View Full Version : Whats a good marine Book to read?
AFlow100
02-03-06, 07:34 AM
Yeah thats my question?
bigolbronco83
02-03-06, 07:52 AM
The Journal of Patrick Flaherty. It's a very good marine book about vietnam.
outlaw3179
02-03-06, 10:00 AM
A great book to read is "My dying breath". Its about a young boot who goes to Vietnam. From a young Marines perspective inside a fireteam and a squad. Probably one of the best I have read. Some other really good ones are
Battle Cry
Guns Up!
Sniper ( one shot one kill)
and Fields of Fire. Its not a Marine book at all but just a bad ass book about true warriors.
hope this helps out.
USMC-FO
02-03-06, 12:26 PM
Flags of our Fathers
Chesty
The Old Breed
Making the Corps
The March Up
Jarhead
Fortuate Son
Fields of Fire
Any of James Brady's Marine books
jryanjack
02-03-06, 12:50 PM
Sand in the Wind is also a good book to read - in addition to the others named above.
Rdy2gopoolie
02-03-06, 12:55 PM
i enjoyed silent warriors. about marine recon :D
miguelito
02-03-06, 01:56 PM
13 Cent Killers
Dear Mom
Marine!
Boot
yellowwing
02-03-06, 02:14 PM
Book Description
“It’s not easy to stay alive with a $1,000 bounty on your head.”
In 1967, a bullet cost thirteen cents, and no one gave Uncle Sam a bigger bang for his buck than the 5th Marine Regiment Sniper Platoon. So feared were these lethal marksmen that the Viet Cong offered huge rewards for killing them. Now noted Vietnam author John J. Culbertson, a former 5th Marine sniper himself, presents the riveting true stories of young Americans who fought with bolt rifles and bounties on their heads during the fiercest combat of the war, from 1967 through the desperate Tet battle for Hue in early ’68.
In spotter/shooter pairs, sniper teams accompanied battle-hardened Marine rifle companies like the 2/5 on patrols and combat missions. Whether fighting their way out of a Viet Cong “kill zone” or battling superior numbers of NVA crack troops, the sniper teams were at the cutting edge in the art of jungle warfare, showing the patience, stealth, combat marksmanship, and raw courage that made the unit the most decorated regimental sniper platoon in the Vietnam War. Harrowing and unforgettable, these accounts pay tribute to the heroes who made the greatest sacrifice of all–and leave no doubt that among 5th Marine snipers uncommon valor was truly a common virtue.
outlaw3179
02-03-06, 02:35 PM
As I was!...... the book I was thinking about is Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield.
Making of the Corps, and Boot are good ones if you're headed to boot camp. There was another one I read that was really good, but I can't seem to remember the title of it...
LittleDevilDog
02-03-06, 06:58 PM
Currently reading one (when i have the time to) called The Proud Bastards, which is a first-hand account from Bootcamp to Vietnam. Definitely love it, doesn't hold nothing back and tells it from the grunt perspective.
I suggest you check it out.
Smalcom
02-03-06, 07:20 PM
Generation Kill.... is a bout 1st recon in Iraq
No true glory.... is about operation Phantom Fury (Fallujah)
best books in my opinion
Heroes: U.S. Marine Corps Medal of Honor Winners
I just bought it off Amazon.com last week on closeout for only $5.99! It's an awesome book and tells the story of every single Marine who has been awarded the Medal of Honor, doesn't get any better than that.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425181596/103-9154041-3359043?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155
Teufelhund514
02-03-06, 11:42 PM
A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo
Shane Comes Home by Rinker Buck....just two more worthwhile reads
HopefulGrunt2Be
02-04-06, 12:25 AM
Making the Corps, Boot, The Proud, Into the Crucible and Generation Kill are all very good books
KJonesP8ntball
02-04-06, 05:55 PM
Jarhead, I thought it was an excellent book. Everyone I talked to said that I should not read that book and that it was Marine Corps Blasphamy. However it was actually requested to me by both my recruiter and my older brother who is a Marine to see if I still wanted to become a Marine. But I found it fairly motivating, that depicts Military life (from what I have heard it is like) in a true way. It tells of the brotherhood that Marines share. (My next statement might start a flame on this thread but this is with good intentions and I apologize) The negatives to being in the Marine Corps.
-However in throughout the book I found Anthony Swafford (Main character and author) to be a person from a troubled past that often broke the rules.
baileybsusmc
02-04-06, 06:32 PM
https://www.mca-marines.org/OnlineStore/Books.aspx?subcat=BKRL
SmokeyBandit
02-04-06, 08:42 PM
I'm currently reading "One Bullet Away" The making of a MARINE Officer by Nathanial Fick and I'm also reading "6 Days of War: 1967 and the making of the Modern Middle East," but it sucks. Boring and long. But I started it and I have to finish it, it's against my code of ethics...or something like that.lol
Smalcom
02-04-06, 10:06 PM
Nathaniel Fick... is in Generation Kill hes the Lieutenant of the platoon it focuses on
Mc75sOS
02-05-06, 08:13 PM
Sniper Books
Marine Sniper
Silent Warrior (sequel to Marine Sniper)
Shooter
One Shot - One Kill
Boot Books
Keeping Faith
Boot
Making the Corps
Into the Crucible; Making Marines for the 21st Century
Marine books in general
Marine Rifleman
Flags of our Fathers
Marine -MEU(SOC)- (by Tom Clancy)
Generation Kill
Information
USMC Guidebook of Essential Subjects
Guidebook for Marines (18th ed)
Recruit Knowledge Handbook
christine_06
02-05-06, 09:05 PM
i suggest Flags of our Fathers
jack75180
02-05-06, 09:47 PM
Generation Kill.... is a bout 1st recon in Iraq
No true glory.... is about operation Phantom Fury (Fallujah)
best books in my opinion
Thats my book!!! Capt. America should have been shot i swear i know thats wrong to say but comeon who shoots an AK while screaming were under enemy fire honestly :lick:
Smalcom
02-05-06, 09:51 PM
LMAO.... he should be lol..... EVERYONE TRUST ME READ IT... .IT KICKS A**, prolly the most profane book ive ever read lol.... just do it... itll teach you about what Marines are relaly doin over there
jack75180
02-05-06, 09:54 PM
LMAO.... he should be lol..... EVERYONE TRUST ME READ IT... .IT KICKS A**, prolly the most profane book ive ever read lol.... just do it... itll teach you about what Marines are relaly doin over there
Itll make u relize y the recon marines should be revered and y they can be as cocky as they want no offense to u recon guys out there
Making of the Corps, and Boot are good ones if you're headed to boot camp. There was another one I read that was really good, but I can't seem to remember the title of it...
Now I remember, it was Keeping Faith, read that one.
Master Sephiroth
02-09-06, 08:50 PM
With the Old Breed by Sledge
The Sandman
02-10-06, 11:16 PM
The Battle History of the United States Marine Corps
BigPhil
02-11-06, 12:02 AM
The Proud Bastards a good book about One Marine's Journey from Parris Island through the Hell of Vietnam.
BigPhil.
Semper Fi
VaMarine
02-12-06, 02:03 PM
Almost done with Generation Kill very good book.. worth the reading... just ordered Lt. Ficks book should be in next week... will read that one once its here..
miguelito
02-12-06, 03:53 PM
An excellent place for you Marines and Poolees to get books is off of Amazon.com Almost every book you can find used for at least half off the retail price.
LittleDevilDog
02-12-06, 06:21 PM
The Proud Bastards a good book about One Marine's Journey from Parris Island through the Hell of Vietnam.
BigPhil.
Semper Fi
Yep, got that book on my shelf. Very good read.
Rdy2gopoolie
02-14-06, 07:38 PM
Did you know Drew Carey was/is a Marine?! I read that in the book Above and Beyond.
Radiofantry
02-19-06, 02:11 PM
I am reading "Boot" right now. And while I like it for the most part, I think there's waaaay too much "Old Corps" crap going on. He spends about 1/3 of the book talking about how easy boot camp is now and how it was so much tougher in his day.
Seems like a lot of disrespect to the people who have served since then, and the ones who will serve in the future. :/
agreed. i got about 1/2 way through and called it quits.
i didn't like his "i did it much better than you ever can" bs.
Radiofantry
02-19-06, 02:44 PM
agreed. i got about 1/2 way through and called it quits.
i didn't like his "i did it much better than you ever can" bs.
Especially when if you read "Into the Crucible" it flat out says that recruits who have been through the Crucible are much better prepared for SOI and Fleet than the ones who went through before the Crucible was added.
So whatever. I'm sure there are things that are better in the current boot camp, and things that are worse, and I bet it has always been like that.
HopefulGrunt2Be
02-20-06, 05:47 PM
ive read both Boot and Into the Crucible. I liked Into the Crucible MUCH better. If you liked Into the Crucible, I would also recommend Making the Corps. I think the author does a great job of simply putting the reader through boot camp, step by step, without too many personal opinions about which generation is "better". PS Im reading Generation Kill right now, and it seems like its gonna be an awesome one.
KMichael
02-21-06, 07:55 PM
I'm reading The Short Timers right now... It's pretty good so far... Based FMJ off of it...
PFC Collins
02-21-06, 08:52 PM
Another good book is Marine Sniper. It's about Carlos Hathcock, the man who started the sniper program in the corps.
jusa145
02-22-06, 07:48 PM
a great book is "The Gift Of Valor", it is about jason dunham fighting in Iraq and the things he goes through before he throws himself onto a grenade and saves three of his men and dies from his injuries. They are thinking about giving him the meadl of honor for his actions !!!!! Amazing book!!!!
waitingtojoin
02-22-06, 09:34 PM
Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson. It's about Carlos Hathcock. Have a look at it, I liked it, maybe you will too.
Kevin
Tobes03
02-25-06, 08:00 PM
Currently reading "Flags of out fathers." I would highly reccomend this one.
Echo_Four_Bravo
02-25-06, 08:48 PM
Some great books have been mentioned. A couple of commets: MKocher, the author of boot did have it harder, at least in some regards. The "Old Corps" guys were put through things that simply are not allowed now. I'm not that old, and even I had some experiences that wouldn't be allowed at recruit training today. That said, the test is still basically the same. You have to earn the title, just with a little different past that those that came 10, 20, or even 50 years before.
Making the Corps is a favorite of mine. It was written about a platoon going through boot camp during the same time I was, just at the other depot. I know several Marines that were in that Company, so I enjoy it. (Of course, I am working off memory, there's a chance it is a different book. I will have to look to make sure.)
Books that haven't been mentioned are Force Recon Diary 1969 and Force Recon Dairy 1970. They are written by Bruce Norton who was a Corpsman with First Force in Vietnam. He actually became the first (and maybe only) Navy man to lead a Force team into combat. After leaving the Navy he went on to become a Marine Officer and retired as a Major.
Brooklyn
02-26-06, 01:15 PM
Making the Corps is a favorite of mine. It was written about a platoon going through boot camp during the same time I was, just at the other depot. I know several Marines that were in that Company, so I enjoy it. (Of course, I am working off memory, there's a chance it is a different book. I will have to look to make sure.)
I'm reading that book now. It's pretty good. I like the way the arthur takes a peek into the recruits' lives before boot camp.
Radiofantry
02-26-06, 11:26 PM
MKocher, the author of boot did have it harder, at least in some regards. The "Old Corps" guys were put through things that simply are not allowed now.
That could very well be true, but I guess it just really gets on my nerves, y'know? The idea is that everyone is a brother Marine, so why bother trying to wag your dick around? Isn't that the whole reason that people get somewhat annoyed at Force Recon for having a special insignia? I don't know, I suppose you're right, but I guess it was just really annoying to me, having just read Into the Crucible where it flat out says in a report from a General that the recruits coming out of the boot camps now are more intelligent and have more education than any time before, and with the Crucible training added in they are also far less likely to screw up in SOI and/or get in "liberty incidents", as well as performing higher on the tests in SOI.
Making the Corps is a favorite of mine. It was written about a platoon going through boot camp during the same time I was, just at the other depot. I know several Marines that were in that Company, so I enjoy it. (Of course, I am working off memory, there's a chance it is a different book. I will have to look to make sure.)
Making the Corps was awesome. I really enjoyed the way that they wrapped everyone's lives into a kind of neat package. Here's how he was before boot camp, here's how he was afterwards, and here's how he did in the Corps. Very good insight into things.
Echo_Four_Bravo
02-27-06, 07:14 PM
Mkocher, I never said recruits and/or Marines aren't smarter now. The most advnced MOS's of 25 years ago couldn't compete with some of the less technically demanding jobs of today as far as G2 goes. Today's Corps fights with its head as much as it does with rifles. And I understand your view about the "Old Corps" but remember, one day you will be the Old Corps guy and you will feel the need to get shots in at the new breed as well. Down deep, we're all Marines, but everyone likes to believe they're the best there has ever been.