Before the First World War, the U.S. Marines had no general officer corps. From 1899 to 1914, three Marines served in the office of Commandant as generals, but they were not permanently promoted above colonel. The Naval Personnel Act of 1916 established the Marine grade of brigadier general, and 39 officers were promoted to that grade between 1916 and 1936. Among them, five received the Navy Medal of Honor, nine received the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, one received the Army Distinguished Service Cross, and 14 were awarded the Navy Cross. Five were suspended from promotion after being found unqualified, seven were suspended from duty as non-judicial punishment, three were found guilty by general courts-martial, and two subsequently received Presidential pardons.Six became Commandant. Most Marine Corps histories focus on events or organizations. This book takes a different approach, focusing on the 42 Marine general officers who shaped those events and commanded those organizations during the Marines’ formative period from 1899 to 1936, before the Marine Corps began its mobilization to fight a naval war with Japan during the Second World War. The story of these 42 general officers is very much also the story of the Marine Corps, for these general officers provided the Corps its vision; shaped its forces, capabilities, character, and culture; and commanded its Marines in combat in the War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection, Chinese Boxer Rebellion, First World War, three small wars (Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Nicaragua), and numerous lesser expeditions in “every clime and place” around the world. The first edition of this book received the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s 2016 Alexander Award for a distinguished work of Marine Corps biographical or autobiographical literature.