The Marine Corps Book

The United States Marine Corps is one of the most famous military units in the world. The Marine Corps: Three Centuries of Glory tells the story behind a unit that has seen action across the world in its long and illustrious history. The book begins with the Marine Corps' origins during the colonial period, where battalions of American Marines were raised to fight alongside their British counterparts. It was not until 1798, however, that the Marine Corps was finally officially created by an act of Congress. Since that date, it has fought in Central America, China, World War I, World War II (where it carried the brunt of the Allied effort in the Pacific), Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, Grenada, the Persian Gulf, and more recently Afghanistan. The book describes the full combat record of Marines over the years and details the Marine Corps' organization, equipment, uniforms, and insignia. Information boxes give detailed descriptions of some of the men who have made the Marine Corps what it is today, and of events where the Marine Corps have gained its glorious reputation. Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Inchon, Khe Sanh: these great battles have gone down in military history. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs and full-color artwork, The Marine Corps is a definitive history of one of the world's greatest fighting units.