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The Root: The Marines In Beirut August 1982-February 1984
This study chronicles the marines' increasing involvement in fighting in and around Beirut during the period
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1985
17 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Eric Hammel
96 books50 followersEric Hammel was born in 1946, in Salem, Massachusetts, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Central High School of Philadelphia in January 1964 and earned a degree in Journalism from Temple University in 1972. His road to writing military history began at age twelve, when he was stuck in bed for a week with a childhood illness. Eric's father bought him the first paperback book he ever owned, Walter Lord's Day of Infamy. As he devoured the book, Eric realized that he wanted to write books exactly like it, what we now call popular narrative history. Lord had pieced together the book from official records illuminated with the recollections of people who were there. Eric began to write his first military history book when he was fifteen. The book eventually turned out to be Guadalcanal: Starvation Island. Eric completed the first draft before he graduated from high school. During his first year of college, Eric wrote the first draft of Munda Trail, and got started on 76 Hours when he was a college junior. Then Eric got married and went to work, which left him no time to pursue his writing except as a journalism student.
Eric quit school at the end of his junior year and went to work in advertising in 1970. Eric completed his journalism degree in 1972, moved to California in 1975, and finally got back to writing while he operated his own one-man ad agency and started on a family. 76 Hours was published in 1980, and Chosin followed in 1982. At the end of 1983 Eric was offered enough of an advance to write The Root: The Marines in Beirut to take up writing books full time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Eric eventually published under his own imprint, Pacifica Press, which morphed into Pacifica Military History and IPS Books. At some point in the late 1990s, Eric realized he had not written in five years, so he pretty much closed down the publishing operation and pieced together a string of pictorial combat histories for Zenith Press. Eric nominally retired in 2008 and took up writing as a full-time hobby writing two novels, 'Til The Last Bugle Call and Love and Grace. Fast forward to 2018 and Eric was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and on August 25th 2020, Eric passed from this life to the next at the age of 74.
Eric quit school at the end of his junior year and went to work in advertising in 1970. Eric completed his journalism degree in 1972, moved to California in 1975, and finally got back to writing while he operated his own one-man ad agency and started on a family. 76 Hours was published in 1980, and Chosin followed in 1982. At the end of 1983 Eric was offered enough of an advance to write The Root: The Marines in Beirut to take up writing books full time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Eric eventually published under his own imprint, Pacifica Press, which morphed into Pacifica Military History and IPS Books. At some point in the late 1990s, Eric realized he had not written in five years, so he pretty much closed down the publishing operation and pieced together a string of pictorial combat histories for Zenith Press. Eric nominally retired in 2008 and took up writing as a full-time hobby writing two novels, 'Til The Last Bugle Call and Love and Grace. Fast forward to 2018 and Eric was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and on August 25th 2020, Eric passed from this life to the next at the age of 74.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 14, 2019
Looking forward to receive the book. Just ordered it after reading Ch6 online. I was an 8 year-old Druze girl staying where the Marines were killed and injured that day of Aug 28, 1983. The Marines were using our rooftop as an observing tower, and they converted one of the shut-down factories nearby to a base for their battalion, or company. I remember they had writtenn the word FOX with sandbags across from Our house. We livedon the perimeter of the airport, adjacent to the Pepsi Cola factory.
I have been looking to put the time line, and events in order. Read lots of reports and articles online, until I came across this book. It was the first time I read something that took me back to that day. Lots of pain and tears.
I, and my younger sisters were hiding in the bunkers or shelter where the injured were being treated. The injured Marines soldiers were bleeding screaming in pain, and we cried too because we couldn’t help them. They were the same guys who put a swing for us and gave us crackers and peanut butter. Yet the other side that was firing at is were also the people of our town. It was a very painful and confusing day.
War is ugly. It’s never justified. It’s never fair.
Peace on the soul of the fallen.
I have been looking to put the time line, and events in order. Read lots of reports and articles online, until I came across this book. It was the first time I read something that took me back to that day. Lots of pain and tears.
I, and my younger sisters were hiding in the bunkers or shelter where the injured were being treated. The injured Marines soldiers were bleeding screaming in pain, and we cried too because we couldn’t help them. They were the same guys who put a swing for us and gave us crackers and peanut butter. Yet the other side that was firing at is were also the people of our town. It was a very painful and confusing day.
War is ugly. It’s never justified. It’s never fair.
Peace on the soul of the fallen.
June 6, 2020
This book is very personal to me.
It is the narrative of events which occurred between late 1982 and early 1984 in and around the International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon. It details the mission and the lives of a number of US Marines who were members of two battalions of the Eighth Marine Regiment, sent there as part of a peacekeeping mission conceived by President Reagan in concert with the political leadership in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It was a mission that, through no fault of the military forces on the ground, went south in a hurry. This resulted in the deaths of approximately 240 US military personnel, 220 of which were Marines.
Six of the dead were people I knew personally. One was a friend of mine. I have other, living friends who were there who survived the experience, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have never fully recovered from it.
It is well-written. Eric Hammel did a wonderful job telling this story because, in his words, it was an important one to be told. It is one of those few books for which I’m grateful to have read because I can attest to the truth behind it.
It is the narrative of events which occurred between late 1982 and early 1984 in and around the International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon. It details the mission and the lives of a number of US Marines who were members of two battalions of the Eighth Marine Regiment, sent there as part of a peacekeeping mission conceived by President Reagan in concert with the political leadership in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It was a mission that, through no fault of the military forces on the ground, went south in a hurry. This resulted in the deaths of approximately 240 US military personnel, 220 of which were Marines.
Six of the dead were people I knew personally. One was a friend of mine. I have other, living friends who were there who survived the experience, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have never fully recovered from it.
It is well-written. Eric Hammel did a wonderful job telling this story because, in his words, it was an important one to be told. It is one of those few books for which I’m grateful to have read because I can attest to the truth behind it.
April 2, 2013
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPLOSION: "The bomb in the bed of the big yellow Mercedes truck consisted of about 12,000 pounds of high explosives wrapped in canisters of flammable gases. It is said to have been the largest non-nuclear blast ever detonated on the face of the earth. Be that as it may, it was placed perfectly within the open atrium lobby of the concrete-and-steel Battalion Landing Team (BLT) headquarters building. The force of the explosion initially lifted the entire four-story structure ... The airborne building then fell in upon itself. A massive shock wave and ball of flaming gas was hurled in all directions." (page 303)
"Sgt Steve Russell, the only man to see the detonation itself, was caught in the spreading wave of concussion and hurled fifteen or twenty feet." (page 305)
"The Iranian behind the wheel of the big yellow Mercedes truck--and most of the truck itself--was vaporized." (page 306)
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? The author says: "I have becme convinced that the tragic event of October 23, 1983--the bombing--was an incident that had very little to do with and was wholly apart from the actual fact of our 'presence' in Lebanon or, indeed, of the Lebanese civil war. Rather, I believe, the bombing was the direct outgrowth of our leaders' having made available a target of unprecedented magnitude in the center of a chaotic situation. ... our combat force was declawed and placed in a static position with no clear mandate ..." (page xxvii)
"Sgt Steve Russell, the only man to see the detonation itself, was caught in the spreading wave of concussion and hurled fifteen or twenty feet." (page 305)
"The Iranian behind the wheel of the big yellow Mercedes truck--and most of the truck itself--was vaporized." (page 306)
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? The author says: "I have becme convinced that the tragic event of October 23, 1983--the bombing--was an incident that had very little to do with and was wholly apart from the actual fact of our 'presence' in Lebanon or, indeed, of the Lebanese civil war. Rather, I believe, the bombing was the direct outgrowth of our leaders' having made available a target of unprecedented magnitude in the center of a chaotic situation. ... our combat force was declawed and placed in a static position with no clear mandate ..." (page xxvii)
June 18, 2020
The best book I've read detailing the actual events that happened. Emotions ran a bit high while reading this one.
December 29, 2024
Excellent book. Gave me an all new appreciation for the sacrifices of service members in combat situations. Full of gut wrenching detail and perspective.
May 15, 2007
Focuses on the deployment of 1200 US Marines in support of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. Describes conditions on the ground and the horrendous rules of engagement the Marines were forced to operate under. Very relevant to understanding the background to Somalia and the current fighting in Iraq.
March 9, 2013
In 1982 the US Marines entered Beirut as part of a multi-national peace keeping force. After the US Embassy was bombed the Marine presence was increased. On October 23, 1983 a truck bomb exploded killing at the Marine quarters killing 241 people. Hammel covers the period covered by the book in great detail and explains the organization and operations of the Marine contingent.
November 30, 2013
Insider details of calamity in Beirut. A good sense of the lived experience of our men in a hostile, complex environment.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews