Underdogs

Synopsis

The Marine Corps has always considered itself a breed apart. Since 1775, Americaâs smallest armed service has been suspicious of outsiders and deeply loyal to its traditions. Marines believe in nothing more strongly than the Corpsâ uniqueness and superiority, and this undying faith in its own exceptionalism is what has made the Marines one of the sharpest, swiftest tools of American military power. Along with unapologetic self-promotion, a strong sense of identity has enabled the Corps to exert a powerful influence on American politics and culture. Aaron OâConnell focuses on the period from World War II to Vietnam, when the Marine Corps transformed itself from Americaâs least respected to its most elite armed force. He describes how the distinctive Marine culture played a role in this ascendancy. Venerating sacrifice and suffering, privileging the collective over the individual, Corps culture was saturated with romantic and religious overtones that had enormous marketing potential in a postwar America energized by new global responsibilities. Capitalizing on this, the Marines curried the favor of the nationâs best reporters, befriended publishers, courted Hollywood and Congress, and built a public relations infrastructure that would eventually brand it as the most prestigious military service in America. But the Corpsâ triumphs did not come without costs, and OâConnell writes of those, too, including a culture of violence that sometimes spread beyond the battlefield. And as he considers how the Corpsâ interventions in American politics have ushered in a more militarized approach to national security, OâConnell questions its sustainability.

Copyright:

2012

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9780674058279

Publisher:

Harvard University Press

Date of Addition:

11/15/13

Copyrighted By:

Harvard University Press

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Military, Nonfiction

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.