By Don Burzynski

To mark the 2 hundredth anniversary of the struggle of 1812, writer and famous historian Don Burzynski sheds a few infrequent and interesting gentle at the half performed by way of the nascent usa Marine Corps in that pivotal clash and on their improvement within the turbulent years major as much as America’s moment conflict with nice Britain. There’s no longer a lot within the professional checklist of that point yet Burzynski makes use of his ardour and heritage to fill within the blanks and convey a stirring story of the pains, blunders and successes that led the Marine Corps’s vaunted popularity because the worlds’ most efficient amphibious battling strength. It took centuries to forge the fashionable Marine Corps, however it was once the struggle of 1812 that set the Corps at the route to renown and validated their excessive criteria of commitment, loyalty and strive against prowess. It was once the Marines’ actual and devastating musketry coupled with their ability at manning cannon aboard the yankee warships of the interval that led to victory at Lake Erie, Bladensburg, Baltimore and New Orleans. regardless of their demonstrable price in these battles, luck in scuffling with the slave exchange whereas serving at sea with the U.S. army, and their singular contribution in quashing piracy off the coasts of North Africa, the Marines have been pressured to struggle for his or her survival on domestic turf. Burzynski appropriately and apparently covers the internecine wars of the interval among Marines, their supporters and such luminaries of the time as President Andrew Jackson and different politicians who usually sided with Admirals sure to disband the Corps. This untold tale is a thrilling, exhilarating story of the main youth of the U.S. Marine Corps. It is going a protracted and insightful means towards explaining how and why “Send within the Marines!” grew to become a achievable and trustworthy diplomatic ploy through the early years of yank background. "Finally a historian has written a protracted valuable public historical past of the U.S. Marine Corps....I are expecting that "The First Leathernecks" turns into a valued tabletop source for somebody attracted to the struggle of 1812 for a few years to come." Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer, Director and leader, U.S. Marine Corps heritage department traditionally actual, Don Burzynski’s superbly-crafted and intensely well timed narrative of the early years of the Corps, "The First Leathernecks," reads like a desirable novel. He grabs and holds your cognizance with stirring prose, including a mess of brief, insightful vignettes, well-chosen illustrations by way of the 1st Marine Corps artist in place of abode, Colonel Charles Waterhouse, USMCR (Ret), and specific maps of the interval. this can be certainly one in your library. Walt Ford, Leatherneck journal eventually, a devoted researcher (Don Burzynski) has right here compiled a chronological heritage that information how and why the Marine Corps used to be shaped, in a fast-moving narrative certain to carry your curiosity. Lavishly illustrated with interval paintings, maps, and remarkable unique paintings by means of Col. Charles Waterhouse (ret.), a Marine artist-in-residence , this booklet grants a thrilling evaluate of crucial occasions in early Marine Corps background. in case you are a U.S. Marine or an army vet, it is a must-read. in case you are a historical past buff, you will want this to your bookshelf or coffee-table. if you are “just” an American, you may be proud. maybe most vital, you will achieve an figuring out of the consideration and culture that make modern-day Marines so devoted to their accountability. Bob Monement