Boot

Rating:
Summary: This book is not as relevant as it once perhaps was...
Review: Having attended Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI) from May 02 to Aug 02 and graduating with Platoon 3058, 3rd RTBn, I picked up this book a week or so ago to relive some of the memories from boot camp. However, instead of getting a detailed report of what the recruits went through, the author spends more time complaining about how the Drill Instructors can't be as tough as they once could. Instead of feeling a sense of pride and esprit de corps from reading this book, I'm left with a sense of disappointment, stemming mainly from the fact that many of the policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that the author complains so vehemently about are not strictly enforced anymore.

As a background, one must understand that this book was written in 1987. A recruit died during training in 1985 (from a pre-existing physical condition that he [didn't mention] on his enlistment contract, ...and congress decided that it was time to really bare down on Marine Corps recruit training and make it a little more "humane." As a result, they did impose a lot of policies and SOPs that hindered the Drill Instructors' abilities to discipline recruits. Like I said, though, many of these policies aren't strictly enforced anymore.

A harmless example that I'll divulge is the policy of Drill Instructors cursing. In the book, Da Cruz spends much time mulling over the ludicrousness of forbidding Drill Instructors to curse at or in front of recruits. That may have been the case in '87, but I can tell you that today the art of cursing is alive and well on MCRDPI with both the recruits and the Drill Instructors. I think this is perfectly harmless; it toughens up the skin of the recruits, and that's what Marine Corps recruit training is all about: Toughening you up in the event of combat, because the enemy will not follow any "humane" policies or SOPs.

There are several other policies and SOPs that don't hold anymore, but I'm not going to go into them. The point I'm trying to make is this: From reading this book, one might get the impression that Marine Corps recruit training isn't tough anymore. That is not the case. Ask any Marine from my company (or any, for that matter), and they'll tell you it was the hardest thing they've ever lived through. Marine Corps recruit training is still the hardest, toughest indoctrination to the finest fighting force in the world, have no doubts.

Da Cruz also compares Marine Corps recruit training to that of other similar forces from other countries, including the British Royal Marines (to whom the United States Marine Corps holds close ties) and the French Foreign Legion. Da Cruz spends time talking about how Marine Corps recruit training isn't as hard as these others, but the comparison isn't really fair. The Marine Corps plays the role of a major force-in-readiness, ready to storm a beach or be dropped in by helo at the drop of a hat to prepare the way for the rest of the Armed Forces. These foreign forces that Da Cruz talks about play a different role and are probably more comparable to our Special Forces teams, not a regular branch of the service.

In all, I would not recommend this book to someone thinking of becoming a United States Marine. This book is out of date on not only the policies and SOPs, but also on the training schedule. The Crucible is not included in this book simply because it wasn't around in '87. However, if you'd like to relive some of the more memorable moments of boot camp, and get a sneak peek at the lives of the Drill Instructors, then pick this book up.

Semper Fidelis

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading!
Review: I agree that this book is a great read. The info is outdated, though. I work with a lot of Marines that verified that things have changed. On the reviews on the back, it mentions that this book will get the top brass thinking. I guess it did. Now, things are different.

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading!
Review: I agree that this book is a great read. The info is outdated, though. I work with a lot of Marines that verified that things have changed. On the reviews on the back, it mentions that this book will get the top brass thinking. I guess it did. Now, things are different.

Rating:
Summary: It felt like I was actually there in Parris Island
Review: I am a want to be Marine and this is a very imforative and well writen piece of Literature. It explainds thoroughly the ruff and gruelling 88 days that many young recruits must go through. I am only 13 and have many days of pondering if I will make that commitment of going into the best fighting force formed. I recommend this book to anyone that is thinking of going into the Marines I said it before and I'll say it again it is a great piece of material.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: I am currently in the Marine Corps. This book gives a good image of the Corps in the early 80's, but Making the Corps gives a better modern look at Marine Corps boot camp.

Rating:
Summary: What it is like!
Review: I have worked with several former DI's who seem to be very nice, regular guys on the job. I have often talked with them about their experiences as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor and their stories are fascinating and consistent. As I was reading this very entertaining and informative book, I would talk with coworkers who trained at Parris Island and their accounts were very similar to the events described in this book. Any prospective enlistee can safely use this book to help them decide if the military is appropriate for them, or if they are enlisting for the wrong reasons.

Rating:
Summary: Goes off it's original purpose...
Review: I picked up this book in the library to gain a bit more information on Marine Corps boot camp. I was excited to see this book, and after glancing through the chapters, saw that they were done by week. I figured I'd have an indepth account of Boot by the time I was done with it.

First and foremost, this book is dated. Nothing can be done with that, it's simply old. It was done before the martial art program was put in, and also the Cruicible. The events don't seem to be sequenced right either, after reading about.com's bootcamp article.

Second, this book doesn't seem to intend to be an informal guide to Boot Camp, but rather a continual rant on the current state of the Corps, with Boot Camp as just a side story. Things go smoothly until the author decides to squeeze in 10 pages of Marine Corps history (Which I would call a good thing, actually), and ends it by saying, "The point is that the most elite fighting Corps can't beat city hall", or something to that account. Da Cruz then proceeds to interupt the boot camp stories with his rants on how the Marines have gone soft, how medals are given like candy to officers and rarely to enlisted men (A problem that seems to plague all branches), and how the Washington fat cats are interfering with the making of warriors. He also gives an exhaustive rant on the DI's, how they are constantly having to cover themselves to not get introuble with the brass, and how they aren't allowed to do anything. The worst part is that it's a gradual progress, we are fooled into thinking the book will be completely about boot in the beginning, and later, it is almost fully centered around complaining.

The unfortunate result of this is that it can make a future enlistee feel a tad down on the Corps, until they remember their original reason for joining after returning this book to the library, or shelving it, never to be read again.

Overall, if you're looking for a book to read to remind you on your days of boot, or if you're in the mood to bash the corps, borrow this from the library. If you're looking for info because you're about to enter boot, I recommend "Making the Corps" instead.

Rating:
Summary: For the future Marines
Review: I read this book about the same time I joined the Marine Corps in August 1999. It takes you step by step through the training process. I would recommend this to anyone. You don't have to be a Marine to enjoy it. I have bought multiple copies of this book and given it to my recruiter so he can give it to prospective Marines to read. Also read the book by Thomas Ricks called The Making of a Marine.

Rating:
Summary: Good introduction...
Review: I will be leaving for Marine Corps boot camp this August, and I was looking for some sort of indroduction to what boot camp was going to be like. This book helped me get a feel for what is going to be happening during my 13 week stay on Parris Island. I would recommend this book to anyone going into the Marines or anyone who is just interested in boot camp.

Rating:
Summary: Boot
Review: If you want a good, true picture of Marine Corp training. This is the book to read. Very Easy Read.