, and America.' There is a lot in that statement, `not all of them made it'. Boot camp in most military services has an element of winnowing and removing those unable to work and cope in the military environment. Often this is a matter of mental strength and maturity more than it is a physical inability.
Ricks followed the crew of Platoon 3086 very closely. He did not change the names. He did not whitewash the situations. He followed them personally, but also incorporated pieces of information from official logs and follow-up evaluations. For all the mystery that seems to surround the Corps, it is a remarkably open organisation, and in many ways is like a Hollywood personality in search of a camera and the spotlight. Marines don't mind being in the spotlight. On the other hand, Marines strive to work as a team, so the stars of this book are, in reality, not the individuals, but the platoon, the Drill Instructors, and the Marine Corps itself. The story of Platoon 3086 could be repeated over and over. More than one million men and women have gone through Parris Island to become Marines. MCRD San Diego likewise turns out thousands per year.
One of the other elements that makes this book impressive for giving insight to the Corps is that, from the lowliest recruit to the Commandant, Marines are in many ways a band of brothers who prize their common bond. The Marine Corps has a lower percentage of officers to enlisted personnel than any other branch - to a very real extent, the enlisted crew run the Corps.
From the beginning of boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, Ricks follows the men as they are driven through swamps and dark dusty roads through the South Carolina coast lands to a place that looks far more like a prison camp than training centre. This is intentional - the Marine Corps starts from the very beginning of the recruit's experience changing the entire outlook on life. The recruit starts becoming a Marine even before he reaches the camp. Rather than bringing the new recruits into the service with an orientation session, Ricks uses the title Disorientation for this introduction, and he is largely correct. In the first few days the world of recruits will be turned upside down, and they will become totally dependent upon their Drill Instructors, their inner strength and drive, and each other.
The hierarchy is simple. As Ricks says, at Parris Island (and the same is true at MCRD San Diego), the officers think about the training in the weeks ahead, the Drill Instructors think about the days ahead, and the recruits think about the immediate task or event.
Training takes place for weeks, and includes physical training (PT), drill and marching, military courtesy and customs, and all the various little disciplines and punishments the Drill Instructors can devise. Few things are done individually - the larger purpose of boot camp for the Marine Corps is to instill a sense of brotherhood and an indoctrination into the culture of the Marines. Ricks compares Marine Corps recruit training with Army training, and shows the contrast with two different Army installations, Fort Jackson and Fort Benning. Fort Jackson is much more like a college campus; even the soldiers at Fort Benning, where the Army does infantry training, look on Jackson as being rather soft. Benning is more like the Corps in that it is segregated (all male), marching and attention is the standard, and physical standards are tough. Ricks notes, however, that more actual training of skills takes place at Benning than at Parris Island.
'They don't train infantrymen at Parris Island,' Col. Johnny Brooks of Benning's infantry brigade states. `What they do is turn a civilian into a Marine.' Marines go on to the School of Infantry (SOI) after MCRD to become infantrymen. Every Marine learns to shot to rather high skill level; the Marine Corps states that `every Marine is a rifleman', and recruits don't make it through boot camp without acquiring that skill.
While this is far from an academic or research text, if one were to go through and collect all the books referenced in the text, and view all of the films (there is much more than films already cited here), one would get a very thorough indoctrination into the spirit and policy of the Marine Corps.
Ricks follows several of the Marines (in today's Marine Corps, the men in boot camp are not called Marines until the Crucible; in the Ricks experience, it was not until graduation - which shows the continuing evolution of the Corps) back into `the world', and follows up as they get new assignments, and, for some, discover that the ideals of Corps values are not lived up to outside of boot camp. Some also realise they no longer have that much in common with former friends and acquaintances.
Overall, this is an excellent insight into the culture of the Marines. Specifics of training may change, and the names of the participants certainly change, but the overall culture and ethos remains the same.
Books:
- Operation "Citadel", A Text and Photo Album, Volume 1: The South
- Panzer Leader
- Perceiving the Arts: An Introduction to the Humanities (8th Edition)
- Phantom: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 2 (Sword of Truth, Book 10)
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition
- Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum: How to Build Bridges in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
- Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
- Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
- Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
- Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- The Tremor of Forgery
- Mies Van Der Rohe At Work
- Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening: Fruits and Berries
- Psychoanalytic Object Relations Therapy
- The Next Great Globalization: How Disadvantaged Nations Can Harness Their Financial Systems to Get R
- The Judas Goat
- Perkins AND Will Selected and Current Works
- Old-Fashioned Floral Designs CD-ROM and Book
- Bacteriocins Of Lactic Acid Bacteria: MICROBIOLOGY,GENETICS & APPLICATIONS
Generation Kill
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
Making the Corps
Blood Stripes: The Grunt's View of the War in Iraq
