Rating: 
Summary: The Making of a Good Marine, But Not a Great Book
Review: As the father of a marine, and a man who lives in blue America, drives a Volvo, and makes his living from teaching and writing, I thought this book might have something to say to me. It doesnÕt Ð but that should not stop you from enjoying another description of a fine young manÕs journey of mind and body as he becomes a marine. As you know, the book is co-written by father and son. I liked the son from the moment he started talking, but saw the father as a little bit of a jerk right from the first. Perhaps he wrote it this way deliberately, the better to show off the excellence of his son Ð or perhaps IÕm a little tired of the jerkiness in myself and donÕt like what I see reflected in the fatherÕs entirely ordinary description of watching his son grow up. Read Making the Corps if you want to understand the marines, and perhaps yourself, more deeply; read this book for the fun of it, but donÕt expect to learn anything.
Rating: 
Summary: View from a father
Review: As the father of a recent Parris Island Marine, I now understand some of the mental changes that took place in my Marine that took place during the training, and the more noticable change in how my Marine looks at the civilian world. "Squared Away" I now understand from his point of view. "A way of Being" rather than "A way of doing" now also makes sense. For any parent currently undergoing the Marine son experience, or for any parent whose offspring is attracted to the Marines, a must reading
Rating:
Summary: Fathers and Sons
Review: Fathers and sons will especially enjoy this strong portrait of a relationship transformed by the US Marine Corps. The writing is full of Frank Schaeffer's cleverly sardonic wit and sweetly honest emotion which punctuates his previous work in the novels "Portofino" and "Saving Grandma". John Schaeffer is a gifted writer in his own right, conveying the struggle of Parris Island with strength and determination, honesty and insight. This is a timely book that will change your perception of the Marine Corps and what it means to serve, while revealing what a beautiful relationship fathers and sons can have.
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Summary: I never thought I'd write, but
Review: Frank! Thank you. My son became a Marine last May 10th and reading Frank and John's book brought it all back to me (from my side of the story). I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in years. Frank touches every concern, fear, regret, and revelation I went through. The way we treat our military, the reasons why the Marine Corps is so attractive to young people, why Marines love their Corps and each other. I was especially impressed with his observations about the people who showed up for graduation. On my video tape I made of my son's graduation you can hear me say, "Now this is real American diversity in action. Look at all these different types of Americans!" I was proud and humbled of my son and the other sons that marched before us. I thank God we have the Marine Corps and that our sons are part of it. Frank and John have shown a way for us citizens to understand what a precious thing we have in our children and our Nation. Again, my thanks to Frank and John for sharing this great experience with the Nation our children protect.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book
Review: I am a former Marine and I loved this book it was Outstanding. This book touches on all the emotions that one goes through while completing recruit training and earning the title. I lost my father last year and have been thinking about him a lot after reading this book it brought back all the emotions of when I left for recruit training at 0300 on that September
Morning and my life changed forever.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you John and Frank Schaeffer
Review: I am a mother of a recruit in San Diego now as of March 29,2003.
I relate to Frank Schaeffer so much from the point of view of loving your child so much and in the beginning struggling to understand why they on their free will chose The United States Marine Corp. When my son told me last July he signed the papers to join,he was 23, married, had a good, good life and was taking a huge pay-cut to join the USMC. I asked him why? He said he had given it a lot of thought and knowing him I know he did and that he felt it was something he was meant to do and many other reasons that after he told me I accepted his answers and trusted him. He wrote last week in a letter: "My MOS probably won't require me to go, but I never know. If I do then that's why I joined the Marines for is to make a difference. If my country needs men to fight I will always be one of them. I just can't stand by and let someone else do it for me." USMC you have one of the finest young men out there. This talk of the draft not getting the creme of the crop is a bunch of crap. My son is the creme of the crop and I know he will give the USMC everything he's got.
John and Frank Schaeffer thank you for your book because I love it and it has comforted me so much, I have to know what he is going through. John thank you for the detail. Thank you for the poems. And thank you for the honesty. Frank thank you for relating the anguish a parent goes through when they love their child so much and the pride, the buttons are bursting off my jacket from the pride I have in my son. You both have given me so much insight to what he is going through, for that I will always be grateful. Thank you for going through the time and work to write this book. When I received it from Amazon I read it in one sitting and I think I will now send it to every family member so they know what these young men and women give for their country. Thank you to all you Marines for all you have given us, I am so grateful! Semper Fidelis
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Summary: Marine Mom
Review: I am a proud mom of a U.S. Marine. The story was a very familar one to me. I have read many Marine books but this was the first one that seemed to clarify the up/down emotions that a Marine and his parent travels through during the Marine Corp rollercoaster ride. The very last line of the book written by the father made this Marine Mom weep with understanding.
My son at stationed at Camp Lejuene and after finishing this book I immediatly got on Amazon.com and ordered this book for him.
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Summary: great book
Review: I am a United States Marine and I wish that this book had been around before I joined. This book gives a great insight into what recruits go through on Parris Island. My son will be going to recruit training in a few months and he is reading it now. I can think of no way to better prepare a young man or woman for the emotions and day to day life of recruit training than to read this book. This is a wonderful way to prepare a child for life and adulthood in and outside of the military. This book has brought my son and I so much closer in the past few weeks. My wife loved it almost more than I did. You have to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book, even (or especially) if you aren't military
Review: I don't know what drew me to this book, but I couldn't put it down. It was honest and emotional, and even a little funny at times. The dad lets us see his fears and biases, and challenges us to examine our attitudes towards servicemembers. The son gives a brutally honest, at times unemotional(in true Marine style) account of surviving boot camp. Together it lets us in to a world few of us have experienced. As a military wife, I have a lot of respect for those who serve, but this gave me a deeper view of what my husband has experienced, and makes me even prouder of him.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I don't know what Mr. Albert Delfosse is talking about. This book is awesome. Just because he had a bad time in the Army back in the 70's means he suddenly can bag on anything that gives a positive viewpoint on today's military. The book was quite insightful, not only on a purely father-son level, but it also reveals some class differences. Your upper-middle class doesn't generally serve in the military, and often has an antipathy toward the members of our armed services, viewing them as people who couldn't make it to college. I'm glad that Frank Schaeffer recognizes these traits of his fellow Volvo drivers and exposes them for what they are: pure ignorance. I also found this book helpful, as I will be going to Marine boot camp this summer.
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