The Battles of Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood - With the Help of God and a Few Marines

I found WWI warfare in France interesting in terms of moving of troops and supplies with a minimum
emphasis on gassing and casualties. I learned who's careers began in Bellow Woods. Well written.

The truth is told. I am aways hesitant with books about ww1. When authors form this period are doing the wtiting they tend to lose their focas on what the subject was about. Like the guy who wrote "a rifelman went to war". He talked about everything but rifleman. A terrible book. This author stayed on topic. I loved it. And the US Marines did save Paris and did help win the war.

I have not read a military book published in this era since I was much younger. It covers a piece of history Americans should not forget. The history of the Marines and their culture are worth emulation.

An excellent history of the Marine Brigade at Belleau Wood in WW 1, written by a Regimental Commander that was wounded in the battle.
General Albertus W. Catlin wrote this history while he was convalescing from his wound. As a Marine, I am ever humbled by the courage and Espirit Decore of the Marines who have gone before us. General Catlin is the holder of the Medal of Honor for heroism during the 1914 incursion into Vera Crus, Mexico.

This book was written by an officer leading the troops at the Battle of Belleau Wood, so it is a contemporary, eye-witness account of the early legends of the marine corps. Well-written, in the style of the time, the book conveys the horror of the challenge facing US troops as they were put in the front line to save Paris from the Germans late in the first world war. In spite of lack of battle experience and combat unit coherence, our young (mainly) marines led an offensive to overcome superbly positioned German defenses with superior numbers, in a short while. With this history, marines have an uphill battle to provide excellence in combat.

I enjoyed reading this book, the author went into great detail telling his story in fact in some places too much detail. With his experiences in the Army and the marines he was able to point out differences between the two and show why one procedure was better than the other. It was great getting his views as seen right in the middle of the fighting and really helped me understand what my grandfather had told me about his experiences in France during WW I.

General Albertus Catlin writes a fine history of the United States Marine Corps just prior to and during American involvement during WOW.

He discusses the difference between the regular US Army troops and the spirit of the Marines. He includes the overview of their training, moral and learned team work.

Since this was written nearly 100 years ago, it becomes a classic to see the nature of World War I from his view.

This was an interesting book. However, the repetitive style and cliché phrasing about the heroics of the American Marines with the cliché trashing of the German enemy got to be too much. This is more a propaganda piece with history in it than the history of a group of soldiers.

While dry reading, the book provides a detailed account of allied activity preceding, during and after the battle of Belleau Wood, a significant contributing factor in driving the Germans from French soil.

Little did the Marines knew what awaited them in the early 1940's. The Marine Corps is a brotherhood. I enjoyed the book but I was a little skeptical about how happy these men were to go into battle. I've seen Marines go into battle and none of them looked happy.

I'm bias. I love Marine Corps history. This book contains information you aren't likely to find anywhere else, and from the perspective of a long time ago Marine who loved his Corps. I'm talking back before the beginning of the last century. The author is a Marine officer, not a book writer. The style of writing and volume of the book, isn't what we typically see today. The actual content is very enlightening however, and those who love the US Marine Corps as this old Marine does, will probably enjoy the perspective this author provided.

Much of his knowledge of Belleau Wood comes from his contemporaries because he was injured on the first day of the assault on the Woods. He provides names and details that validate what he writes about. In addition to the information about WWI, the author shares some Marone history fro pre-WWI, which I've never heard before.

I imagine, the casual reader of war history won't get excited by this book, but for me, an avid reader of Marone Corps history, this was well worth the cost.