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The Corps #10
Retreat, Hell!
It is the fall of 1950. The Marines have made a pivotal breakthrough at Inchon, but a roller coaster awaits them. While Douglas MacArthur chomps at the bit, intent on surging across the 38th parallel, Brigadier General Fleming Pickering works desperately to mediate the escalating battle between MacArthur and President Harry Truman. And somewhere out there, his own daredevil pilot son, Pick, is lost behind enemy lines--and may be lost forever.
524 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2003
636 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
About the author
W.E.B. Griffin
351 books1,298 followersW.E.B. Griffin was one of several pseudonyms for William E. Butterworth III.
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
December 1, 2018
RETREAT, HELL! is book 10 of 10 in The Corps series. I binged read all 10 books in less than 3 months. I stopped and read something else but quickly returned to the series. The reason that I found the entire series so addicting is that there are constant characters throughout most of the series, e.g., “Killer” McCoy, General Fleming Pickering, Lt. Col. Banning. I found myself invested in these characters and their lives.
The entire series is less about “combat,” but more about the characters, personalities, and rivalries in the military from enlisted to officers to the Commander-in-Chief. It’s also about their wives, lovers, girlfriends, etc. The one thing that I found especially interesting is the differences in “culture” between the US Army and USMC.
RETREAT, HELL! takes place in the days after the Inchon invasion to the days BEFORE the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. This book has the least combat action than the other 9 books. RETREAT, HELL! is more about small unit and special forces (CIA) action during the Korean War. It also focuses on General MacArthur and his military and political rivalries during the Korean War which was an extension of what happened during WW2.
The entire The Corps series is an excellent historical fiction that connects real events, real persons, real places with fictional dialogue, characters, and events to weave a memorable story of life in the USMC from pre-WW2 to the Korean War. The Corps series had me remembering little known facts that I had read about before, but had forgotten until I read the series.
RETREAT, HELL! does NOT have a final ending. The massive counterattack by thousands of Chinese Red Army troops during the Korean War is not covered. The firing of General MacArthur by President Truman is also not covered. I wish there was a Book 11.
The entire series is less about “combat,” but more about the characters, personalities, and rivalries in the military from enlisted to officers to the Commander-in-Chief. It’s also about their wives, lovers, girlfriends, etc. The one thing that I found especially interesting is the differences in “culture” between the US Army and USMC.
RETREAT, HELL! takes place in the days after the Inchon invasion to the days BEFORE the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. This book has the least combat action than the other 9 books. RETREAT, HELL! is more about small unit and special forces (CIA) action during the Korean War. It also focuses on General MacArthur and his military and political rivalries during the Korean War which was an extension of what happened during WW2.
The entire The Corps series is an excellent historical fiction that connects real events, real persons, real places with fictional dialogue, characters, and events to weave a memorable story of life in the USMC from pre-WW2 to the Korean War. The Corps series had me remembering little known facts that I had read about before, but had forgotten until I read the series.
RETREAT, HELL! does NOT have a final ending. The massive counterattack by thousands of Chinese Red Army troops during the Korean War is not covered. The firing of General MacArthur by President Truman is also not covered. I wish there was a Book 11.
March 14, 2022
History repeats itself, as it actually did in the Korean War. After having been caught by surprise by North Korea initiating the war, it is clear that MacArthur and his staff are about to be caught by surprise again by the Chinese entering the war. The military part of this novel is all about Pickering (Assistant Director of the CIA) and Kenneth “Killer” McCoy trying to prove what they know—that the Chinese are preparing to invade in overwhelming strength if the U.S. continues to destroy North Korea’s military forces (and thus take over North Korea). It’s frustrating to watch happen, because the reader, of course, knows that Pickering and McCoy will ultimately fail. That doesn’t stop it from being intensely exciting.
An important subplot is that of Pickering’s son (and McCoy’s best friend) who was shot down and is trying to survive behind enemy lines. Searching for Pick is a good plot, but in many ways, the story gets even better after he is rescued and we get to see what happens to pilots who are recovered in this fashion. The military knows that many have problems after the trauma they endured, and we see their efforts at mental health care.
This is another good book in the series. Unfortunately, it’s also the last. I for one would like to see another book to complete the Korean War and then watch Pickering, McCoy, and everyone else in the early stages of Vietnam.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
An important subplot is that of Pickering’s son (and McCoy’s best friend) who was shot down and is trying to survive behind enemy lines. Searching for Pick is a good plot, but in many ways, the story gets even better after he is rescued and we get to see what happens to pilots who are recovered in this fashion. The military knows that many have problems after the trauma they endured, and we see their efforts at mental health care.
This is another good book in the series. Unfortunately, it’s also the last. I for one would like to see another book to complete the Korean War and then watch Pickering, McCoy, and everyone else in the early stages of Vietnam.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
December 8, 2020
Some good action in this one though a lot of it is discussion after the fact. As usual there's far too much back story. Either the author expects many people to read a series out of order or that faithful readers are idiots. I'm not sure which bothers me more.
The point that almost had me rating this two stars was the end. Weakest ending to a series ever. There's a confrontation about to take place. A hero is wounded and in very poor condition but standing strong like the Marine he is. Then. . . we're in California, an officer is not being a gentleman, he gets a message delivered and "The End". No resolution. Nothing about the dozen or so characters we've become invested in over the course of ten books (if you read them in order and remembered what you read). We don't find out who survived. An after the fact section would have made me happy, the author did so in another series then wrote another book so there were contradictory stories but still. What did McCoy do? Where did Zimmerman go? The Korean conflict kicks into high gear with the Chinese entering the game and kicking the snot out of the UN forces. We get none of it. Sad.
The point that almost had me rating this two stars was the end. Weakest ending to a series ever. There's a confrontation about to take place. A hero is wounded and in very poor condition but standing strong like the Marine he is. Then. . . we're in California, an officer is not being a gentleman, he gets a message delivered and "The End". No resolution. Nothing about the dozen or so characters we've become invested in over the course of ten books (if you read them in order and remembered what you read). We don't find out who survived. An after the fact section would have made me happy, the author did so in another series then wrote another book so there were contradictory stories but still. What did McCoy do? Where did Zimmerman go? The Korean conflict kicks into high gear with the Chinese entering the game and kicking the snot out of the UN forces. We get none of it. Sad.
May 17, 2018
Really good series and well worth the read regarding our troops in Korea and what it was like for them. If you like military history or military fiction this series is a good read. I almost rated this last book a 3 star instead of 4 but since it delved into actual factual history of the Marine Corps I couldn't rate it that low for that reason alone. But, I wanted to and here is why.
One thing I found missing at the end of this series and was looking forward too was what happened to many of the characters like Griffin provided in his Brotherhood of War series. What happened to them after their service? No epilogue on what happened to them and I was sure Griffin would have provided that and he didn't do this for this series. I would have given this last book a five star if that had been included.
What happened to the wench McCoy hooked up with which was the minister's wife in the beginning in China? Griffin sort of left it there with no indication on what happened to alot of the characters in the beginning of the series. Did Colonel Banning's wife survive from her cancer? It was just left up in the air I guess for readers to come to their own conclusions. What happened to the woman that he had an affair with who lived in the NE of the Country when his real wife was finally located finally escaping China? Did the woman McCoy and General Pickering had an affair with did she get around to telling the general's wife after she got out of lockup from the looney bin where they stashed her to keep her quiet? Did they ever find out about her and her husband's smuggling? There was alot of story lines left open ended in this series and for this to be the end of the series was disappointing having read the entire series. Unless these characters go forward in the CIA series.
Still a great cast of characters, throughout the entire series. This series is funny where it needs to be and serious in other areas of the books. The books do show the pettiness and politics that goes on in military life.
This series also gives the reader an idea on the next phase of the OSS from WWII which became the CIA. How intelligence gathered behind the lines in Korea if had been correctly analyzed, then General Douglas MacArthur might not have been relieved of duty. I think the whole point of the last book was to make this knowledge known or to make this point. Alot of good men died due to that failure of MacArthur's intelligence staff, which is an actual historical fact that Truman did relieve him of Duty.
I have two uncles that served in Korea and they both said Korea is the forgotten war. This series at least gave me an idea on what their service might have been like.
One thing I found missing at the end of this series and was looking forward too was what happened to many of the characters like Griffin provided in his Brotherhood of War series. What happened to them after their service? No epilogue on what happened to them and I was sure Griffin would have provided that and he didn't do this for this series. I would have given this last book a five star if that had been included.
What happened to the wench McCoy hooked up with which was the minister's wife in the beginning in China? Griffin sort of left it there with no indication on what happened to alot of the characters in the beginning of the series. Did Colonel Banning's wife survive from her cancer? It was just left up in the air I guess for readers to come to their own conclusions. What happened to the woman that he had an affair with who lived in the NE of the Country when his real wife was finally located finally escaping China? Did the woman McCoy and General Pickering had an affair with did she get around to telling the general's wife after she got out of lockup from the looney bin where they stashed her to keep her quiet? Did they ever find out about her and her husband's smuggling? There was alot of story lines left open ended in this series and for this to be the end of the series was disappointing having read the entire series. Unless these characters go forward in the CIA series.
Still a great cast of characters, throughout the entire series. This series is funny where it needs to be and serious in other areas of the books. The books do show the pettiness and politics that goes on in military life.
This series also gives the reader an idea on the next phase of the OSS from WWII which became the CIA. How intelligence gathered behind the lines in Korea if had been correctly analyzed, then General Douglas MacArthur might not have been relieved of duty. I think the whole point of the last book was to make this knowledge known or to make this point. Alot of good men died due to that failure of MacArthur's intelligence staff, which is an actual historical fact that Truman did relieve him of Duty.
I have two uncles that served in Korea and they both said Korea is the forgotten war. This series at least gave me an idea on what their service might have been like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 15, 2019That was quick. I finished it like ten minutes ago. It was great, okay. When I started it I thought it was the last of the Corps novels. It turns out there are at least four more. I have to stop for awhile. I have a life. I've lost weeks to these books.
February 28, 2015
I had spent a year in Korea with the 503rd Infantry at Camp Casey before I read this book, and I knew the bullet points of that war, ROK (Republic of Korea) + Task Force Smith pushed back to the Naktong river aka Pusan Perimeter, Macarthur lands at Incheon destroying the Nork army then racing up the peninsula and then stopped and pushed back by the Chinese counter-offensive. I did not understand the details of how daring an operation the Incheon landing was, or how much it depended on secrecy to work, how badly it could have gone if the enemy had known about it.
Another thing I did not really appreciate was how similarly impressive the Chinese infiltration of something like 800,000 troops into Korea was. When your enemy owns the air and has learned everything there is to know about photographing the ground from a plane and studying the images just 6 years prior, and you decide to infiltrate through his lines, that takes some discipline.
I'm partly talking about the previous book in this series Under Fire. This one is the 2nd in the Korean War part of this series.
Another thing I did not really appreciate was how similarly impressive the Chinese infiltration of something like 800,000 troops into Korea was. When your enemy owns the air and has learned everything there is to know about photographing the ground from a plane and studying the images just 6 years prior, and you decide to infiltrate through his lines, that takes some discipline.
I'm partly talking about the previous book in this series Under Fire. This one is the 2nd in the Korean War part of this series.
Read
April 21, 2021These books are like crack cocaine for Marines - you know they are bad but can’t stop reading them! This 10 book series is really not about the Marine Corps; there are about the author’s interests in the OSS, special operations, and military intelligence. The first 8 books are about sideshow operations in the Pacific and largely ignore the significant USMC contribution to those campaigns. The last two cover minor operations in the first 4 months of the Korean War. There are numerous story continuity issues. Still, fun to read.
November 11, 2019
Major Ken "Killer" McCoy is about to be separated from the Marine Corps due to an intelligence report he submitted that disagrees with General MacArther's beliefs regarding Korea. McCoy is kept on active duty and runs an intelligence gathering operation investigating possible Chinese intervention in the Korean War. A good historical fiction read.
April 9, 2020
The final book, in the exceptional series "the Corps". This series is truly engaging, enjoyable, and historically informative. I will miss the characters both fiction and non-fiction. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the "Brotherhood of War" series, which was the authors first series.
November 28, 2023
Great book but more importantly it’s the final book in and incredible 10 book series. Finishing this book made me sad to see this story come to an end. I’ve come to be attached to Killer McCoy, General Pickering, Pik Pickering, and so many other great characters. One of my favorite series of all time.
March 27, 2022
It's the tenth (and now, sadly, final) book in W.E.B. Griffin's THE CORPS series about Marines and how they ended up working with first the OSS and later CIA. It stops with Ken "Killer" McCoy being injured badly enough that his mentor, Gen. Flem Pickering, worries about him (which gets McCoy out of an butt-chewing for going back behind North Korean lines again!), hauling a load of Chinese officers he found in North Korea to prove to Gen. Douglas MacArthur once and for all that his Intelligence Chief, Gen. Willoughby, is dead wrong about the Communist Chinese not stepping in if they feel MacArthur is threatening China's border. (MacArthur in the series claims to have no interest in invading China, just wanting to "scare" them enough that they stay out of his determination to reunite Korea — and Willoughby is, like a good courtier, finding intelligence to back "El Supremo"'s assessment.)
It's the usual gang from THE CORPS series, so I won't be running them down again - but this time it's all against the personal backdrop of "Pick" Pickering having vanished behind enemy lines when his plane was shot down in an attempt to become the first "Railroad Ace" by destroying five trains(!). None of this is authorized, and in fact his immediate superior (and friend) William Dunn orders him to stop
...which Works About as Well as Telling Your Cat to Stop Clawing Your Office Chair.
McCoy keeps venturing into North Korea to try and find Pick along with gathering more intel on Chinese involvement in North Korea, to Gen. Pickering's increasing frustration. As Pickering Sr. reminds him more than once, he's no longer a Junior Marine doing Temporary Duty in Intelligence, he's Pickering's unofficial head of Operations in Korea - and he's the husband of pregnant Ernestine Sage (a close family friend), as well. With Dunn and Pick's "fiancée" (they're engaged to be engaged), CHICAGO TRIBUNE War Correspondent Jeanette Priestly, both searching for Pick as well, there are more than enough people to be caught or killed behind enemy lines already....
The final book in this series to date (and now that William E. Butterworth III who originally wrote under the "Griffin" name had died, most likely the last as his son seems less than eager to continue the series), things sort-of wrap up . As is often the case, there are a lot of characters who you'd like to see more of who just fade away in Griffin's books because they're not a part of the main narrative, which is one of his more frustrating tendencies.
As I've said elsewhere, if you like W.E.B. Griffin you'll like this book - if not, then it's not going to change your mind any.
It's the usual gang from THE CORPS series, so I won't be running them down again - but this time it's all against the personal backdrop of "Pick" Pickering having vanished behind enemy lines when his plane was shot down in an attempt to become the first "Railroad Ace" by destroying five trains(!). None of this is authorized, and in fact his immediate superior (and friend) William Dunn orders him to stop
...which Works About as Well as Telling Your Cat to Stop Clawing Your Office Chair.
McCoy keeps venturing into North Korea to try and find Pick along with gathering more intel on Chinese involvement in North Korea, to Gen. Pickering's increasing frustration. As Pickering Sr. reminds him more than once, he's no longer a Junior Marine doing Temporary Duty in Intelligence, he's Pickering's unofficial head of Operations in Korea - and he's the husband of pregnant Ernestine Sage (a close family friend), as well. With Dunn and Pick's "fiancée" (they're engaged to be engaged), CHICAGO TRIBUNE War Correspondent Jeanette Priestly, both searching for Pick as well, there are more than enough people to be caught or killed behind enemy lines already....
The final book in this series to date (and now that William E. Butterworth III who originally wrote under the "Griffin" name had died, most likely the last as his son seems less than eager to continue the series), things sort-of wrap up . As is often the case, there are a lot of characters who you'd like to see more of who just fade away in Griffin's books because they're not a part of the main narrative, which is one of his more frustrating tendencies.
As I've said elsewhere, if you like W.E.B. Griffin you'll like this book - if not, then it's not going to change your mind any.
April 7, 2013
At first I was just going to say that I didn’t enjoy this. It was totally unbelievable the way that all the military people were being disrespectful, etc., etc. But then, I started thinking – all the books have been like that. The only problem with this book is that the story line sucked. I really didn’t “feel” with the characters. I read for entertainment and this book made me feel like I was working to get through the chapters.
Okay, I've finished the book and I'm still not "satisfied". This is the end of the series and there are so many unfinished threads.
Okay, I've finished the book and I'm still not "satisfied". This is the end of the series and there are so many unfinished threads.
December 20, 2016
I'm not a great book reviewer, but I try to say something about really outstanding books.
The entire "The Corps" series was extremely outstanding I have EVER read. I 'marathoned' this series having started "Semper Fi" on Nov 21 and finished it today - Dec 20.
The entire "The Corps" series was extremely outstanding I have EVER read. I 'marathoned' this series having started "Semper Fi" on Nov 21 and finished it today - Dec 20.
June 15, 2010
I really enjoyed this series. I wished some of the story lines were tied together a little tighter at the end.
May 20, 2023
Very frustrating ending to a series… I was looking online for an explanation why there is no book 11 and couldn’t find any answer…
January 17, 2021
Redundancy
I have read all 10 books in this series and have enjoyed each and everyone one. What I didn't like was the repeat of previous situations in the books. Also repeating characters names such as Jack NMI Stecker when you could have just stated Colonel Stecker and everyone reading would know who you were referring to. If you meant to make Pick into a real first class no account useless bastard then you succeeded. Speaking as a USAF Veteran that candy ass sorry excuse for a military man would have got his sorry ass kicked every day he lived. And I would have personally been proud to do it!
I have read all 10 books in this series and have enjoyed each and everyone one. What I didn't like was the repeat of previous situations in the books. Also repeating characters names such as Jack NMI Stecker when you could have just stated Colonel Stecker and everyone reading would know who you were referring to. If you meant to make Pick into a real first class no account useless bastard then you succeeded. Speaking as a USAF Veteran that candy ass sorry excuse for a military man would have got his sorry ass kicked every day he lived. And I would have personally been proud to do it!
December 13, 2024
finished 13th december 2024 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner the corps #10 have read at least one other this series have another open and underway kindle and have read three or four other stories from griffin. entertaining story korean war time with some of the story covering what happens at the upper echelons and other scenes covering what has become known as covert...non-typical? actions as well as some of the basics like moving men and material from one area to another. characters from the other corps story appear here and from the description they appear in the one open and underway on kindle. i'll keep reading them as i find them. good reads.
April 13, 2025
This book was okay, but by the time you get to Book X, it’s pure determination and stubbornness that keeps you interested in completing the series. I would have preferred an ending to the Second World War, rather than the transition into the Korean War and the formation of the CIA. However, the book does a good job at highlighting the moral and ethical flaws of historical characters like Charles Willoughby and Douglas MacArthur. As a great teacher of mine once said, “Good works of fiction contain great truths.” This work of fiction is a good way to better understand the sort of individuals these people were. Ultimately, turning war into a soap opera is always going to be a difficult sell.
August 13, 2017
Doh! Not the smartest to start with number 10 in a series but that is what I did. I listen to books during my nearly one hour drive to work and grabbed this one because I vaguely knew W.E.B. Griffin was a top author.
Anyhow, this was an exciting tale with lots of action. The characters were believable and the author plugs in lots of interesting details about the actual battles, weapons, vehicle and aircraft. I enjoyed it enough to go get #1 in the series.
PS It is a small matter but the Corbis Photo on the front cover was taken during WWII not the Korean War.
Anyhow, this was an exciting tale with lots of action. The characters were believable and the author plugs in lots of interesting details about the actual battles, weapons, vehicle and aircraft. I enjoyed it enough to go get #1 in the series.
PS It is a small matter but the Corbis Photo on the front cover was taken during WWII not the Korean War.
April 29, 2020
The first 8 books of The Corps series were great. Following the progress of the War in the Pacific through the stories of Griffin's characters was a lot of fun. But in the last two books Griffin seems to have developed an animosity towards the characters he created. Especially Pick, who he effectively tortures through the whole of Retreat,Hell! I'm glad it was the final book in the series. I'm not sure I really want to see what horrors he'd inflict on the marines if he wrote a few more books in the series.
January 9, 2023
I had been a loyal reader of Griffin's Corps series and was pleasantly surprised that there was a 10th volume which I had never read.
1950-Ken "Killer" McCoy submits a report stating that it is inevitable that North Korea will attack the south and China will be backing them up. MacArthur's COS has advised that there is no chance of that and McCoy's report gets buried.
This book has all of the characters that fans of this series have grown to love. With McCoy subbed out to the CIA to Korea to follow up on his conjecture.
1950-Ken "Killer" McCoy submits a report stating that it is inevitable that North Korea will attack the south and China will be backing them up. MacArthur's COS has advised that there is no chance of that and McCoy's report gets buried.
This book has all of the characters that fans of this series have grown to love. With McCoy subbed out to the CIA to Korea to follow up on his conjecture.
October 18, 2023
Great History.
As a veteran and great great grandson of American veterans ,I appreciate the remembrance of warriors past. They should never be forgotten no matter the fog of time past. How to keep the flame glowing ? THIS is how our heroes are remembered , this is how our remarkable history lives on. If this country , this culture , your ancestors mean anything to you , this tale and others like it should be ingrained in your life.
As a veteran and great great grandson of American veterans ,I appreciate the remembrance of warriors past. They should never be forgotten no matter the fog of time past. How to keep the flame glowing ? THIS is how our heroes are remembered , this is how our remarkable history lives on. If this country , this culture , your ancestors mean anything to you , this tale and others like it should be ingrained in your life.
February 8, 2025
I read this series originally across the fifteen years or so over which it was originally published. And enjoyed it enough to keep picking up the next installment.
Rereading the entire series over the last few months twenty, or in some cases thirty plus years later, was a real pleasure.
I highly recommend the entire series to anyone who enjoys well crafted military history from the 40s and 50s. Not action packed, but great dialogue, character development, and a good feel for the times.
Rereading the entire series over the last few months twenty, or in some cases thirty plus years later, was a real pleasure.
I highly recommend the entire series to anyone who enjoys well crafted military history from the 40s and 50s. Not action packed, but great dialogue, character development, and a good feel for the times.
June 4, 2018
I love listening to this series in my car. Romance, cute nicknames, and not much war at all. Harry S. Truman is always around to comment wisely and there's a lot of anti-MacArthur stuff. We -- the USA and the Marines -- are always the heroes. I especially like this one because I am in love with the narrator James Naughton. Please do not tell my husband! Great story for patriotic holidays.
January 27, 2023
Outstanding
Historically correct portrayal of the Korean conflict. It accurately implies of the over reliance by general MacArthur of his intelligence staff misleading him of the pending intrusion of the Chinese in support of the defeated North Korean army. A very interesting and enjoyable read.
Historically correct portrayal of the Korean conflict. It accurately implies of the over reliance by general MacArthur of his intelligence staff misleading him of the pending intrusion of the Chinese in support of the defeated North Korean army. A very interesting and enjoyable read.
October 2, 2024
The Corps (a really great read)
The Corps 10 book series is a really great read. The ending was a little abrupt for my taste however, as they say all good things must come to an end!!! I'll have to find another book series to read. Alright W.E.B. Griffin, let's see what else you got!!!
The Corps 10 book series is a really great read. The ending was a little abrupt for my taste however, as they say all good things must come to an end!!! I'll have to find another book series to read. Alright W.E.B. Griffin, let's see what else you got!!!
June 12, 2017
Another great WEB Griffen saga!
Great chacters weaved with true historical figures and events. Griffen is the best writer of historical fiction. A must read if you like military history and historical fiction.
Great chacters weaved with true historical figures and events. Griffen is the best writer of historical fiction. A must read if you like military history and historical fiction.
November 9, 2017
This series is a great read, but you should start from the beginning as it is really just one long story. I love all the military detail. You’ll like the books if you liked John Wayne war movies. It captures an idealized culture where men are men and women are accessories.
March 5, 2018
Typical Griffin: a page turner. This is #10 in "The Corps," copyright 2004, and as far as I can tell, the last in the series. It ends as the Chinese are coming across the line at the Chosin Reservoir. This is NOT where I want to leave these guys in the Korean war!
December 26, 2019
Excellent book bittersweet read knowing its the last in The Corps series.Would like to see a revival of this book series.Overall worth the read for the whole series.Loved all the characters especially "Killer" McCoy.
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