Leading the Marines

Commanding the Pacific is from the author of Commanding Lincoln's Navy, Marshall and His Generals, and other notable works. Prof. Taaffe (Austin State) gives us a probing look at the principal Marine Corps general in the Pacific, how the rose to senior command and how they preformed.

Commanding the Pacific is not a biographical dictionary. Rather, it is a study of Marine operations during the Pacific War as viewed through the performance the officers who commanded them. Taaffe reminds us that between the world wars the Marines were a small force – usually fewer than 20,000 men, most of whom were on constabulary duty. The Corps’ quite small officer cadre provided almost 100 generals, who led divisions, corps, and an army, in a series of successful amphibious operations across the Pacific.

Taaffe gives us a lot of detail about the development of the corps’ mission, the conduct of operations, the personal strengths and weaknesses of individual officers, and inter-service and intra-service politics.

Commanding the Pacific is an important read for anyone with an interest in the Pacific War, the Marine Corps, or command.

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Note: Command in the Pacific is also available in audio and e-editions.

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