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To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War (C.A. Brannen Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter F. Owen
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $32.50
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Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 413668
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 264
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 1585445991
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.45973
EAN: 9781585445998
ASIN: 1585445991
Publication Date: September 30, 2007
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Book Description
Scholars and historians offer several theories for the crippling losses suffered by the American Expeditionary Forces on the battlefields of World War I: inexperience, poor leadership, hasty expansion of duties, and others. But until now, most of these studies have focused at the division level or higher. Now, with To the Limit of Endurance, Peter F. Owen offers a tautly worded, historically rigorous, and intensely human survey of the agonizing burden shouldered by the Second Battalion of the Sixth Regiment of U.S. Marines from its formation in Quantico, Virginia, in 1917 until the cessation of hostilities in November of the following year. In places like Belleau Wood and Soissons, these young men, led by dedicated officers, died in staggering numbers--primarily because of the outmoded tactics they had learned. Owen shows how the battalion regrouped after these campaigns, however, and embarked on a period of intense retraining. By the time of the closing weeks of the war, the adjustments they had made allowed them to mold themselves into a coldly efficient military machine. Drawing on a treasure trove of surviving first-hand accounts, Owen expertly combines these individual observations with military records and archival sources to create a mosaic that provides not only a case study of how one organization grappled with transformation but also a tightly focused, ground-level view of the lives--and deaths--of these courageous American military men. The grueling, ultimately triumphant odyssey of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines will appeal to military historians, professional soldiers, and interested general readers.
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| Customer Reviews:
The Finest Critical Analysis of a Corps Unit Ever Done. Period. August 19, 2008
I sitting down to write this review, I am moved by many forces. First of all is the shear outstanding qualities of this book. But in stating that, I keep in mind the fact that the author is a Marine Corps officer (well, WAS - but once a Marine, Always a Marine) and that anything less could not be expected of his work. That fact aside, I am confident in making the statement that this is perhaps the finest analysis of a Marine Corps unit I have ever read, and certainly one of the finest on a mid-level military unit in general. Lt.Col. Owen has written objectively and honestly about the 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, with true candor and skill. He is unapologetic concerning the problems faced by the Corps and the 2/6 in particular (something rarely encountered when Marines write about other Marines), and presents the FACTS clearly and concisely. This is clearly an asset, especially in this case when one must consider the fact that Owen was Executive Officer of the 2/6 during Operation Desert Storm. His sketches of the characters involved present the reader with a clear picture of the individual - only that which is necessary to gain a clear understanding of the men and their motives is included, while superfluous clutter is cast aside. This can sometimes appear very workman-like in print, but is definitely not here due to Owens' clear and direct writing style. Simply put, the book reads well.
Taking a step by step approach to the story, while not getting bogged down in far too much detail, also holds the reader's interest. This book could easily have been twice as long, as the sources Owen had to hand at the time were considerable. In delving into unpublished memoirs, the truth behind many of the myths and legends behind some of the Corps most famous moments is brought into clearer focus, without the flag waving and chesty pride usually associated with such endeavors. What the 2/6 went through at Belleau Wood was simply appalling, and Owen makes no bones about it. Nor the advance at Soissons, where a serious leadership blunder led to carnage. By the end, however, we see the learning curve that the AEF had to go through during its 19 months of serious existence beginning to take hold. There has been a spate of critical analysis of what the AEF high command did wrong in France written lately. Here, Owen does not hesitate to point out the flaws in AEF (and, by extension, the Corps') tactical doctrine as well, but is also quick to lay praise where it belongs and give due credit. This is a commendable initiative in a climate where the AEF is being hammered by many who seemingly refuse to accept that the AEF command structure did a remarkable job when one considers the time span and climate in which they had to work. Owen thus risks irritating 'serious' historians, but his effort is justified in the clear picture he paints of the 2/6's actions in France. The transition from tight knit, closely trained unit to tightly trained but more effusive 'organization' is particularly telling. It is also illustrative of exactly why so very few original members of a true combat unit actually see the end of any war...
I have read this book three times now, in order to keep a clear picture of all that i have read in my mind as I write this. Further, i read it three times because it is just a damn good book and has called to me!. Poignant moments prevail throughout the book, that stand out in relief against the swirling backdrop of war; scenes of men, thrown into a maelstrom, who learn the true meaning of death under fire. Among these that I will carry with me for many years to come are the first and the last; the first, in the shelling of the unit at Belleau Wood in their first action, where the men of the 2/6 are slapped in the face by the full reality of their situation; and the last, as the all but exhausted, spent and dirty officers of the battalion command staff stand in the cold, rainy darkness on a hillock overlooking the River Meuse on what will be the last night of the war, with orders to advance across the dirty river - all the while knowing that the end of the war is but a few hours away, and that German Maxim guns await across the cold, black water...
I have talked at length with Lt.Col. Owen about his work and the war in general. Those talks, however, have in no way influenced this review - it stands on its own and is based in the merits of his work. The idea for the book was given to him while standing in the darkness at the rail of a cruiser in the Persian Gulf coming out of Desert Storm. He himself had 'seen the tiger smile' only days before. And as XO of the modern 2/6, he therefore found himself doubly qualified to become the custodian of this portion of his unit's history. As a writer myself, I am aware of the sometime NEED of writers to write about specific events, and the apparent inevitability that leads them to certain projects. Peter Owen answered the 'call' that came to him and has done justice in no small way to the 2/6. Because of his excellent work, the sacrifice of those men from so long ago will never be forgotten, and we are provided with a glimpse of the lineage that made Peter Owen, and all his brothers in arms, the Marines that they were to become...
Well done Marine.
Robert J. Laplander
Author of:
Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous WW1 Epic.
 This is a great read... March 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War by Peter F. Owen was a fascinating look at the tactical level of World War I. The only other book on World War I that I have previously read that focused on the challenges of tactical leadership was Erwin Rommel's Infantry Attacks. (Most books seem to either talk about generals or the actual foot soldiers.) But Field Marshal Rommel's memoir of his exploits in World War I was not a critical analysis of the German Army's doctrines or its ability to execute those doctrines.
LtCol Owen recounts the tale of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, a unit he would later serve in, from its formation in 1917 through the end of the war. He insists upon using the original unique numerical designations for the rifle companies of the battalion rather than the alphabetical letter designations imposed by the U.S. Army and later permanently adopted by the Marine Corps.
Owen gives the reader thumbnail biographies of many of the key personalities that made 2/6 Marines the unit that it was. He discusses the equipment and organization of the battalion. He also discusses the training and doctrine imposed upon the battalion--and how that training and doctrine measured up to the stress of actual combat. It should be no surprise that the doctrine had to be modified in light of the lessons learned on the field of battle. Owen contends that the battalion probably represented about the best that the U.S. Army or Marines could field at the time that they were committed. And they were found wanting.
It almost goes without saying that the casualties suffered by the battalion were simply appalling. The tidbit about units holding back 20% of their troops before an attack so that it would be easier to rebuild the units was very informative (if grim). In addition to the "normal" hazards of the Western Front battlefield (fortified machine gun nests, gas attacks, etc.), the men of 2/6 Marines were also to suffer from the inexperience of their leaders and their staffs--from the platoon commanders all the way up to the corps command level. What struck me was, as in World War II, the American war machine quickly absorbed lessons and applied them. When you look at the time period of March to November of 1918, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) learned its craft in a relatively short amount of time. I speak in particular here of the arts of logistics and coordinating tank and artillery support.
What was also striking was how Army and Marine officers were interchanged. This dismayed the Marines of course, but the exigencies of the situation resulted in an intermixing of officer assignments that probably is rare even in our present ground forces--and certainly almost unheard of in the Second World War and Korea.
And the most compelling thing about this book to me was the author's candor. All too often (in my view), the Marines tend to whitewash unsavory parts of their history. And as Harry Truman observed, their propaganda arm is as good at Joe Stalin's. But Owen is not hesitant to expose examples of poor judgment and sometimes outright incompetence on the part of 2/6's leaders. This is after all, a critical assessment of the performance of the battalion in the Great War. And he does not trumpet the battle at Belleau Wood as an unvarnished success.
This book is an imminently readable and informative book about one battalion's part in the Great War. And it hopefully also gives the reader a look into the problems faced by probably every American rifle battalion that fought in that conflict. Any serious student of American involvement in World War One should look to add this work to his or her library.
Excellent book that translates to today! January 7, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
LtCol Peter Owen's book is a must for your PME collection as well as for anyone who likes to read about units of the Great War. Owen's book focuses on the 2/6 Marines which was part of the AEF's 2nd Division during WWI. Owen brilliantly tells the story about how the unit was a mixture of career Marines and men who joined up after the US declared war in 1917. Along with describing the personalities of the 2/6, Owen focuses on the operational effectiveness of the unit from its inception and how loses in combat negatively effected the performance of the unit. Owen also shows how the lack of training and poor doctrine was coupled with poor leadership decisions that led to very costly battles for the battalion. The book is easy to read and the chapters are well structured so the reader clearly understands the story Owen is relating to them. I plan to give this book to my friend who is going to USMC Command and Staff college!
For USMC-WW1, a must-read December 31, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
COL Owen(USMC)'s latest effort is a must read for all those interested in the United States in World War I particularly the US Marine Corps readers.
Expanding on his excellent work annotating a previous Marine Corps WW1 effort published by Texas A&M University Press, COL Owen's smooth writing style combined with exhaustive primary and secondary documentation research, makes for an "easy" read detailing the 2nd Battalion's grim and bloody campaigns during WW1 as part of one of the Marine Brigades attached to the U.S. Army's 2nd U.S. Infantry Division 'Indianheads" .."2nd to None!" The officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men of the 2nd Battalion fought in most of the major battles of the last year of the war and its casualty rosters reflect the butcher's toll. Many of the veterans of these battles played major roles in future Marine Corps efforts in Nicauragua(sp?), Haiti, World War 2 storming the beaches of the South Pacific and the Korean War.
The book contains the all-important maps for military history, an extensive bibliography/associated footnotes, and index as well as photographs.
A highly recommended effort worth adding to one's WW1 library and USMC histories.
CWO4 Allan Cordera USMC Retired September 25, 2007
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
An exceptional job by Lieutenant Colonel Pete Owen on his research and writing by masterfully piecing together first hand accounts of the Marines of all ranks that fought at Belleau Wood and Soissons. A well organized, simple read - but one that provides any military leader many lessons learned that can be applied to today's global war on terror and the battlefields of Iraq. Any reader who enjoys historical or military writing will enjoy and learn something from this book. LtCol Pete Owen provides interesting facts and military traditions of that era that are probably not known by many current military personnel. This book makes the perfect gift for any newly promoted NCO or recent academy school graduate and has become a definite addition to my PME library. Highly recommended and congratulations to LtCol Pete Owen on a job well done. Semper Fi Mac.
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