CHESTY: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC, by Jon T. Hoffman. New York, N.Y.: Random House Inc., 2001. 656 pp. $35.00. [Internet: www.atrandom.com ] Chesty Puller is considered by many to be the greatest of all Marine Corps heroes. Hoffman separates fact from fiction to produce a balanced portrait that assesses Puller's strengths and weaknesses in this well-written biography. Puller's career spanned two world wars, two smaller wars, and a police action. A Marine Corps legend before retirement, he was often at the center of controversial events, and was even called a butcher at Peleliu, where he lost more than half his regiment against a heavily fortified enemy position. Hoffman uses his access to Puller's personal papers and personnel records to objectively examine Puller's actions and place them in proper context. This serves to take away some of the inflated portions of Puller's legend while at the same time clearing up the criticism against him. Puller was known as a courageous warrior but it was his ability to lead that endeared him to his fellow Marines and is the basis for his status as a legend. In fact, his five Navy Crosses were not for individual bravery but were instead for his critical role, in each instance, in leading his unit to victory, as Hoffman states in the epilogue. Lt. Col. Hoffman, USMCR, is deputy director of the Marine Corps History and Museums Division and the author of Once a Legend: "Red Mike" Edson of the Marine Raiders. With source notes, bibliography, index, 24 maps, and 32 black-and-white photographs.

THE U.S. MARINE CORPS: An Illustrated History, by Merrill L. Bartlett and Jack Sweetman. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2001. 336 pp. $45.00. [Phone: 800-233-8764; Internet: www.navalinstitute.org ] This well-researched book opens with a look at Marines through the ages in various cultures around the world. The second chapter narrows the scope to examine the origins of the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to describing battles and campaigns, the authors trace the Corps' sometimes-stormy relationships with the Army and the Navy, its fights for survival during repeated attempts to abolish it, and the development of the amphibious assault mission that became its trademark. The book is rather text-heavy for an "illustrated history," but the text is well-written and the photos are well-selected. The authors provide a fresh and vibrant telling of a classic history. Bartlett, a retired Marine Corps colonel, has written, edited, and/or collaborated on seven volumes of naval history. Sweetman, who taught history at the U.S. Naval Academy for 20 years, has received several awards for his writing, including the Navy League's Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement. With notes, bibliography, index, and 226 illustrations and maps.

HONOR THE WARRIOR: The United States Marine Corps in Vietnam, by William L. Myers. Lafayette, La.: Redoubt Press, 2000. 294 pp. $25. [Phone: 337-898-0191; Internet: www.redoubt@bellsouth.net] Myers, four-year veteran of the Marine Corps, has written a moving and heartfelt salute to all U.S. Marines who served during the prolonged and socially divisive Vietnam War. His compilation of first-person accounts of Marines provides a no-holds-barred insight into their experiences during most of the Corps' major battles and campaigns during that prolonged conflict. This is not a book about the war's flawed strategy or complex military-political dimensions; it is, rather, about the raw emotions and experiences of young Marines fighting a determined foe. "My intention was to present a coherent and accurate account of the experiences of combat Marines through the eyes of those who experienced it," Myers says in his preface. He has succeeded brilliantly in carrying out that self-imposed mission. Of note, a lengthy (52-page) appendix lists the names of all Vietnam-era Marines and Sailors (serving with the Fleet Marine Force) who were awarded the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, or Silver Star. The long list of names gives the reader the evidence needed to appreciate why the Vietnam War was the Corps' most costliest in terms of the total number of Marines killed and wounded. With black-and-white photographs, glossary, bibliography, and index.

ALWAYS FAITHFUL: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII, by William W. Putney. New York, N.Y.: Free Press, 2001. $25.00. [Internet: www.simonsays.com ] A tribute to the dogs that died to save U.S. Marines on Pacific battlefields during World War II. Putney served as the officer in charge of the 3rd Marine Division's War Dog Platoon during the invasion of Guam in 1944. Hundreds of Marines were saved by the dogs during that island campaign. Putney pays homage to the Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, and occasional Collie or Labrador that scouted, attacked, carried messages, detected mines, and served as sentries in the Pacific during World War II. He played an instrumental role in the establishment of both the Marine Corps War WWII Dog Cemetery on Guam and the War Dog Memorial dedicated on 31 October 2001 at the Marine Corps Research Center in Quantico, Va. With 16 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Note: All phone numbers and Internet addresses are believed to be current as of 1 September 2001. If no number is given, the information was not available at the time of publication. Unless otherwise noted, the preceding book reviews were written by Contributing Editor Jennifer M. Price.
Inquiries may be sent to seapowermail@navyleague.org.