The Marine Officer’s Guide and More Than A Few Good Men (2 volumes)

Description

Authors: The Marine Officer’s Guide: Thomas, General G.C. (Gerald Carthrae) (1894-1984) : Heinl, Col. R.D., Jr. (Robert Debs) (1916-1979); and Ageton, Rear Adm. A.A.  (Arthur Ainslie)

More Than a Few Good Men:  Driver, Lt. Col. Robert J, Jr. (1933-2023)

Publisher: Naval Institute Press (Marine Officer’s Guide)

Mariner  Publishing (More Than a Few Good Men)

Pub Date:  Marine Officer’s Guide–1956

More Than a Few Good Men–2009

Binding: Both Hardcover

Condition: Marine Officer’s Guide:  Fair.  Binding tight, but wearing at the gutter between frontispiece and title page, with some loosening of the first signature (through page 7).  Without dust jacket.  No tears, bends, folds.  Previous owner’s name, rank, and educational information on upper corner ffep.  Both front and rear pastedowns have some form of smudging–I think probably from the original dustjacket, but no proof.  Decorative endpapers.  Smudging to bottom text block.  Some edge and corner wear.  More Than a Few Good Men: Book: Good.  Binding tight.  No tears, bends or folds.  Inscribed by the author on the upper corner ffep.  Includes ephemera.  Very light edge and corner wear.  Dust Jacket: Good.  NOT price clipped (price indicated in bar code block on lower rear cover).  Very light edge and corner wear.

Notes: SOLD AS A SET ONLY.  The previous owner of The Marine Officer’s Guide was also the owner of More Than a Few Good Men (the title is a takeoff on two titles–A Few Good Men: A History of the Fighting Fifth Marines, by Ronald Brown {see https://joethebookguy.com/shop/history/good-men-history-fighting-fifth-marines/ } and the 1992 military legal drama “A Few Good Men”, starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon), and he is mentioned in Driver’s account of their service in Viet Nam.  The inscription in the Driver volume is by the author to the previous owner.   A three page personal note from Driver to the previous owner is included.  A letter from a fellow Marine officer who served in RVN is also included.  The Officer’s Guide is “…chapters which deal with leadership, with the traditions of our Corps, and with military courtesy, honors, and ceremonies.  All these are matters in which we like to believe that the Marine Corps has a unique approach..this book conveys the Marine Corps attitude with great fidelity.” (From the Foreword, no pun intended).  The history chapters–on the missions, organization, history (From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli), traditions–are excellent (though much has occurred since this volume was published in 1956).  Also chapters on women Marines, duty stations, “managing your career”, military law, housekeeping, personal affairs, and “Marine Corps Social Life.”  More Than a Few Good Men is Driver’s account of his two tours in Viet Nam, almost day by day, a diary in approach, with contributions from other Marines he served with.  The book also includes his career after Viet Nam.  SOLD AS A SET ONLY.  Semper Fi to all involved.

Authors’ Notes: General Thomas was the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and served in both world wars and Korea.  He was also the first director of the National Security Council.  Admiral Ageton served in World War II, and was ambassador to Paraguay in the Eisenhower administration.  Col. Driver served with the 1/9 and 2/9 Marines in Viet Nam, and wrote more than a dozen books on Civil War history.