American Spartans: The U.S. Marines: A Combat History from Iwo Jima to Iraq

by James A. Warren

A six-decade history of the U.S. Marines offers insight into the corps' philosophy and military practices, explaining how technology, training, and a fiercely promoted sense of loyalty have enabled Marine perseverance through many conflicts.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Military History, Audiobook, War, American History

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

James Warren is a freelance writer specializing in modern American military history. He has written books on the Vietnam War and the cold war, and contributed the chapter on the Vietnam War to The Atlas of American Military History (1993). His reviews and articles have appeared in MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, as well as in Society and The Providence (RI) Journal.

He is the author of a highly acclaimed History of the U.S. Marines from Iwo Jima to Iraq, American Spartans, and Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War. He lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Steve Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book. At first I thought it a bit jingoistic. Every conceivable superlative was used-over and over again-to describe the Marines, their men, their leaders, their training and their philosophy. It seemed to be a P.R. piece for the MarInes.

But then it took a look at some dark periods in the Corps’ history. I found that refreshingly honest. It talked about the scandals that afflicted the Corps and the depressing time following Vietnam where the Corps hit its low point (a time I remember well, having served then).

I got a kick out of hearing the names of some Marines I’d met....General Louis Wilson and Colonel Tim Geraghty. Wilson helped bring the Corps out of that dark age I mentioned above. Geraghty was the Inspector/Instructor of my first reserve unit in Hawaii. I met Wilson back then, too.

The book details some of the hard fighting the Marines had seen from Iwo forward. It only became graphic once, when it inexplicably described in disgusting detail the decapitation of Colonel Chandler Johnson on Iwo. That was unnecessary, and perhaps a bit thoughtless given family members of the Colonel might read it.

I caught one historical error when it described the First Marine Division as having served at Bougainville. That was the 3rd Marine Division. I know this because I served in the 1st Marine Division and am familiar with its service history, and my Dad served with the 3rd Marine Division on Bougainville and Guam.

Not a bad book. Not a great book. Worth reading.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want a paean to the Marine Corps, where all the generals are good and wise, the Marines honest and brave, and the other services just not quite as good, this is for you. If you'd rather engage your brain and critically consider the role of the Marine Corps within the Department of Defense and the larger National Security Apparatus, I would not waste your time with this piece of hagiography.

As a long-serving Marine officer, my take on this is that the author wrote down everything the Marine Corps' public affairs officer and the Marine Corps League, the Corps' lobbying arm, told him, slapped his name on it, and quickly published it during the height of patriotic fervor after the 9/11. It is the narrative that recruits are given in boot camp, but not what American citizens would need to know in order to develop informed opinions about their military. I am surprised this book is available anywhere outside the Marine Corps Museum gift shop.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an overview of the battles that the Marine Corp has fought since Iwo Jima to the beginning of Operation Freedom; battles fought with enemies and with Congress over budgets. This book documents the ebb and flow of public support and understanding of the Marine Corp and its methods.

Why I started this book: As I work my way thru the Navy's Recommended Reading list, I'm starting with those that have audio books... and who doesn't like a good history about the Marines?

Why I finished it: Very interesting, especially the parts about the Marine Corp's fights with the Army over it's seat at the table... and continued existence.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love it. It is one of those books I wish I could like because the subject matter should be interesting to me. I took a few months to finish it because I hate not finishing books.

I think the main reason I struggled with it was because it came off as almost "cheerleading" the Marine Corps. I have immense respect for the Marines, but I like the appearance of objectivity in whatever I read. Further, the time period selected does not allow for as much detail as I am used to too regarding military history.

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping history of the formation and development of the United States Marines. Key engagement details are included with action from WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Middle East wars. I was educated and enlightened. I was honored to read this book and learn the history of our elite fighting force.

[Antipoet · Rating 1 out of 5]

So blindly unthinking and uncritical that it makes the USMC's culture look like a cult.

[Dan Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy read. Decent history points.

[Doug Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

So that's what was going on behind the battlefield and on the battlefield. The author mixes combat and between the wars stories to keep you reading. I learned a few things.

[Gerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book simply tried to cover "it all" from Iwo Jima to Iraq in 2005 and in the process missed key points of history. The very FIRST thing it misses is the photo on the cover. Amazing the author claims to have taken 4 years to compile the book, meets scores of important Marines for information and never quite "gets to the point" of what he's trying to convey. The photo on the cover is of 28 year old (and Father of 3 at the time) PFC Paul E. Ison. This photo is the second most famous within the History of the US Marine Corps as PFC Ison on 10 May 1945 ran not once, not twice, but THREE times through Death Valley during the Battle for Okinawa. The author no where, in the book, no where in the bibliography, NO WHERE WITHIN the acknowledgements of the other photos (7 of Iwo btw and with the cover not acknowledged has only 3 of Okinawa) even remotely credits the attributes of the COVER PHOTO and anyone unfamiliar with PFC Ison or the Battle for Okinawa would likely think this is just a WW II Marine running. Even the late William Manchester had the decency to credit PFC Ison in his book "Goodbye Darkness" to which PFC Ison adornes the cover.

The thing that really pertubed me about this book is the authors lack of information of the battle for Punchbowl in September 1951 when he decided to cross into this sector of fighting. He doesn't even credit the 3rd Battalion 7th Marines (3/7) as even having been in the area and yet the 3rd Platoon Commander of "Item" Company earned a CMoH during this battle.

When I began this book I was determined to finish it and it was a drudge affair. Warren should have committed himself to creating his own complete set of books as opposed to writing "one" and attempting to covering it "all".

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book focused exclusively on the U.S. Marines since the battle for Iwo Jima in early 1945 until the Iraq War of 2003. Despite its subtitle about being a "battle history", the book doesn't explicitly limit itself to battlefield developments, though there is plenty of combat here: Iwo, Okinawa, Korea, Lebanon (1958), Vietnam, Lebanon (again, in the early 1980s), Panama, Grenada, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Afghanistan, and finally Iraq. What the book adds are significant off-the-battlefield developments significant to the Corps' performance when it was time to fight, such as the innovation of vertical envelopment (helicopter-borne operations), the writing of the Small Wars Manual, and the "Chowder Society" and its fight to maintain a separate Marine Corps after World War II. The book also discusses non-combat operations like the non-combatant evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Somalia in 1991.

There's a lot here for Marines or fans of the Marines to like and I found it to be a good listen (I consumed the audiobook version of the book). One weakness, owing only to its date of publication, was the rose-colored treatment the war in Iraq got. The author only had the initial invasion and "victory" to go off of, not the ensuing years of strife and violence predicated on the errors and omissions of the invasion's architects that must be included in any full account of the war.

Recommended.

[James Loftus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well written history of the Marine Corps from the battle of Iwo Jima up to the current war in Iraq. The pieces on Korean and Vietnam are very well done and I learned a lot in both cases. The author also details the interesting administrative battles that the Marines had to fight to maintain their existence and share their role in the modern world. All in all, it was a good read, full of the courage and excitement that good military history should have, but also not afraid to tackle the less exciting details. If you are looking for a WWII history go somewhere else.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done for the most part. Meticulously researched, although with a few minor mistakes in unit names and so on, apparently mainly due to misinterpreting acronyms. I also thought it was odd that the author started at Iwo Jima rather than before World War II or at that war's beginning; it would have been interesting had he covered the defense of Wake Island, Guadalcanal, and other high points before Iwo.
Still, an excellent book, one I'd recommend to anyone interested in the history of the Marine Corps.

[Tobyh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to start? For me, American Spartans was one of those books that was painful and time consuming to read, but worth it in the end. While this book was not what I was expecting, it did provide fascinating facts about the development of the U.S. Marines. On the other hand, I was lost in the never ending names of units and sections in the Marines and their differences. If you are looking for a book that summarizes the Marines overall participation in wars (post 1900's) then I would suggest American Spartans.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book. But one that covers a pivotal part of history. This book is not an exhaustive work, but rather a quick visit to all the activities of the Corps in the Cold War and post Cold War eras. A good quick primer that will familiarize the reader with all the issue of the era, as well as the support structure that serves the Marines.

[Steven marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

good history of marine operations from Iwo in 45 up to the initial ops in the Iraq conflict.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very informative book. It showcased the good with the not so good things about the Marine Corps.

[Duane Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too broad, good overview I suppose

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A no hold punches look at the U.S. Marine Corps. All of the political fodder they had to wade through.

[Chris Seltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm probably being a motard but I love this book.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

James A. Warren writes a history of the Corps' legendary fighting reputation, but details the high and the low spots. He explains that the little service that can succeeds primarily on an ethos of engaging in self-reflection and criticism to never let success engrain inflexibility in its core strength- an expedentiary force that gets there first and takes the field.