Synopses & Reviews
The bestselling, compelling insiderand#8217;s account of the Marine Corps from the lives of the men of Platoon 3086and#8212;their training at Parris Island, their fierce camaraderie, and the unique code of honor that defines them.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The United States Marine Corps, with its proud tradition of excellence in combat, its hallowed rituals, and its unbending code of honor, is part of the fabric of American myth. andlt;iandgt;Making the Corpsandlt;/iandgt; visits the front lines of boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. Here, old values are stripped away and new Marine Corps values are forged. Bestselling author 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.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Included in this edition is an all-new afterword from the author that examines the war in Iraq through the lens of the Marines from Platoon 3086, giving readers an on-the-ground view of the conflict from those who know it best.
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James Webb,
Former Secretary of the Navy and author of Fields of Fire
More vividly than any outsider in recent memory, Tom Ricks has given us an acutely analyzed look at how the Marines have sustained themselves as the finest organization this country has ever produced. This is a book filled with insight and compassion, marked by respect for those who serve, and yet told from the questioning perspective of a first-rate reporter.
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"A thousand years from now, a historian looking at the U.S. military will do well to cite Ricks's book." -- andlt;iandgt;USA Todayandlt;/iandgt;
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"An important book...essential reading for anyone who cares about the role of the military in America." -- andlt;iandgt;The Washington Post Book Worldandlt;/iandgt;
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"Anyone reading this book cannot help but think that America has many lessons to learn from the Marines." -- andlt;iandgt;Chicago Tribuneandlt;/iandgt;
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Lt. Col. Ralph Peters U.S. Army (Ret.), Parameters The book is informative, thoughtful, fun -- a great, swift read. Making the Corps is a splendid, enjoyable, memorable book.
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Eliot Cohen Foreign Affairs A must-read for those concerned with civil-military relations in the United States.
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Stephen E. Ambrose author of Citizen Soldiers and Undaunted Courage This is a wonderful book. Ricks combines fine descriptive writing, thoughtful comparisons between the Corps of today and the past, and between the Corps and the U.S. Army, and insightful speculation about the future of the Corps -- all enclosed in as good a piece of storytelling as I have read in decades.
Synopsis
Semper Fi. The few, the proud. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. Once a Marine, always a Marine. The United States Marine Corps, with its fiercely proud tradition of excellence in combat, its hallowed rituals, and its unbending code of honor, is part of the fabric of American myth. No other group in America leaves so deep and permanent a mark on its members. Today, though, the Marine Corps feels increasingly besieged, at war with a new kind of enemy the vast social and political forces that it feels threaten to destroy its values.
Making the Corps visits the front lines of that war: boot camp, Parris Island, South Carolina, "where the difference begins." Here, old values are stripped away and new, Marine Corps values, forged. Acclaimed military journalist Thomas E. Ricks follows sixty-three raw recruits, the men of recruit platoon 3086, from their hometowns to Parris Island, 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.
About the Author
Thomas E. Ricks is andlt;Iandgt;The Washington Post'sandlt;/iandgt; senior Pentagon correspondent. A member of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national reporting, he has reported on U.S. military activities in Somalia, Haiti, Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He is the author of the #1 andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestseller andlt;Iandgt;Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraqandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;A Soldier's Dutyandlt;/iandgt;.