Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines

by Avery Chenoweth Sr., Brooke Nihart

With more than 1,100 images and a text written by respected author and veteran Colonel H. Avery Chenoweth , this tribute to the U.S. Marines shines with all the pride of the Marines themselves.

Salute the few, the proud, the Marines. From their founding in 1794 to their most recent actions--including the second battle of Falluja--the entire history of the U.S. Marine Corps comes vividly to life in these lushly illustrated pages. Pore through the comprehensive images of nearly every Marine hero, uniform style, sidearm, saber, weapons platform, recruiting poster, plane, helicopter, boat, and mess kit. Many of the photos were shot recently right at the Historical Center at Quantico, Virginia, and they include rare and never-before-seen artifacts from the Marines' long history. Colonel H. Avery Chenoweth provides fascinating background information and context to compliment the visual journey.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2005

Reviews

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book, it is one of those history books that is a bit lighter on text details but makes up for it with SUPERB use of imagery. The text itself does a fairly good job of guiding the reader through the history of the USMC and focuses its most details where you would expect. One of the real highlights of the text is the understanding it can portray of how the structure of the USMC in past and present works. A normally, fairly boring in my opinion, Chain-of-Command structure is easily digested and understood without boring.

Now onto the real highlight, the imagery. Whether it's old battle photographs, drawings/sketches, or museum-style equipment pictures they all stand out. The famous images are there with great background information to images you have probably seen but may not know the story behind. All of the blurbs linked to each image are really good and overall this is where the book stands above others and shows how best to do the experience between a pure reference book and regular historic text.

The main downsides are two-fold, 1 is the book was originally published in 2005 (though mine is reprinted in 2010 with a very short blurb chapter added for some updates) which can make some of the last chapters feel a bit outdated in hindsight. The other one, and should be expected, is that some of the content is very generous towards the USMC. The author is a veteran marine and does give valid criticism around Vietnam and Afghanistan and other areas but certainly leans toward the USMC when possible. In no way do I believe this detracts substantially from the reader's experience, especially if it is your first foray into this subject (which I think this book is best for) but those already familiar with large parts of the history may have hoped for a slightly more critical view in some areas.

Overall I can't recommend this book enough for those with an interest in the subject. Especially those who are looking to really dive deep into USMC/Military History for the first time.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Established in 1775, the United States Marine Corps was established even before the Declaration of Independence. It has been used to project American power and influence the actions of other nations for over two hundred years. The Corps is considered an elite force where every man and woman is considered a rifleman first and all are highly trained marksmen. Training includes leadership skills that are sought agter in business and government.

[Max Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book and is worth more than you can get it for, they have a newer version out now with a solid red back round. There is also an army version wich is just as good