Marines of Autumn

The Marines of Autumn. James Brady. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001. 274pp.
His mission was complete; he did what he was told to do and now he can go home, or so Tom Verity thought. Verity was granted compassionate relief from the Marines to take care of his young daughter after the recent death of his wife, when he was called by the Marine Corps. He was told to travel to Korea to listen to Chinese “chatter.” He was not supposed to fight, just listen. As MacArthur was promising the Nation that “the boys might be home for Christmas,” the Chinese were positioning themselves all across North Korea. Since the war would soon be over, or so they thought, the government stopped shipment of winter clothing. Some soldiers wore summer fatigues. As Verity, his gunnery sergeant “Gunny” Tate, and the driver “Izzo,” drove closer to the thirty-eighth parallel, the sense of Chinese soldiers in the area becomes more evident. Amongst threats and warnings, MacArthur is determined to march the Marines all the way to China. Verity follows the lead division and as the Chinese attack and Marine divisions are scattered all over Korea, Verity is given a weapon to join the Marines to fight. As the Marines try a hasty retreat through snowy mountains with temperatures reaching thirty-below zero Fahrenheit, and suicidal Chinese attacking every night, Verity tries to stay alive in the freezing Hell. This is a book targeted for all freedom-loving Americans.
THE MARINES OF AUTUMN is a book that describes and recreates the struggles Marines encountered in Korea. In the end Brady adds his own surprising twist overall, leaving the book with need for little improvement. The suspense and interest are captured not only with the Korean War story itself, but also by how Brady tells it. This book, once read, will inspire respect, honor, and thanks for those who served in Korea, “The Forgotten War.” On a scale of 1-10, this exceptionally well-written book would receive a 10.
Reviewed by: Brock