Rating: 
Summary: True to everyword
Review: The book The March Up was extremely accurate in accounting the war in Iraq. I had the unique experience to help write this book by my companys actions in Iraq. I serve with 1/7 Suicide Charley, 1st Marine Division. I was with the squad as they took over the Crown Jewel oilfields and eventually, Baghdad. The authors account truly depict the feelings the Marines felt from the start to the end. Every Marine in our company has read this book and couldnt agree with it more.
Rating:
Summary: Xenophon redux?
Review: There are going to be a lot of books about OIF. There were simply too many reporters for their not to be in the next year. However, to get a book, and such an excellent book written by two men (both former Marines themselves), that understand combat, logistics, operations, the fog of war, and most importantly the Marines involved in The March Up is going to make this book stand out from those that follow it's lead.This story is filled with masterful anecdotes conveying brutality, indiference to danger, empathy to tragic circumstances, grievous mistakes, ignorance, fleeting command confusion, survival, death, anguish, and trial by fire. The technical capability of the troops, the competency of the officers, the capabilities of the NCOs, and the combat readiness of the Marines shine forth in this book. However no one is perfect, yet even the faults displayed are simply a contrast to a well organized and disciplined professional fighting force, more than any detraction of ability. The grit is as real as the dust layered on the vehicles of 1st MarDiv as they smashed into Baghdad, and what you experience will leave you with pride in the young men this country still produces to serve as Marines. Semper Fi.
Rating:
Summary: Oohrah!! The best account of the war to date!!!!
Review: There was so much "smoke and mirrors" and misinformation during the war that you didn't know quite what to believe. Having TV correspondents embedded with various Marine units was unique and somewhat informative, but that does not compare to the accout written so definitively in "The March Up". This is a highly interesting day-to-day, battle-to-battle reporting of the situations and dangers encountered by the 1st Marine Division. You feel like you are riding along with them, with blow-by-blow descriptions of what it was like to actually be there. The action and descisions made by these brave Marine Officers and their units are unparalleled and we have them (and all others who fought and continue to fight) to thank for ridding the world of a very evil regime. With this book being written by the father of a Marine and a former Marine, there are no punches pulled - a factual, riveting page-turner. As the sister of a Marine company commander featured in this book, I sincerely thank Mr. West and General Smith for their wonderful account of the events on the march to Baghdad. Well done gentlemen!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on combat and leadership I've read!
Review: This book is one of the best accounts of ground combat operations that I have ever read. The detailed descriptions of various small unit actions enable the reader to visualize the battlefield and experience the ever present "Fog of War". There are many warfighting and leadership lessons to be found in this book and readers will gain a significant amount of "battle savvy" that will serve them well in future wars and conflicts. In my opinion, this book is destined become a "classic" that will be read by future generations of combat leaders. I suspect it will soon become "required reading" for officers and NCO's alike at military schools and training courses. I truly wish I had been able to read it prior to my initial participation in combat operations many years ago. It is a superb book and I recommend it highly! Semper Fidelis,
Mike Ettore, U.S.Marine (Retired)
Rating: 
Summary: Marine Combat: The Unvarnished Truth
Review: This is a candid, hard-hitting, first-hand account of the war to topple Saddam Hussein, written by men who personally witnessed the events they describe. Smith and West, now civilians, are both Marine combat veterans. They were given a unique opportunity to travel as unattached civilian observers with the First Marine Division on its march through Mesopotamia and on to Baghdad. Unlike imbedded journalists, Smith and West were free to jump from unit to unit within the division at their own discretion. Their familiarity with Marine Corps culture and tactics enabled the authors to engage the Marines and uncover stories that might otherwise go unnoticed. Given their backgrounds, one might expect Smith and West to be overly forgiving or generous in addressing the mistakes and shortcomings they observed. But this is not the case. The authors do an admirable job of remaining objective and taking the Corps to task for civilian casualties, tactical errors and the like. I was impressed with the integrity of this book. The March Up is somehwat narrow in scope and more anecdotal than comprehensive. The definitive history of the Second Gulf War has yet to be written. But until it is, this book will provide useful insights on the impressive achievements, and shortcomings, of the First Marine Division on the road to Iraqi liberation.
Rating:
Summary: "No better friend, no worse enemy"
Review: This is a good first telling of the Marines' march up the length of Iraq into Baghdad during Gulf War II. It was the furthest inland that the Marines had ever fought, and was surely the most reported operation in the Corps history, too. The authors are Vietnam War Marine veterans, and they do a good job in telling the tale. There's very little chest-thumping, just a matter-of-fact reportage of the Marines' planning, setbacks, foibles(!), and determination. Strewn throughout are many interesting episodes. During the assault over the Baghdad bridge, a photographer gets underfoot so much that the authors later look him up and use one of his photos of that battle for the back cover of the book. The adrenaline-pumped frenzy of battle is convincingly evoked in one scene, and the point is made that Marines don't count kills as pilots and snipers do, but kill as a team. One combat team has a line of civilian vehicles in train, reporters and spooks and specwarriors. The press seem to get along well with the troops, respecting the secrecy of the special forces, and not getting in the hair of the regular troops. A tank machine-gunner shoots a couple of Baathist goons in the midst of a crowd of Iraqi civilians, who appear nonchalant enough about the Abrams behemoth firing at them. The interpreters explain to the tank commander that the simple village folk think that the Americans' technology enables them to fire into crowds and only hit the bad guys. But war is a sledgehammer, not a scalpel, as the authors say. Midway, as a column of young Marines file by, the authors burst with pride, slapping their shoulders and shouting encouragement and congratulations, tearing up as they do so. It's an infectious sentiment for anyone who takes pride in our armed services, whatever their opinion of the war.
Rating: 
Summary: Impeccable credentials, exellent access, mediocre writing
Review: This is a very good book for what it is -- the first campaign narrative and proproganda for a general. Hopefully there will be more books in the future with real research and more even-handedness. This book is not intended as research and is clearly a propaganda piece for General Mattis who gave them carte-blanche to roam his division. As such, the book could be titled "How to Launch Your Campaign for Commandant".
With that said, the combat and writing experience of the authors combined with their proximity to the battles involved produces some strong insights that are not likely to be found in other books. In terms of an analysis of tactics, I thought the book was very strong. It is a lot more insightful than all the embedded journalism stories that reported the excitement but could make very little sense of the battles. For that reason I highly recommend "The March Up" as a campaign narrative.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book If You Recognize What It Is
Review: This is a very good book for what it is -- the first campaign narrative and proproganda for a general. Hopefully there will be more books in the future with real research and more even-handedness. This book is not intended as research and is clearly a propaganda piece for General Mattis who gave them carte-blanche to roam his division. As such, the book could be titled "How to Launch Your Campaign for Commandant".
With that said, the combat and writing experience of the authors combined with their proximity to the battles involved produces some strong insights that are not likely to be found in other books. In terms of an analysis of tactics, I thought the book was very strong. It is a lot more insightful than all the embedded journalism stories that reported the excitement but could make very little sense of the battles. For that reason I highly recommend "The March Up" as a campaign narrative.
Rating:
Summary: The Baghdad Blitz
Review: This kind of writing I can swallow. At least these ex-Marines are honest and forthcoming about their connection to the subject. All the pro-war propaganda or baseless radical anti-war rhetoric comes back to opinion, and we all know facts are shape to fit opinion. The March Up is, i must say, more pro-war than anti-war, and i do not think i would be friends with the authors at all. I also suspect most people writing these reader reviews are pro-war as well. But at least i know this and accept it. i know who the authors are, what they are doing, what they are covering, and they tell me what they are seeing. Not experts, not geniuses, just informed men with an eye for things most jourmalists spinning stories do not have. To the point, the March Up is good. Call me a snob, but most writings on the this war are not good. Here is the one example that sums up why this book is good even though i stand on the opposite side of the political tracks from the authors: during a "friendly get together" with ex-classmates, we got into an argument pertaining to the war. And please guess what book i referenced as proof that Bush's policy is not just shallow but potentially as "un-american" as any protest, as the modern media claims: the March Up.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This outstanding book gives the inside story of what it was like to be with a Marine Division during the fight from Kuwait to Baghdad during the most recent Persian Gulf War. The authors are both Marine veterans, and they do a wonderful job of explaining exactly what it was like to be under fire for days on end. Highly recommended!
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