What do you think?
Rate this book
From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War (Marines in World War II)
In February 1942, Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, ordered the creation of a new unit designated the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. This elite force, and its three sister battalions, went on to gain considerable fame for fighting prowess in World War II. There is more to the story of these units, however, than a simple tale of combat heroics. The inception, growth, and sudden end of the raiders reveals a great deal about the development and conduct of amphibious operations during the war, and about the challenges the Corps faced in expanding from 19,000 men to nearly a half million. The raiders also attracted more than their share of strong leaders. The resulting combination of courage, doctrine, organization, and personalities makes this one of the most interesting chapters in Marine Corps history...
- GenresNonfictionWorld War II
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2013
120 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 10, 2020
The very first Special Forces unit, Marine Raiders.
Formed in 1942 as quick strike option against Japan to cause chaos with quick small strikes to assist the larger Marine & Army units. They fought as Raiders until 1944 when the Raider tactics where absorbed into the actual Marines. The story covers from Makin Island to Guadalcanal then Gilbert Islands to eventually Bougainville. What they did at Guadalcanal is legendary. The book is more of an overview of all the battles the Raiders where a part of.
They were such a new unit they were not always used correctly, being quick strike force sometimes they were overpowered by attacking tougher installations or styles from previous battles. The tactic that made themselves good was the element of surprise & innovation they used. Once they did not have that, the Japanese could use past experiences from. They were a commando unit so they were not your typical Marine unit. Not all the battles went their way because they were lightly armed designed to strike fast & not be bogged down.
However, the innovation of the Raiders eventually made the Marines what they were in the Pacific adding to their grit & determination. They had a short period of being a separate unit from the Marines but they set the foundations for future American Special Forces units. Their stories are quite interesting & amazing.
Formed in 1942 as quick strike option against Japan to cause chaos with quick small strikes to assist the larger Marine & Army units. They fought as Raiders until 1944 when the Raider tactics where absorbed into the actual Marines. The story covers from Makin Island to Guadalcanal then Gilbert Islands to eventually Bougainville. What they did at Guadalcanal is legendary. The book is more of an overview of all the battles the Raiders where a part of.
They were such a new unit they were not always used correctly, being quick strike force sometimes they were overpowered by attacking tougher installations or styles from previous battles. The tactic that made themselves good was the element of surprise & innovation they used. Once they did not have that, the Japanese could use past experiences from. They were a commando unit so they were not your typical Marine unit. Not all the battles went their way because they were lightly armed designed to strike fast & not be bogged down.
However, the innovation of the Raiders eventually made the Marines what they were in the Pacific adding to their grit & determination. They had a short period of being a separate unit from the Marines but they set the foundations for future American Special Forces units. Their stories are quite interesting & amazing.
June 14, 2018
A well told story
All activities of WWII should be told so that we know what happened. This book does this. I liked that there is no implied drama, just the events that occurred. The people in the book are those who were there. The only additional information I would have liked would have been some background or personality of those people mentioned. What drives a Medal of Honor recipient, or what was an officer's impetus for that action? The author is consistent in just telling the story. The book is easy to follow and pick up from the last page read.
All activities of WWII should be told so that we know what happened. This book does this. I liked that there is no implied drama, just the events that occurred. The people in the book are those who were there. The only additional information I would have liked would have been some background or personality of those people mentioned. What drives a Medal of Honor recipient, or what was an officer's impetus for that action? The author is consistent in just telling the story. The book is easy to follow and pick up from the last page read.
October 12, 2017
Must read for all Marines
Great Chronology of a little known, but important piece of Marine Corps History.
Their establishment marks early development of Marine Special Ops capability.
Great Chronology of a little known, but important piece of Marine Corps History.
Their establishment marks early development of Marine Special Ops capability.
January 25, 2018
They did so much with so little.
Never heard that much about the Marine Raiders until reading this book. They did the hard things to keep us in the war. I enjoy learning about these Marines.
Never heard that much about the Marine Raiders until reading this book. They did the hard things to keep us in the war. I enjoy learning about these Marines.
May 9, 2018
Taut, operations-based history of short-lived Raiders Battalions in WWII
Interesting and inspiring standard history. Some vivid action descriptions, and compelling evocation of the terrain hardships and tough island fighting.
Interesting and inspiring standard history. Some vivid action descriptions, and compelling evocation of the terrain hardships and tough island fighting.
September 6, 2018
A good read
Well written and succinct. The booK covers the subject. The author doesn't waste words. A few individual soldiers experiences would have made the story more powerful .
Well written and succinct. The booK covers the subject. The author doesn't waste words. A few individual soldiers experiences would have made the story more powerful .
September 7, 2020
Interesting
An informative and interesting account of the Marine Raiders. It is relatively short and concise in nature. Well written and descriptive account of their activities during the war in the Pacific. A good short read.
An informative and interesting account of the Marine Raiders. It is relatively short and concise in nature. Well written and descriptive account of their activities during the war in the Pacific. A good short read.
August 1, 2022
Action above and beyond
So much was never written about the mystery raiders in the south Pacific . this book clears up lots of loose ends . Hoffman put it all into perspective something Hollywood could never do .
So much was never written about the mystery raiders in the south Pacific . this book clears up lots of loose ends . Hoffman put it all into perspective something Hollywood could never do .
February 16, 2023
Learned information I did not know
The information about the "smaller" battles on the other islands of the Solomon's than Guadalcanal was basically unknown to me. I was delighted to gain a fuller picture of this conflict.
The information about the "smaller" battles on the other islands of the Solomon's than Guadalcanal was basically unknown to me. I was delighted to gain a fuller picture of this conflict.
November 4, 2017
Great History
Somewhat dry but very factual and incite full. Gives you a real feel for what they went through on the islands
Somewhat dry but very factual and incite full. Gives you a real feel for what they went through on the islands
September 8, 2018
Ooh Ra and Semper Fi Marines!!!!
The stories of bravery and sacrifice abound. These guys built the modern Marine Corps. What a generation of heroic men.
The stories of bravery and sacrifice abound. These guys built the modern Marine Corps. What a generation of heroic men.
November 4, 2019
This book forms part of a commemorative series paying tribute to the courageous exploits of the US Marines during World War II. Jon.T.Hoffman concentrates on an elite commando unit of the Marines, the 'Raiders' and the daring deeds executed by them in the Pacific.
A creation of Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb, the Marine Raider Battalion received the complete backing of Evans F Carlson, James Roosevelt (the son of President Roosevelt) and General Holland Smith. The result was the emergence of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. The 1st Marine Raiders were soon supplemented by the 2d and 3d Marine Raider Battalions.
Lightly armed and subject to an intensely grueling test of fitness, this elite Battalion made a plethora of incursive raids taking their Japanese enemey unawares. The raiders saw active combat in the Pacific and were in no small measure responsible for the liberation of Makin, Tulagi, Tasimboko, Matanikau, Enogai, Bairoko, and Bougainville. Using Bowie type knives, automatic M1 Garand .30 Caliber rifles, the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), the Raiders substituted weight with speed. Adept at guerrilla warfare, the Raiders crept upon unsuspecting enemies subjecting them to the vicious disadvantages of surprise and stealth.
After receiving numerous Medals of Honour and citations for their valour, the Raiders were ultimately disbanded as a Battalion due to a combination of internecine disagreements within the military and the changing nature of modern warfare. But their exemplary acts of bravery has been deservedly immortalised for ever.
From Makin to Bougainville - A testament of courage and character.
A creation of Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb, the Marine Raider Battalion received the complete backing of Evans F Carlson, James Roosevelt (the son of President Roosevelt) and General Holland Smith. The result was the emergence of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. The 1st Marine Raiders were soon supplemented by the 2d and 3d Marine Raider Battalions.
Lightly armed and subject to an intensely grueling test of fitness, this elite Battalion made a plethora of incursive raids taking their Japanese enemey unawares. The raiders saw active combat in the Pacific and were in no small measure responsible for the liberation of Makin, Tulagi, Tasimboko, Matanikau, Enogai, Bairoko, and Bougainville. Using Bowie type knives, automatic M1 Garand .30 Caliber rifles, the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), the Raiders substituted weight with speed. Adept at guerrilla warfare, the Raiders crept upon unsuspecting enemies subjecting them to the vicious disadvantages of surprise and stealth.
After receiving numerous Medals of Honour and citations for their valour, the Raiders were ultimately disbanded as a Battalion due to a combination of internecine disagreements within the military and the changing nature of modern warfare. But their exemplary acts of bravery has been deservedly immortalised for ever.
From Makin to Bougainville - A testament of courage and character.
Read
April 12, 2019I am biased in many ways towards history, Marine Corps history, WWII history; however, this was a fact-filled after-action report and mission planning from the U.S.M.C.'s first special forces or the grandfather of today's M.A.R.S.O.C. Marine Corps special forces. It has archive photos, maps, and plenty of direct quotes. I downloaded it and forty other books for free from Project Guttenberg.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews