Underdogs by Aaron B O'connell
The Marine Corps has always considered itself a breed apart. Since 1775 America's smallest armed service has been suspicious of outsiders and deeply loyal to its traditions. Undying faith in its exceptionalism made the Marines one of the sharpest, swiftest tools of American military power, but developing this brand did not come without costs.
O'Connell offers an excellent analysis of how the marines became the MarinesPublishers Weekly 20120813 Unlike the other branches of the armed forces, writes O'Connell, the Marines did not rush into nuclear technology after World War II. Instead, he argues, the Corps built on its combat record, especially in the Pacific island-hopping campaign, to re-orient itself as an elite, naval or helicopter-borne, quick-reaction force, able to provide various combinations of unit strength on very short notice. Using an equipment and technology budget line from the Navy, the Marines expanded in size and technical capability to meet this adopted objective. The real eye-opener here is O'Connell's account of the behind-the-scenes lobbying and PR work conducted by the Chowder Society, an unofficial organization of...well-connected officers' dedicated to protecting the Corps from postwar defense reorganizations. According to the author, this went beyond lobbying and included spying, leaking classified documents and smearing opponents. The group made full use of the Marine's press networks, building especially on the wartime centralization of news distribution. Headquarters had developed tactics for dealing with the press, such as preparing Joe Blow stories of hometown combat troops. O'Connell shows how Hollywood transformed the image of the Marines, who sustained a casualty rate double that of the Army, by crafting stories that depicted them as military heroes. Then, to support peacetime political combat, those stories were tweaked to portray them as gentle protectors of families and motherhood. The author contrasts the stories with the reality...A powerful account of the relationship between fighting war and preserving peace, viewed through the lens of the stories that built support for both. Kirkus Reviews 20120915 [O'Connell] attributes the rise of the Marines from a tiny, unpopular 1941 corps to preeminent armed service in 1965 to the success of the Marine Corps' public relations campaign...This insightful cultural history is recommended for those interested in U.S. military history and modern U.S. history. Library Journal 20121001 O'Connell's depth offers military professionals, serious history enthusiasts and ordinary armchair buffs enlightening insights via easy-to-understand explanations of why the Corps always has considered itself unique and superior to the other U.S. Armed Forces...O'Connell patiently cuts through the origins of the USMC's cultural power, delineating its maneuvers, contradictions and effects on mid-20th-century American life...[Underdogs] deserves high honor and distinction. -- Don DeNevi Leatherneck 20121001
Aaron B. O'Connell is Assistant Professor of History at the United States Naval Academy and a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780674058279 |
| ISBN 10 | 0674058275 |
| Title | Underdogs |
| Author | Aaron B O'connell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year published | 2012-10-29 |
| Number of pages | 400 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |