The raider The untold story of a renegade Marine and the birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II

Review by Booklist Review

Evans Carlson may not be a familiar name, even among the most dedicated military enthusiasts, but his achievements are truly remarkable. As the first commander of America's inaugural special forces unit, a secret confidant to FDR, and one of the Marine Corps' most controversial figures, Carlson devoted his life to bridging the cultural gap between the United States and China. In The Raider, award-winning historian Platt presents the definitive account of Carlson's extraordinary life. Drawing on years of meticulous research, including newly uncovered diaries and correspondence in both English and Chinese, Platt unveils the true story of this enigmatic war hero. He delves into Carlson's idealistic views of Chinese communism, which ultimately led to his downfall during the McCarthy era. The Raider is more than a biography; it's a tale of adventure, cultural exchanges gone awry, and one man's realization of the vast opportunities the world has to offer. This groundbreaking book fills a significant gap in historical literature and is an essential read for casual history enthusiasts and professional historians alike.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

An innovative military leader who tried to bring communist ideals to the U.S. Marine Corps is spotlighted in this rousing biography. Historian Platt (Imperial Twilight) recaps the life of Evans Carlson (1896--1947), a Marine colonel who spearheaded the 1942 creation of Marine "Raider" battalions, designed to fight guerrilla-style behind enemy lines. He modeled the battalions on his impressions, made in the 1930s as a military observer, of the Chinese Communist Party's Eighth Route Army, which was composed of small, highly mobile formations that could maneuver easily around larger Japanese units. Carlson also drew on the CCP's egalitarian military structure, under which officers would share their men's hardships, motivate them by reason rather than pulling rank, and inspire them with political zeal. He popularized the Chinese-derived term "gung ho" to express his philosophy that soldiers must have "full and complete trust" in one another. After leading the raiders on the daring 1942 "Long Patrol," a blood-soaked 29-day march behind Japanese lines on Guadalcanal, Carlson became a war hero (the 1944 movie Gung Ho! immortalized his exploits). He was later ousted from command, however, by Marine brass suspicious of his challenges to military hierarchy. Platt's narrative delivers plenty of blood and guts action while serving as a revealing exploration of the ardent attraction many Westerners felt toward Chinese communism. The result is a gripping, complex study of a military romantic who mixed ruthlessness with idealism. (May)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Known as the black sheep of the U.S. Marine Corps, General Evans Carlson (1896--1947) pioneered the use of guerilla tactics and helped establish marine raider battalions. After a stint in the army, where he lied about his age to join and fight in World War I, he enlisted in the marine corps as a private and was later commissioned as a first lieutenant. Platt (history, Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst; Imperial Twilight) details the incredible story of Carlson's life. In the 1930s, Carlson spent months living and marching with Chinese Communists as an observer regularly dispatching sympathetic reports directly to President Roosevelt. He took a deep interest in Chinese history, culture, and language to better understand his hosts. The lessons he learned from the lightly armed and highly mobile Chinese forces helped inform the tactics he implemented as a leader of a marine raider battalion in the Pacific. He was never a communist, but his reputation was attacked in the postwar years, and his contributions to the marines were largely forgotten. VERDICT This biography highlights an important period in U.S. relations with China and will be enjoyed by readers interested in Chinese and World War II history.--Chad E. Statler

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Unlikely story of a senior U.S. Marine officer who turned far to the left over a lifetime of service. Like fellow Marine General Smedley Butler, who declared, "War is a racket," Evans Carlson strayed far from military protocol over his decades as a warfighter. Among other contributions to Marine and military culture, he introduced the slogan "gung ho," borrowed from his years in China; he was also, notes biographer Platt, beloved of his enlisted charges, having come up through the ranks. For all that, Platt notes, and for all his heroism, especially during the island-hopping years of World War II, Carlson was "all but disowned by his service." No Marine structure, from a mess hall to a training facility, let alone a whole base, bears his name. There's a reason: Carlson embedded in China, having convinced Franklin D. Roosevelt that it was in the U.S. interest to know more about the rising civil war between the Communists and Nationalists, as well as warning that Japan was striving to become the dominant Pacific power. The admonition was overlooked, but from his time in other theaters such as Nicaragua, Carlson was convinced that the Marines would have to learn guerrilla warfare, and, against much resistance higher up, he formed a commando unit that he dubbed "Raiders," forerunners of today's Special Forces. Among his innovations was the decentralized three-man "fire team" that Marines still use today. Among others were regular talks with his men on social and political issues--a practice learned from spending time with Mao Zedong's army. For this and his growing alignment with the political left, despite leading "the [Pacific] war's first victorious ground mission," the heavily decorated Carlson was essentially forced out of the Corps, dubbed by theBaltimore Sun as its "black sheep," and is forgotten today. Students of World War II in the Pacific, as well as Marine Corps history in general, will find this engaging. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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