The Battle History of the U.S. Marines is the only single-volume, definitive combat history of the United States Marines, covering more than two centuries of battles in the air and on land and sea--literally "from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli," from Suribachi to Somalia. It presents graphic narratives of such epic engagements as Belleau Wood, Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Saipan, Okinawa, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, and many more. You will meet the Marine sharpshooters in the "fighting tops" of our young country's legendary frigates, as they took on the British navy during the American revolution; discover the exploits of Marine pilots in the "Banana Wars," in the skies over the Pacific during World War II, and later over Korea and Vietnam; and share the tension and terror of stalking the enemy on a Marine patrol in the jungles of the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia. An award-winning military historian and a retired Marine colonel, Joseph H. Alexander served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He tells the Marine combat story in a no-holds-barred narrative, with dozens of sidebars full of fascinating vignettes and Marine lore accompanied by nearly one hundred rare combat photographs and vivid sketches and numerous maps. Marines have fought and died for the United States since the Revolutionary War. "There is a fellowship of valor that links all U.S. Marines, past, present, and future," observes Joseph Alexander, through more than two centuries of battles in the air, on land, and at sea, from their inauspicious genesis as an unimpressive gang of seagoing musketeers to their present standing as the deadliest amphibious force in the world. This common virtue of uncommon valor links proud generations of warriors who have earned the right to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor on their collars and over their hearts: from Captain Samuel Nicholas, the first senior officer of the Continental marines, to Captain Randolph Guzman, killed in the terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; from Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham, the first marine aviator, to Opha Johnson, the first "Lady Leatherneck." As Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons writes in his foreword, "Marines are not noted for their modesty." The same sentiment was also phrased in less diplomatic terms by President Harry S. Truman: "They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's," the commander in chief remarked during the Korean War. Marines are smug about their collective accomplishments, to be sure: esprit de corps, they call it. They are quick to educate the ignorant that the history of the United States would be much different if not for the United States Marine Corps. Alexander, a 28-year veteran of the corps, is no exception. The retired colonel takes obvious and unapologetic pride in the legendary mystique of "the Few and the Proud." His narrative is not a dry textbook compilation of footnoted factoids so much as a gung ho war story--drenched in blood and sweat and delivered with swagger for the transcendent glory of the corps--whose chapters read like a night of beers at the local VFW. Though incurably biased, the award-winning military historian has created a thoroughly researched and meticulously detailed account of the battles fought by those who are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. --Tim Hogan "Alexander vividly chronicles the heroic part played by the Marines during turbulent periods of U.S. history." -- -- American History Joseph H. Alexander was the Naval Institute's 1997 Author of the Year for his award-winning book, Utmost Savagery: Three Days of Tarawa. He is also the author Storm Landings: Epic Amphibious Battles of the Central Pacific. andcoauthor of Sea Soldiers inthe Cold War: Amphibious Warfare, , 1945-1991. Alexander served for twenty-eight years in the Marine Corps before retiring as a colonel and starting a writing career. He serves as the chief historian and scriptwriter of history TV documentaries for Lou Reda Productions that are aired on the History Channel of the Arts and Entertainment network. The late Don Horan was a military author and documentary producer and winner of two Emmy Awards. Norman C. Stahl lent his long expertise in editing and writing on Marine history. U. S. Marines have appropriated the term esprit de corps as theirown--their esprit , their Corps .The personal ties between a Marine and his Corps are strong. Marines believe in their Corps. They also believe that they are the best. They insist that the "M" in "Marine" be capitalized.The highest accolade they can bestow on a member of another service is "Hewould make a good Marine." Part of that esprit , perhaps the very root, is that Marines are much aware of their history and traditions. In recruit training, enlisted Marines get a good dose of both in "boot camp" at Parris Island or San Diego. So do the new lieutenants, who after pursuing one o