The Marines

One of the most famous fighting forces in the world, the United States Marine Corps emerged from the American War of Independence as a branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore. Designated a component of the US Navy from 1834, the Marines played a part in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War (1898), the Boxer Rebellion (1901), and World War I. The Marine Corps truly came into its own during World War II, when half a million Marines fought the Japanese army across the Pacific, famously capturing the island of Iwo Jima and later the home island of Okinawa in 1945. Since then, the Marines have played a central role in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the invasion of Grenada (1983), the Persian Gulf War (1991) and the Global War on Terrorism. The Marines includes photographs from the occupation of Cuba in 1898 up to the present, with a particular focus on Marine operations during World War II and in the 21st Century. There are numerous photographs of recruitment and training today, as well as Marines on tour in Afghanistan and Iraq. Including more than 200 images of the Marine Corps in action from every part of the world, The Marines is a colorful guide to an elite fighting force with a glorious history that continues to play a key role in US overseas operations today.