Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: I had high hopes for this but it ended up being 4 flavors of writing: Dad's thoughts, Dad's letters, son's thoughts, son's letters. Basically, it's about a rich son from a high-end yuppy existence joining the Corps and how his father deals with his new found admiration for the Corps. The world they came from thinks the Marines are below sea level in the social strata and the father becomes somewhat of an outcast when he see's the Marine light. Like I said, I expected to like this book a lot but while it had some poignant parts and a lot of details about boot camp, I grew weary of the father's whining. Worth the read but not extraordinary.
Rating: 
Summary: Touching and Informative Reader for the Marine Families
Review: I had previously known of Frank through his work with the Orthodox Church. He was and continues to be a powerful and insightful author. However, in Keeping Faith, he outdid himself. I alternated between tears and ooorahs throughout the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone whose son or daughter was entering the Corps. It will help you get over the dark gloom of not knowing, and give you a much better outlook on what your loved one is undergoing at Boot. I hope to run into him or his son one day, and buy them each a beer. Or maybe a BK Broiler.
Rating: 
Summary: Great For Parents Of Current and Prospective Recruits
Review: I have read and re-read this book 3 times. My son told me last May he was joining the Marines. I wanted to understand what he was going to experience in basic training at Parris Island. The book does an outstanding job of giving the reader an honest feel for what both the recruit and his(her)parents will go through during the 13 weeks of Recruit Training. I re-read the book out loud to my wife, and as my son went through basic we again read out loud parts of the book to remind us of what he was going through at specific points in the training. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to any parent of a recruit.
Rating:
Summary: Knowing John
Review: I met John when we were stationed together at Fort Huachuca. He is quite the amazing person. We had alot of fun talking about our lives. After reading this book I felt like I knew more about the man I knew as LCPL Schaeffer.
Rating:
Summary: A Slice of Life/Personal & Engrossing Read
Review: I normally don't read "show and tell" books, but since this was a gift for my Birthday, I like Frank Schaeffer's other books, being in the military and an Orthodox Christian, I knew I might actually enjoy the book because of the things that are similar between me and the authors. I found the book to be more enjoyable than expected so my praise may not be entirely unattached.The book tracks Cpl Schaeffer's enlisting in the Marine Corp and subsequent boot camp and MOS training (a technical training for one's career field). What makes this book very enjoyable is the father/son relationship, because it is an erratic one, where both often argue and don't understand each other, but because of the bond of love, both find a redemption of sorts, and in the end, better understand each other. Frank is loving, but erratic and stubborn, and Cpl Schaeffer is searching to be apart of something larger than himself - to be a servant for others. It is an interesting read as father, who has no understanding of the military, becomes closer immersed in it and finds that he has more in common with others, some old friends and some new ones. He also sees the snobbish side of our country, who ignorantly feel that the military is a haven for rift raft. Cpl Schaeffer discovers that his dad was wise in many areas of life. It was also neat to see that Mrs. Schaeffer (referred to as Genie in the book) is a calming influence in the entire matter. Lastly, I have never called out people before in a review, but to Andrew and Albert, I wonder if you read the book with an open eye. The book is not about "war stories" and the military does not turn one into a "robot" (matter of fact, like the book demonstrates, the military, just not the corps, is one of the few places one will find many people from many different walks of life who aspire to do many different things).
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I ordered this book for my husband's (Marine of yesteryear), birthday, his son is in boot camp today, & will graduate next month. I began to read it & couldn't put it down. I finished it in 2 days! Now, I know why they are "The Few & The Proud" It has educated me on the Corps and has made me proud to be an American!
Rating: 
Summary: Book was ok.
Review: I read the book, and really did not care for it. I went into the Army back in 1974 to Fort Jackson South Carolina. The break them down to build them back up, and the brainwashing sucked. Nothing like turning you into the perfect little robot. That's all I saw in this book. I saw what I was turning into and on purpose screwed up on my tests in basic training to get discharged. A good read to show people what the military does to people. If you want to go into the military and be robotized fine.
Rating:
Summary: "The change is forever"
Review: I recently received a copy of the new book, "Keeping Faith" by Frank and John Schaeffer for review. This book is a collaborative effort between a Marine (John) and his father (Frank). It not only tells the story of one young man's journey from a "nasty" civilian to a Marine, via Paris Island, but it explores the feelings between a son and a father during that
transition. Though two of my own kids made that journey nearly four years ago, this book dredged up all the emotions of that time-the selfish disappointment at having a child leave home, the anxiety over whether they would make it, and the pride in having a son or daughter become a member of America's most elite fighting force. It also brought new understanding to what the training at Parris Island accomplishes and painted the vivid details that my own kids omitted when recounting their experience. Throughout the book, the chronological story of the training at boot camp is interspersed with John Schaeffer's poetry and letters to his dad and Frank's letters to Recruit Schaeffer. "Keeping Faith" unveils the love and emotions of a father and son in an intimate way and examines the subtle changes in that relationship that the journey from childhood to adulthood, via the Marine Corps, brings. If you are a the parent of a poolee or new recruit, this book will be invaluable to understanding what your son or daughter is about to undertake and what it will mean to you. For those who have already made the journey, "Keeping Faith" will rekindle all those emotions, from your recruit getting on the bus, to the pride filled day of graduation. It should be mandatory reading for all Marine parents. Even your non-Marine friends would gain an understanding of why Marines and their parents are so proud of the title, United States Marine. I highly recommend this book to all. Neal Wells
Proud Father of... 2 Marines and an Airman
Rating:
Summary: "The change is forever"
Review: I recently received a copy of the new book, "Keeping Faith" by Frank and John Schaeffer for review. This book is a collaborative effort between a Marine (John) and his father (Frank). It not only tells the story of one young man's journey from a "nasty" civilian to a Marine, via Paris Island, but it explores the feelings between a son and a father during that
transition. Though two of my own kids made that journey nearly four years ago, this book dredged up all the emotions of that time-the selfish disappointment at having a child leave home, the anxiety over whether they would make it, and the pride in having a son or daughter become a member of America's most elite fighting force. It also brought new understanding to what the training at Parris Island accomplishes and painted the vivid details that my own kids omitted when recounting their experience. Throughout the book, the chronological story of the training at boot camp is interspersed with John Schaeffer's poetry and letters to his dad and Frank's letters to Recruit Schaeffer. "Keeping Faith" unveils the love and emotions of a father and son in an intimate way and examines the subtle changes in that relationship that the journey from childhood to adulthood, via the Marine Corps, brings. If you are a the parent of a poolee or new recruit, this book will be invaluable to understanding what your son or daughter is about to undertake and what it will mean to you. For those who have already made the journey, "Keeping Faith" will rekindle all those emotions, from your recruit getting on the bus, to the pride filled day of graduation. It should be mandatory reading for all Marine parents. Even your non-Marine friends would gain an understanding of why Marines and their parents are so proud of the title, United States Marine. I highly recommend this book to all. Neal Wells
Proud Father of... 2 Marines and an Airman
Rating:
Summary: Keeping Faith: What a great book & Father & Son
Review: I started reading this book & I could not put it down. It made me have flash backs on my military career & the day my Father & girl friend (now Wife) dropped my off at the airport to leave for basic training in 1985. This book brought tears to my eyes and laughter. What a great family... What a great Marine!
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