5 comments about Code of Conduct.

1. Rich has written a powerful story of what gay and lesbian military personnel went through in the days jsut before "Don't Ask/Don't Tell". The way the lives of these people were affected by fear and ignorance will affect the reader as well. Tears are shead while reading this as well as a lot of laughter. If you've read "Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star" you will know Rich's writing style. In "Code" he brings a lot of his personal experiences in to write a very intriguing work. There were times when I could not put it down and blew through the last 75 pages in 1 sitting. This is a book that I will read many times.



2. Code of Conduct is an interesting read, particularly in the political perspective of the 1990s. It may be less relevant for younger readers, however, it was a good read. I did find the characters hard to follow some times, and because there were so many of them, there wasn't as much depth to them as I would have liked. More violence and death than I expected too.



3. Code of Conduct is by far one of the best books I have read in a long time, I was not able to put the book down. Mr. Merritt, created a story that I feel really brings the reader into it. I felt like I was going through everything the characters were experiencing. This is definitely one to add to your library.



4. Having read Mr. Merritt's first book, "Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star" I was really looking forward to this title, his first piece of fiction. It is an important novel in that it reports on President Clinton's first days in office and his attempts at allowing GLBT members of the military to serve without having to hide who they are, and who better to write on this topic, then Rich Merritt who lived these experiences first hand. I enjoyed the book, however, there were just too many characters being introduced throughout and it made it difficult for me to remember who was who. The book is also 456 pages long and I think the story could have been told in fewer pages. The characters Patrick and Don were my favorite and their relationship set the tone for the story. Not one of the best books of this genre but one that I am sure you will enjoy nonetheless, especially if you have a military background.



5. Not having read Rich Merritt's first book I bought this one a few days ago not knowing what to expect. I've since read it twice (must...get...sleep) and have been completely engrossed each time. OK, so you might find a flow chart handy to keep track of all the characters, but the character development of the principals is excellent. It's all here in this book: romance, love, sex, mystery, humor, and tragedy--not to mention considerable insight into what it's like to be gay in the military for those of us who've never had to go that route. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking for absorbing escapist fare in a gay novel. Rich Merritt has proven himself to be a very good storyteller.

5 comments about Fields of Fire.

1. I am not widely read in war novels, but this one carries the flavor and angst of Vietnam as well as its dilemmas. Webb scallops the line between hero and murderer to the point of invisibility. His characters live their mostly brief lives on the edge of rage and desperation, cockiness and cool.
   
   Fields of Fire provides glimpses of what it takes to be a fighting man. The Marine Corps can standardize them in boot camp, but the really superb ones have it in their bones- a natural alacrity that keeps them forever watchful and reactive.
   
   Finally, if anyone wonders why combat soldiers re-up, the author demonstrates the reasons. It must be a huge rush to perform this perilous, bloody work, do it well and cheat the grim reaper. No other job is as real, no bonds of fealty are stronger. Thank you Mr. Webb, for all your services.



2. James Webb, now a US Senator, formerly Secretary of the Navy, and once upon a time, a Marine Lieutenant, has captured the essence of brotherhood, duty, hardship, and sacrifice that all former Marines can relate to so strongly. This book brought back so many of the long-buried ghosts of my own service 30 years ago, and then resurrected my pride in serving. Anyone with an interest in the Vietnam conflict from an infantryman's standpoint will find this book indispensable.



3. I am a pretty slow reader. As I read late at night before going to bed, I often only read a few pages before nodding off. It can take me a couple of weeks to finish a novel. However, I finished Fields of Fire over one weekend. I could not put it down. I found it compelling, interesting, and all-too-real. I felt like I knew the guys in the platoon. I felt their emotions, I laughed at their jokes, I wept at their losses. Better than any of the many Vietnam movies I have seen, this book painted a picture of what the life of a Marine was like during that terrible war. I hope that all Americans -- regardless of their feelings about Vietnam, Iraq, or war in general -- should read this book to gain insights that they could only otherwise get by actually being in combat.



4. This is an excellent book. Its very well written with a good story and interesting characters. I'm not a war afficienado but this was a really good read!



5. I don't really know how to put the feel of this book into words. Its raw. Its real. There is no BS. On the back there is a review that says "This book is an anti-war book but..." but I did not get that feeling. Its just a book about war, with no bias in either direction. The book isnt based on actual people per se, but I'm sure everything in this book happened to thousands of young men in Nam. The ending of this book will make you hold back tears, I guarantee it.
   
   This book is one of the best, if not the best book about Vietnam I have read.

5 comments about First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps (Bluejacket Books).

1. In August of 1965, I was a slick-sleeved Marine Corps private stopping off in Okinawa on my way to Vietnam. During my short stay in Okinawa, my unit had the privilege to stand in formation for the then 3rd Marine Amphibious Force commander, LtGen "Brute" Krulak. Before his hasty troop inspection commenced, our company first sergeant warned all of us not to look down on the general as he passed in front of each of us. Brute was a giant of a man in legend and lore, but only about five foot six in stature. As a private who wished to gain a stripe or two sometime in the future, I kept my eyes straight ahead as the general not only stopped in front of me, but took my M-14 during my "inspection arms" movement. I remember holding my breath, deathly afraid that somehow I had ruined any chance for earning even one stripe in my Marine Corps career. Fortunately, he handed back the M-14 and moved on. I dutifully stared straight ahead and never saw anything but the top of his utility cover, with three stars tacked to it. To this day, I have no idea what he looks like.
   
   Corps legend also has it that the Marine Corps fire base in Chu Lai was named after General Krulak. Sometime during his career, he had studied Chinese and because his name was so hard for his instructor to pronounce, "Krulak" became "Chu Lai" as his personal class name and that name was applied to our first fire base in Vietnam. Don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I heard long long ago.
   
   In any event, General Krulak does an amazingly fine job of presenting Marine Corps issues from its inception up through the Vietnam War. His "insider" take on many crises faced by Marines, particularly its hardest battle to survive,not on Iwo Jima, but rather in the halls of Congress, makes this a very unique book for Marines and non-Marines alike.
   
   My only complaints about the book are minor, but bear noting. First, on page 211 of the paperback issue, a picture is displayed showing a Marine under fire, moving out with a 3.5 inch rocket launcher round. The caption mistakenly ascribes the picture to the battle of Khe Sanh. Not so. This photo was taken in Operation Prairie in the summer of 1966. I know because I was in the battle, although not in that particular picture. Secondly,and this error I ascribe to the publishers, I'm disappointed that a book of this excellent caliber does not display the Marine Corps eagle globe and anchor anywhere on its cover. Come on, guys, get with the program!
   
   Semper Fi.



2. Excellent book that narrates about what is rarely narrated about: How the Marine Corps had to fight government bureaucracy to survive. A very different perspective on the USMC's history. A true underdog/dark horse -type story. Very little about the wars fought, but about the intra-government conspiracies and maneuverings to neuter, eradicate, and destroy the USMC. It shows how the USMC had to do more with less and still excel. This one has a happy ending and a fortunate one for us all in the USA.



3. I love this book. When it first came out, I passed it by in the book stores, thinking it was just another compilation of sea stories, but man as I ever wrong.
   
   I had the pleasure of serving under Capt. Charles Krulak, who eventually became Commandant, for a brief period of time and I used to work with a man who was "Brute" Krulak's personal chef, so the name was not entirely new to me.
   
   After having served four years in the Corps, including an abbreviated tour in Vietnam, I knew how the Corps was, but I had no idea how it really came to be the institution that it is, except of course, for the tales of glory I heard in Boot Camp.
   
   Anyone who has ever served in the Corps should read this book. Anyone who is thinking of joining the Corps should read this book. In fact, anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who has any connection at all with anyone who is in any way connected to the Marine Corps should read this book.



4. This is an excellent book written by Gen Krulak. It gives an inside/personal look at Marine Corps history that many historians don't have access to. The main focus throughout the book is how the Marine Corps has dodged the "chopping block" many times prior and the authors point of view of why the USMC is so important to national security.



5. Simple, this was stellar. Perfect condition, AMAZING read!! Gets to the "nitty-gritty" of the Corps.

5 comments about Flags of Our Fathers.

1. I thought that this book was amazing. Even though it was a little slow at the beginning and the end, it still held my attention with all of the stories about the 6 flag raisers of Iwo Jima. This book takes place in the Pacific, where the U.S is fighting the Japanese in the climax of the Pacific World War II. The book starts out in the birthplaces of all of the flag raisers, John Bradley of Appleton, Wisconsin, Franklin Sousley of Hilltop, Kentucky, Harlon Block of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Ira Hayes of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, Rene Gagnon of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Mike Strank of Franklin Borough, Pennsylvania. John Bradley was born in 1923 in a town called Antigo, where he would be born, be raised, where he would return with his own wife and children, and where he would die. He became a Navy Corpsman, in the hope to escape land battle, but he ended up being a corpsman in the Marines. He always was trying to do the best he could for others and to serve the community. Franklin Sousley was born in 1925, and became the only son when his 5-year-old brother died of appendicitis. Franklin grew up shielded by his mother, who was always looking after him and holding him close by her. He became a Marine in 1944, and spoke of his "duty as a man" to fight in a war, and it was said he wasn't afraid of anything. Harlon Block was a Seventh Day Adventist, who grew up to be taught, "Thou Shalt Not Kill". He was born in 1924, and played on his high school football team, leading them to an undefeated season. He was a tough person, and never really seemed to get hurt. Ira Hayes was extremely quiet. He never seemed to be very social. He was born in 1923, and born a Pima Indian. In their culture, it was encouraged to be quiet, and to not seek recognition, which is exactly what he did all of his life. He became a Marine nine months after Pearl Harbor. Rene Gagnon was born in 1925. He also was a quiet person, always in the background, like in The Photograph. He was shy and unaggressive. He enlisted in the Marines in 1943, much to the disappointment of his mother. Mike Strank was called "A Marine's Marine", because of the fact that he was always helping somebody else. He was born in 1919, in Czechoslovakia, he moved to the U.S 1920. His ambition was to become President. He joined the Marines of his own free will in 1939. He was the only one of the six flag raisers to enlist by his own will and not be drafted. At the beginning of this book, James Bradley, whose father was John Bradley, describes all of the characters personalities. He then goes on to describe the battle of Iwo Jima, from the black sands of the beach to the chilly winds on top of Mount Suribachi. He describes the never before seen horror that the boys faced while fighting an almost invisible Japanese enemy. Afterwards, he describes the stories that followed the flag raising, and what happened after Iwo Jima. The six flag raisers have two main conflicts, and they are both internal and external. Inside them, they have to watch all of their good buddies get killed and slaughtered as the days wear on, have to watch the horrors of the glorified war, finally realizing that it is not that fun. They have to cope with the emotional stress of being constantly shot at, and the gore of the dead. They also have to deal with the external conflict on how to survive, and how to complete their objectives. An exerpt that explains what James Bradley had to go through on Iwo Jima and one of his conflicts was "But the corpsman saw only the results. His entire mission on Iwo was to hop from blown face to severed arm, doing what he could under heavy fire to minimize the damage, stanch the flow, ease the agony.
   The corpsmen remembered. And their memories ruled the night." This shows a little bit of the stress that the Marines had to go through on Iwo. It scarred them for the rest of their lives. I think that no person under 13 years of age should read this book because it is very graphic and it is sometimes hard to understand. I could not compare this to another book because this is sort of a documentary novel, and I have never read anything like it because it is so good.



2. When I first picked up Flags of Our Fathers, by James Bradley, I was introduced to information about a time in American history which I had never encountered before. I knew nothing of Japan, of Iwo Jima, of The Photograph, or of the Flagraisers. The mystery-reader in me was sucked into the first 3 pages and I simply didn't want to put it down. Who were these men, later I discovered were mere boys, and what brought them to the top of this mountain to plant this American flag? But most of all, who was this man - this silent father - whose letter home made his son's imagination come to life over one simple photograph several decades later?
   Being an avid fiction reader for most of my life I found this book, a non-fiction, a bit more difficult to read than I would have ever imagined. Not only were the stories frightening and the scenes horribly disturbing, but the fact that I kept having to remind myself that this happened FOR REAL kept bringing me pause, and cause, to re-read many paragraphs. A book of 300 to 400 pages would typically take me a weekend to read - possibly 3 to 4 days at most. This book took me two months to read. Two Months! My desire to relive history, coupled with the story itself, compelled me to continue to read even when the descriptions of events were unimaginable, and even when the author outraged me with his behavior or rambling on with accounts of things that had no bearing on the story at all.
   
   The story takes off with the author's visit to the island of Iwo Jima with his family, several years after the death of his father. The family has been allowed to visit the `closed Japanese Naval Base' which is `inaccessible to civilians of all nationalities except for rare government-sanctioned visits' (6). The commandment of this island refers to the island as "holy land" and "sacred ground", which does nothing to dissuade James Bradley and his brothers, Joe and Mark (ages forty and up) from peeing on the side of Mount Suribachi (13). The complete lack of respect for the event that brought their father the "happiest day of his life" was unfathomable to me (5). This is just the beginning of things written by Mr. Bradley that made me stop reading and exclaim out loud, "What a Jerk!"
   
   The story goes on to outline the boyhood lives of each of the 6 flagraisers, their enlistment into the Marines and Navy, their training, some of their previous battles all leading up to their arrival on Iwo Jima, as well as a brief history on the Japanese military and their way of thinking and training soldiers. I found these parts of the book to be the most interesting. Some of the description given was graphic and a bit hard to stomach at times, but without the guts and gore the reader could not possibly appreciate the mind-set of the enemy that our boys faced on Iwo Jima.
   
   "Pregnant women were marched to one killing field where Japanese placed bets of the sex of the fetus about to tumble from its mother's womb, cut by a samurai sword."
   
   The image this sentence leaves is so bold the reader can't help but understand that we were dealing with human beings totally devoid of a conscience. Mr. Bradley does a great job in describing the corruption of Bushido, in that by the twentieth-century the Japanese military had been taught a `cult of death, that sacrificing your life was the ultimate beautiful goal', and that `America's war in the Pacific would be a war fought without rules...' (66/67).
   
   As I continued to read on through the first quarter of the book I became very confused and bewildered by Mr. Bradley's bashing of the Navy. I recalled his earlier writing in the book, that upon review of Japanese reinforcements of `pillboxes' during the battle of Tarawa:
   ...the Japanese were building defenses impervious to our bombs. It would take individual Marine rifleman on the ground to charge and neutralize these defenses (97).
   
   So why the contradictory statements written by Mr. Bradley, some 50 pages later, that the Navy was so `eager to grab headlines and show that they too...could shell mainland Japan' and that because of this `there would be even fewer ships available to shell Iwo Jima'(144). Surely, this may have been the theory and belief of the time - prior to the later discovery of the massive tunnel structure and similar `Tarawa pillboxes' found on Iwo Jima - but why take this stance against the Navy now that it is known that the shelling would have had no affect the Japanese military running deep beneath the surface of sulfur island?
   
   Time and time again throughout this book I found it odd that Mr. Bradley would deliver a fabulous account of the battle, and then take a moment to speak derogatorily of Ira Hayes. Then he would give us a few more facts and interesting bits of history and then Mr. Bradley would erroneously brag about himself and his accomplishments in life, or the fact that he grew up in the second largest house in Appleton. Then would come a few more accounts of an interview with a Marine, a few letters from home from a flagraiser, and then a moment to drag Rene Gagnon through the mud - followed by another chance to demoralize Ira Hayes for his attempt to hide from his memories in his own way, rather than in silence. I was lost in a sea of mixed feelings about what was fact and what was the writers attempt to bolster his own family and produce a book to sell to Hollywood. What I found most missing in this book was the presence of a professional writer and evidence of an editor. In Mr. Bradley's acknowledgements he writes of the editor, "her contributions will remain invisible to the reader." He was certainly correct about that.
   
   From the son of a man so thoughtful of others, a man of compassion and respectfulness, I would have expected more from his son. I loved the stories Mr. Bradley told of his father and his success in being able to help others through so much pain and misery during their loss of a limb or a loved one. I imagine Jack Bradley as unbiased as they come. After all the years of Jack's pain for what he saw and what he experienced; After all his years of silence and not wanting to discuss Iwo Jima, I find solace in knowing that he did not have to bear witness to these events being published in such a poor manner by his own son.



3. A very compasonate literary work by an author
   who has not only researched the important technical
   military data,but has also brought forward the
   intense personal and family parameters. A very
   well written epic that those of us who have been in
   combat can identify as factual and accurate.
   
   [...]



4. I'm an amateur World War II historian, a huge fan of the USMC, and I love the country of my birth, the United States of America. So please don't think this review is meant to be anti-soldier or anti-American.
   
   What's funny about this book is that the son/author TOTALLY misses the big points that his father/warrior tried to teach. Namely: (1.) if you have to serve your country in wartime, you do it AND THEN YOU SHUT UP, and (2.) the heroes of conflict are THOSE WHO DIED FIGHTING, not the ones who acted bravely and were lucky enough to survive. And I'm not making this up out of spite: I have read the book, and that's the understanding I derived from the description of the father/warrior.
   
   Yet in "Flags of Our Fathers," the flag-raisers of Iwo Jima are somehow superior to the thousands of GI's who died fighting on that island because the former were in an iconic photograph, and the ones who died weren't. The author of the book both milks that photograph (i.e., no photograph = no book entitled "Flags of Our Fathers") for personal glory and simultaneously shames the federal government of 1945 for cashing in on that iconic image.
   
   Throughout the whole book, there is some sort of "you-can-have-it-both-ways" fog. For example (and I cite this example from another Amazon citizen reviewer), why is it BAD for the Iwo Jima flag-raiser Rene Gagnon to have tried to make money off his experience, and OKAY for James Bradley (who wasn't even born in 1945) to write a book and make money off the same event?
   
   Why is it commended in "Flags of Our Fathers" that the Marines are all about teamwork and brotherhood, but also okay for the Bradley family of suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to arrange a VIP trip for themselves to Iwo Jima in the 1990's to deposit a plaque on Mount Suribachi that mentions and honors ONLY their relative, and NONE of the other flag-raisers?
   
   This is a GREAT book about The Greatest Generation, and a great honor to a small group of brave, very young men who raised the flag over Iwo Jima on that hellacious day. No doubt! But this text is limned in insincerity, contradiction, and (what must be unintended) irony.



5. I am glad I saw the movie first. The book and its story of the real life men who raised the flags over Iwo Jima is far superior. Better yet is that the book focuses more attention on the Battle of Iwo Jima itself, whereas the film devoted a inordinate attention to the bond drive.
   
   FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is not just one story, but multiple tales about the Marines who stormed ashore on the black sands of Iwo Jima and raised the second flag over the pork-chop-shaped volcanic isle. Through the book we follow them through their very unremarkable varied beginnings through the survivor's post war battles with their fame. Author James Bradley had particular interest in the subject matter as his father, Navy Corpsman John Bradley, was one of the flag raisers.
   
   John Bradley rarely spoke to his son about his part in the flag raising. Indeed Bradley's method of coping with his horrific wartime experiences was to be a loving husband, good father, successful businessman and contributor to his community. James Bradley's search for his father's wartime experiences found his dad's story linked to that of that great battle and the Marines. Of the three surviving flag raisers John Bradley was the only one who was able to pull his life together and move on, albeit with occasional nightmares that left him sobbing.
   
   The book does a great job contrasting the lives of the surviors. Bradley's veteran years contrast sharply with that of fellow flag raiser and Pima Indian Ira Hayes. In the book we find the beginning of Hayes' downward spiral months before he even set foot on Iwo Jima. Hayes eventually sought post war refuge through alcoholism and inability to rise above anything other than living a hard life. Bradley's narrative highlights some intersting parallels in both men's lives. John Bradley harbored the true fate of his horribly tortured close friend Ralph Ignatowski, while Ira Hayes carried the truth about the misidentification of one of the flag raisers. Both men made their own pilgrimages to the families of the dead Marines to unburden their souls.
   
   A large portion of the book covers the battle itself. Twenty-two thousand Japanese defenders fought from caves, concrete blockhouses, and miles of tunnels carved through the volcanic tuff. For many Marines, supported by numerous quotes in the book, Iwo was Hell itself.
   
   There are very few good contemporary books written about Iwo Jima. Although FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS leans heavily on actions directly related to the flag raisers, it includes numerous vignettes representative of the overall battle. FLAGS is much better than Bradley's subsequentwork FLYBOYS. Where FLYBOYS straddles a potpourri of seemingly unrelated topics, FLAGS remains focused on the flagraisers.
   
   This book is available in several different editions, sizes, and print formats.

5 comments about Hogs in the Shadows: Combat Stories from Marine Snipers in Iraq.

1. This is an unusual book because it describes the feelings and sometimes lack of feelings experienced by the snipers as they do the job they were trained for in the reality of war. It is a gripping and compelling tale of the men who make up the elite unit known as snipers. Unlike many other books in this genre it doesn't push any political agenda but gives a fair and balanced view of what it is like to be a sniper,the adrenaline rush of getting one's "first kill" but also the dangers of "friendly" fire and the fatique and exhaustion experienced when on duty as a sniper. These are average americans from all walks of life who truly are heroes in the manner in which they conduct themselves doing their job and , by killing insurgents, they probably have saved thousands of other marines from dying in Iraq



2. A great read. This book really gets down to the no non-sense, nitty gritty reality of war told from the point of view of real Marine Snipers.



3. Although this book is supposed to be a non-fictional collection of short stories from the Marines involved, it reads too much like a novel. I got the feeling that the author was forced to throw in a smattering of fictional events, conversations, and so forth in order to spice it up to keep the readers interest while building up to the firefights detailed by the snipers.



4. I served in 3rd Battalion 7th Marines Scout Sniper Plt. during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2-3 and knew many of the Scout Snipers included in the stories of this book. I could not put the book down, it was very accurately written, and portrays exactly what it takes to become and operate as a Scout Sniper in combat. It makes me even more proud to be a HOG and part of the very small community. I'd definately recommend this book to my fellow snipers and anyone else interested in the community.



5. I enjoyed the book because i learn what the marines and soldiers have gone through and what they sacrafice. I have family who have gone to iraq and this book gave me a glimpse of what they have gone through. alos show how motivated and anxious the marines are to put their training to the ultimate test, by hunting.

5 comments about My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story.

1. As I haven't even received this product it is difficult to review. I ordered this book on 11/27/07 and it was due for delivery on 12/24/07. It was not delivered. My contact with Amazon since then has been an appalling experience with mistake after mistake. Mistakes were made on the original delivery. I was then told that a part shipment had been made ( 3 books in total). Mistakes were made on costs and on refunds and I also have 2/3 different delivery dates. In fact they made mistakes on just about everything and I will never use Amazon again



2. This book truly defines what a Marine stands for, Semper Fi.
   Cpl Oden, J.C. 0331
   Lima 3/7 Wpns Plt. 1985-1989



3. For any Marine, military member or someone that loves a good story, this book is worth reading. This story is about a humble Marine, doing what he does best - being a Marine. Awesome story and great photos. Highly recommend.



4. As the full title of this book would indicate, it not a comprehensive narrative of the battle for Fallujah in November of 2004, but rather a biography of Brad Kasal throughout his life and into his time in the Marine Corps. I think it does a good job of creating a familiarity with the man who has gone on to personify contemporary Marine Corps leadership.



5. This is a book about a living hero and yet he is humble. this book should be read by all, only then will you truly understand the war.

5 comments about One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer.

1. When I was a younger man, fresh out of college and searching for my life's path, I felt exactly like Capt. Fick when I myself considered entering the Marine Corp OCS. Various circumstances steered me in a different direction. Now in my mid 40's, I have often considered what might have been. Reading One Bullet Away provided me with a glimpse and gave me some perspective that a military career isn't always the ideal I've often thought it would have been. In reading this book I felt that I was right beside NF through his rigorous training, frustrations with orders that make little or no sense and gut wrenching decisions that are a large part of being a military leader.
   
   I have never been under fire myself. I feel that, if forced to, I could kill in order to defend my own life or the lives of others, but in a combat zone those decisions aren't always black and white. Sometimes innocents are hurt and the men on the front lines are forced to confront that. I know that military doctrine dictates that the mission must take precedent over all, but if approached by a family carrying their daughter that you know was wounded by your own forces, I don't think I would have been able to act any differently than Capt. Fick did.
   
   War truly is hell. Thank you Captain for your service and for writing this book. God bless all of those who serve and have served.



2. 
   The author, Captain Nathaniel Fick, does an exceptional job of describing his life as an officer of Marines. The book covers his entire career. It starts with his bus ride to Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Quantico, Virginia and ends with his resignation from the Corps. In between, he describes his deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. Although the book is non-fiction, it reads like a novel. The book's fast pace is a testament to the author's excellent writing skills. No doubt, some credit can be given to the English Department at Dartmouth, where he earned his undergraduate degree. The book is 369 pages long and is broken into three parts. Unfortunately, it does not contain an index.
   
   His description of Marine training at OCS and The Basic School are uncannily similar to this reviewer's experience. Marine Corps training has clearly stood the test of time and remains basically unchanged since the 1980s. Given the accuracy of his training narrative, this reviewer assumed his combat descriptions to be equally accurate.
   
   The author provides an excellent first hand account of his platoon's activities in both theaters of war. He also provides a balanced account of the people around him, both good and bad. For example, he talks about a company commander who is a nice guy but a poor tactician. The author could have easily ridiculed this Captain. Instead, he points out that no one is just black and white. He also talks about General James Mattis, who spent time talking to enlisted Marines in their fighting hole. The author holds General Mattis up as a true leader.
   
   Capt. Fick provides a fascinating view of civilian society at the end of the book when he resigns from the Corps. The author's friends and family appear to think that he has matured and is now correcting his earlier mistake of joining the Marines. This short chapter says a great deal about society where monetary success, not honor and devotion to country, are viewed as the ultimate achievement.
   
   The book provides an address for the author's personal web-site. If interested, the reader can peruse some of the author's various newspaper articles. His articles tend to expand on the growing divide between American society and the military. He addresses such topics as the unfeasibility of a future draft or the misconception that minorities are bearing an unfair burden in today's military.
   
   Bottom line: Capt. Fick does a great job of describing the noble characteristics of his Marines in combat. His descriptions are unbiased and very accurate. This is a fascinating study of a front line Marine unit at war. It is fast paced, easy to read, and will hold the reader in place until the end.



3. Fick gives an account of his entry into the Marine Corps as an idealistic young man yearning for a true challenge that would test his inner strength. His decision to become a Marine occurs prior to 9/11, the event that would turn what he thought would be a peace time stint in the Corps into an obligation to participate in campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bulk of his tale is centered around the process of actually becoming a Marine officer -- all of the physical endurance and discipline training that you would expect if you've ever seen pop culture movie treatments of the topic. This is arguably the more interesting part of the book in some ways.
   
   Eventually, owing to unforeseen world events, Fick pulls service in Afghanistan but is largely on the periphery of the action which resulted in the overthrow of the Taliban. He's honest about his piece of the action in Afghanistan and doesn't try to inflate it. He makes it clear that what his platoon does there is mysterious even to them inasmuch as his men don't have the big picture of what's going on in the country or how their actions fit into it; they simply do what they're told to do. After a brief, but physically demanding time in Afghanistan, he next sees service in Iraq as the sole leader of a platoon -- a part of the initial invasion force. There, he deals with assorted fire fights en route to Baghdad, followed by humanitarian and recon missions there during the first days of the occupation. It's immediately apparent to Fick that post-invasion planning is an afterthought. Fortunately for Fick, he and his platoon are quickly flown out of the middle east when it's decided to turn occupation duties over to the Army. Th platoon somehow manages to escape their adventure without losing a single man.
   
   This is not a political book, nor a deeply philosophical one, though Fick does occasionally devote a few sentences to the absurdity of war and the difficulty of following orders from immediate superiors who demonstrate questionable judgement. If he has a viewpoint on the politics of the Iraq invasion, he never really shares it. One Bullet Away is a straight ahead account of what it's like to join the Marines, be indoctrinated into their culture and serve in conflict. No more, no less.



4. This is the best written book, especially about the Corps, that I have ever read. It is accurate, realistic, no bull blunt information, yet it is written as a story. Very stellar work. I couldn't put it down, literally. Any time I had some free time, this is what I did, and still do. Being one headed to OCS next summer (hopefully), this is a great read, preparing me for what is to come. As I could see in this book, MCRD is nothing compared to OCS and TBS. He covered OCS and his duty-time more than TBS, but all in all it was the most accurate and amazing book I've ever read, as stated above. If you plan to go to OCS, want to learn about it, or a military/USMC enthusiast, I suggest you get this book. STELLAR!!!!



5. CAPT. Fick's memoir is a great read. You really feel like you know his men, and gain a great perspective on the Iraq war. It is a great example of leadership under pressure and being in the military, I recommend it to anyone that is or will be in the military. You come to realize some of the mistakes that were made early on in the war that came to be major problems that we are still dealing with today.

5 comments about With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.

1. I recently read this book for the second time. As others have noted, this is by far the best American memoir of the Pacific Theater. While Sledge's narrative style is straightforward and plain, there is a sensitivity to the work that is not found in other American war memoirs. Sledge was a good Marine, and understood that Japanese brutality had to be answered in kind: he had absolutely no compunction about killing the Japanese and often expresses an extreme hatred towards them. His descriptions of what he witnessed are often horrific--the picture he paints of "Maggot Ridge" on Okinawa is nothing short of a hellscape. And yet a central theme in the book is that in the midst of all the brutality of Peleliu and Okinawa, one had to try to maintain at least a modicum of sensitivity and human compassion. That, I believe, is what makes this such a remarkable record of the war.
   I had the privilege of talking to Dr. Sledge about a decade ago, and he was a true gentleman--courteous, kind, and very generous with his time. Indeed, my overwhelming impression was that he was a very gentle person. Perhaps that is why his memoir is so haunting.



2. I really can't say anything better than has already been said in the previous reviews. This is a horrific, and at the same time, fascinating read. Sledge tells it like it was and holds nothing back. The descriptions of the blasted battlefields full of dead is something you won't forget. His descriptions of the fighting conditions will make you thankful for dry clothes, hot coffee and fresh socks every day after reading this. Should be required reading in schools today - an important gift from someone who lived in the horror of war.



3. Having seen Ken Burns films on WWII and his mention of this book, I decided
   to read it. I was not disappointed. Ordinarily I don't like works like this
   but Sledge handled his on-the-ground experiences in the Pacific with simplicity
   but with elequence. I was very impressed with the book, moved and sometimes
   shattered by the bravery and determination of our troups. It makes for
   exciting reading, if you're inclined to know what war was like then, and
   probably what war is still like for men and women on the ground now. Read it!
   You won't be disappointed.



4. As a WWII history buff I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see combat from a combat Marines perspective. GREAT!



5. In his telling of his experience in some of the most intense battles of WWII in the Pacific, Eugene Sledge takes you into the foxhole for an incredible journey through two battles fought by US Marines. Between the equatorial heat, cement hard coral landscape, intense relentless enemy fire, dead and rotting enemy bodies baking in the sun, bad K rations for food that is made worse by the smell of gunpowder, sweat, human waste and rotting bodies, and the 75% chance you will either be killed or wounded, you somehow can't leave his side as the reader or it would somehow be dishonorable. Through Sledge's storytelling you grasp a real sense of what "team", "core" and "band of brothers" mean to a Marine. It is the absolute best recount of war that I have ever read. We as the next generation of "free" Americans owe it to the men and women who fought for our freedom to read this book.

5 comments about The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual.

1. As I understand the history of the COIN manual, it was originally published in 1940 by the Marine Corps, and dealt with the lessons to be learned from Black Jack Pershing's development of a strategy against the "Moros" insurgency in the Philippines in 1903. Ergo the double title "Army/Marine." And BTW, what Clausewitz wrote is "War is diplomacy by other means," not "policy" or "politics." He was talking about the two ways that countries deal with one another, one peaceful, the other coercive.



2. Having just completed Rupert Smith's _The Utility of Force_, this was recommended to me by my former executive officer as a companion piece. He was dead-on in his recommendation. Whereas Smith's strength was in disucssing strategy in combating insurgencies (and proposing that the warfare of the future will be of a counter-insurgency nature), Nagel addresses counterinsurgency at the tactical ( battalion. company and platoon) level.
   
   Naturally there is some overlap, particularly as it relates to dealing with and among a population. Nagel, however, literally walks one through waging warfare on the ground, from reconaissnace and intelligence to planning operations through executing and sustaining the campaign. I was particularly impressed by the chapter on leadership and ethics for counterinsurgency and by the numerous vignettes providing a historical perspective on successful counterinsurgency strategies.
   
   While the manual is written (by definition) for professionals, it is an excellent tool in gaining insight and understanding how to successfully engage the types of conflicts we are likely to see more of in the future. Read in conjunction with _The Utility of Force_, a strong foundation for the future of warfare at both the field and company grade.



3. I received the manual in a timely manner, and it was in very good condition as advertised. I would recommend to anyone that they use this supplier to buy a book.



4. I've been studying insurgent warfare for a long time before it became a hot topic... again. I still recommend Galula's Counterinsurgency Warfare and Hamilton's The Art of Insurgency which is a great book but is little referenced. There are of course books by Kitson and others. (Nagl's book which I've reviewed is a good dissertation but is limited in it scope and perception. He writes the forward to this edition.) The two volume War in the Shadows is okay background but not worth a two volume read. Which brings us to the Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which if you are serving and only have time to access one source, this is a dependable one.
   
   Although the CFM is oriented more toward the current unpleasantness the principles of counterinsurgency have been carefully gleaned from the best sources and multiple situations as well as updating insurgent response for the 21st century. Keeping food deliveries out of active insurgent areas might have worked for the British in Malaya, but you could imagine the field day CNN would have with it today. Probably the best things the writers do in this manual is freely admit that the devil is in the details and that these will have to be worked out locally and supported nationally.
   
   For those who still aren't buying into "the insurgent stuff" which unfortunately over the last 30+ years has gone under state department approved phrases like "nation building" and executive office of the President terms like "counter terrorism" you don't have to worry that the Army or Marines are going to lose their conventional edge with these approaches. The CFM makes it clear that this is only one form or warfare and that modern war can slip across the entire spectrum. What is not needed is more doctrine...what is needed is a tool box and the CFM attempts to be one of those tools.
   
   The CFM makes many good points and I'm not going to list them all here, but the most important one I felt has to do with the assumption of more risk. Insurgent warfare requires soldiers to go out and get in the streets with people to provide the basic security for everyday activities that will lead to a legitimate government. Legitimacy cannot come from the national level down no matter what form of government people actually settle for (A basic concept found in any undergraduate PolySci 101 class which no one in the State Deptment or Congress must have taken.) The average Joe doesn't care about the grand schemes. He wants to go to work, get married, raise a family and have a shot at some level of comfort without getting killed. The key to winning against insurgents is that the most committed to providing these basic parameters for the average Joe, wins. You show your true colors and level of commitment when you have to go out and get shot at. But the alternative, which never works, and we still seem to be doing is to concentrate forces on large FOB's and separate them from the population. This has got to be one of the toughest of balancing acts to provide force protection, logistics as well as force projection and maintenance that supports an ongoing relationship with the civilian population. Fighting an insurgency is not for the faint hearted, the draftee, or those who needed to be reelected every 2 years. It takes soldiers in neighborhoods who know the people and have the power to affect their lives...albeit indirectly if possible.
   
   I disagree with the CFM on two points. I disagree with using the idea of "counterinsurgency" for philosophical reasons. The term by its very nature places you at a disadvantage to the insurgents. I believe you fight an insurgent war and win it by being better insurgents, not by being better "counterinsurgents." But this is probably more a matter of semantics. My second area of disagreement is really the book itself. This "new" book on insurgent warfare is really a great gazette of all the current knowledge that has been around for years plus the all necessary Army doctrine, without which the lowliest private cannot have a bowel movement. The Army's "can't do it without doctrine" attitude is what made this book come out so far behind the power curve to begin with. All this information is and has been known and available but the Army couldn't "discover" it. The US has a long insurgent history that is little studied or learned from. Our nation was founded by an insurgency. We've fought insurgents throughout our history: Native Americans, especially in the West, the border struggles during the Civil War, Phillipines, Cuba, Nicuagua, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. As organizations that need to be highly adaptable, the Army and the Marines need to stop paying tuition for the same lessons over and over again. I realize that not all of this lack of organizational awareness is theirs. A great deal of the responsibility for lack of responsiveness lies at the feet of elected officials who do not do their part and provide the clarity of purpose upon which coherent military strategies are based. The mist in Congress becomes a dense fog for those who are tasked with the nation's defense.



5. I actually bought this book some months back but I kept putting off picking it up because I assumed this would be a dense work filled with military jargon and more acronyms than one could shake a stick at. I assumed that it would be a tedious and difficult read so I found reasons to put it off, but when I finally forced myself to begin this book I was quite shocked. The book is very easy to read and very well written. The book has just a few acronyms that I had memorized within a couple of pages after their introduction, and the book is very well laid out with impeccable organization (as should be expected I guess). I dare say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book on all levels. Of course the information and the knowledge to be gleaned from this work is extremely important.
   
   I think if this book were to become required reading for students then I think we could prevent some costly misadventures in future because this book really details what an occupation requires. Everyone would understand that military action will require a deep level of commitment for the military and on all levels of civil society as well.
   
   I also think it is the least we can do as citizens to educate ourselves on what our military men and women are doing and attempting to implement in situations where they face this type of conflict. One gets a sense of what a soldier goes through and the huge load that is put on the ordinary soldier. It is an extremely difficult task they are asked to perform in these situations, and they are asked to perform this task with honor and discretion in the face of terrible situations.
   
   There are some good reviews here that speak more to the content of the work by people obviously more versed in the topic than myself, so I will just say that this book is very well done and an easy read. If you are like me and are putting off reading or buying this book, then let me just say go ahead. It is worth the money and the effort. I highly recommend this book.

No comments about Death and Honor (Honor Bound).