Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I have come to realize that being a marine does require more guts and faith than any other branch of the armed services. Marine boot camp makes the Army's seem like summer camp. This book is wonderful and a fast read. I recommend it to anyone thinking of joining the corps. SGT. Carey came to life for me as did Andrew Lee and Mark Beggs and all of the other recruits of 3086. I thought that Army boot camp was hard-I was wrong. Great Book!
Rating:
Summary: Semper Fi is for real!
Review: I am a former Marine. As such, I feel quite qualified to proclaim this book 100% on the mark. It describes boot camp the way it is, intense and, at times, brutal, but for good reason. However, while I found Mr. Rick's discussion of the widening gulf between mainstream America and the Corps interesting, I do not share his concern. The civilian and Marine Corps cultures have always been worlds apart. At no time was this proposition ever more apparent than during the 60s and 70s. That is the way it should be. However, this fact shouldn't cause concern. America has nothing to fear from her Marines. To Marines, Semper Fidelis ("Always Faithful") is more than just a motto. It is a way of life. No matter how sloppy and undisciplined the world around us becomes, the Marine Corps will always remain faithful. America shouldn't feel threatned by her Marines, her enemies should.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Fabulous
Review: Making the Corps is a must-read for anyone in or interested in the Marine Corps, but more importantly, not interested in the Marine Corps. You won't be able to put it down, you'll want to call your local recruiter, you'll find yourself humming cadence as you walk down the street. You just may come to understand what "Semper Fi" really means. I found myself wishing that the transformation Platoon 3086 undergoes in the hands of its first-class Drill Instructors were the transformation of society...we could certainly use some more Honor, Courage, and Commitment in civilian life today. As the daughter of a former MSgt. who is not able to join the Corps, this book makes me nostalgic for the Corps I can't have, but also reaffirms my personal beliefs, values and attitudes (those "intangibles") which are identical to those taught to Platoon 3086...Sgt. Carey can be my "heavy" any day! Semper Fi!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: At the time I read the book, I was preparing to take up the challenge of becoming a U.S. Marine. This book provided an insight into the indoctrination process that each recruit goes through. Mr. Ricks accurately depicts the change from a civilian to a Marine. As a Marine, I re-read the book and found it to be a window into my transformation. Though I attended MCRD, San Diego and went through in 1998, I feel that the firmness of the drill instructors and the pride an individual feels will always be a part of their life. Semper Fidelis.
Rating:
Summary: This book captures the essence of the Marine Corps in detail
Review: The book that I just completed the reading of is entitled "Making the Corps", referring to the United States Marine Corps. This book is written by an individual who most obviously has dedicated hours of time and research in preparation of this book. The author Thomas E. Ricks is the author of other books about military life, policy, and training. The beginning of this book starts at the famed "pick up" day at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, SC in which all new recruits are indoctrinated into the routine of recruit training. The book then goes on to follow this platoon, number 3086, through both personal and physical rigors of Marine Corps recruit training. Throughout the book there are breaks from life at Parris Island to go into detail about national policy, governmental affairs, the personal life of the drill instructors, the history and honor of the Marine corps, and the possible future of the corps. This book also gives those who are considering entering the Marine Corps more "insiders hints" than any other publication that I have yet to run across. This book would also make for an interesting read for those interested in national policy and other aspects of the military. This book gets as many stars as the Commandant wears from me. Semper Fidelis.
Rating: 
Summary: Provides excellent insight into the shaping of U.S. Marines.
Review: While I generally found the author's insights very well written and interesting, as they relate to the training and indoctrination of Marine recruits, I believe his final position is based on a limited perspective. First and foremost, he completly dismisses the U.S. Coast Guard and thus fails to recognize the incredible daily post Cold-War value of the Coast Guard to U.S National security objectives. In many ways the Coast Guard is similiar to the Marine Corps, without the emphasis on destroying the enemy. I enjoyed the book very much, but the author relies upon anecdotal evidence and limited writings to support his views concerning the increased political activity and conservative nature of the Armed Forces. The debate is very important, but Mr. Rick's views are biased and limited. He has shaped the story to support his preconceived ideas, all the while lauding the Marine Corps as the service to be emulated. All services have unique and critically important roles to insure the security interests of the U.S. It is interesting to note that while so many groups have been represented in the current Administration's Cabinet and special posts, the one group that is sorely underrepresented is Veterans. Perhaps this partially contributes to the real or perceived civil-military gap.
Rating:
Summary: What we can learn from them.
Review: Not only is Ricks' book about Marine Corps enlisted training an excellent look at what goes into the making of a Marine, it shows us what we stand to learn from these young men. The American public's growing alienation from the military, perhaps as part of its disaffection for the government in general, neglects some important facts. The first is that no matter the policy, no matter the politics, the most important component in the military is its people. This book demonstrates most of what is good, or can be good, that the military instills in its new recruits. The second is that as much as those serving in the military have an obligation to protect and serve us, we in the civilian public owe them a duty as well, by virtue of the political power vested in our representative government and national command authority given the executive branch. The evidence of our failure in this arena is the fact of these very same enlisted we come to know in this book being forgotten later on when they require food stamps to feed their families. When justification for the pathetic incomes earned by the enlisted is found in quantitative analysis that sees no difference in their qualifications as compared to the burger flipper spoke of in the book. Or when it is little known that the wildly successful program "Toys for Tots" was started by a Marine Reserve Officer because he knew the plight of many of the marines in his command. While Chapter 9 has been criticized as overly Chicken Little-esque, I believe that Ricks means it mostly as a clarion call to civilians, to remind them of their obligations. Each and every one of the Marines mentioned in the book, what they went through, that they could one day become like the Lance Corporal whose very skills were the wellspring for the book, all these speak clearly of our responsibilities. We ignore them not only at our own peril, but at theirs. As readily as we are willing to stand and applaud the heroes of Hollywood's wars, so too should we applaud the real men and women about whom these stories are told. As much as we must remember the veterans of our past wars, so too should we give a thought to those of tomorrow's. By the way, I had a Ricks-like opportunity to observe Marines in the field. In the high desert of California, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms is the epitmome ofw what the recruits have trained for. A live fire base that sends its indigenous units to the field as many as 200 days of the year, this is where many of the lessons learned at Recruit Training are put to work and to test. From what I observed of the whole panoply of maneuver units at work in the field, the training was more than successful. The Marines were impressive to behold. So, read the book and contemplate what this institution, and the rest of the military, has done for this country and for you.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding and realistic account of the Corps
Review: Cpl Moreland, I myself was a gradutate of MCRD Parris Island, SC. I am a Marine now thanks to the Drill Instructor mentioned in the book, Sgt Carey, Everything said about him is absolutely true, and I would like to thank Mr.Ricks for taking the time to fully research Sgt. Carey's outstanding leadership in leading Platoon 3086 through the 11 1/2 weeks of training to graduation and transforming them into Marines. I was part of Sgt Carey's last platoon to pass through Parris Island in 1995, when he left the Drill field to further his career with Recon. I recommend this book to anyone who would really like to know what the Marine Corps is all about, and the leadership that takes undiciplined youths and turns them into the backbone of the most elite fighting force ever. The book goes into depth in ever aspect of recruit traing, and the 180 degree turn in life style that these youths have to endure to become one of the elite.
Rating:
Summary: In-depth look at USMC training and its social consequences
Review: Thomas E. Ricks scores a bullseye with this outstanding book. As I am a recent graduate of Parris Island, his vivid descriptions and humorous anecdotes brought back floods of memories. Training has changed considerably in the brief time since the book's publication, but the most crucial elements that he describes are still present. Even more important is his look at how people change personally due to their training, and how their interactions with civilians (such as friends and family) change. He offers insights about the increasing "gap" between civilians and the military, some positive, and some disheartening. Overall, this is a must-read for anybody who is in the military, soon to be, knows someone in the military, or is just curious about our military.
Rating:
Summary: The Marine Corps is a family; they teach family values.
Review: Thomas E. Ricks book is destined to become a Classic, if it hasn't already. He has put forth what all the mystique really is about "becoming" a Marine. It's committment, dedication, and motivation to a cause - your way of life. Not just as a Marine, but as a citizen who takes his oaths and responsibilities seriously enough to give something back to that way of life. Marines do not do what they do out of blind obedience. They willfully do their jobs because they come to understand their unique responsibility to their country on a small scale - the Platoon. It's more than just a job and an adventure to a Marine - it's a way of life, it's family, it's what we do.
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