James F. Christ

I find it hard to give this book a higher rating due to some clunky writing and some bad editing, but it's still a useful look at a relatively obscure unit that took part in one of the most dramatic actions ever fought by the Marine Corps. As for the cause of that obscurity, apart from there being relatively few Marine parachutists, there is the reality that this unit wasn't especially well led. This is between an original commanding officer who didn't have much talent for personal leadership (despite being theatrically brave), an executive officer with bad nerves (and who might have been an out and out coward) and the most effective company commander having a cloud over his head due to at the very least inappropriate relations with the ranks. In the wake of the decimation of the battalion at "Bloody Ridge," it was probably more comfortable to the Corps let their efforts be folded into that the "Red Mike" Edson's Raiders and let sleeping dogs lie. It's been veiled allusions to a bad command climate in this unit that made me want to read this book in the first place.… (altro)