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

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

Untold Story of a renegade Marine and the birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II (portion title)
Platt, Stephen R., (author.).

Summary:

"The extraordinary life of forgotten World War II hero Evans Carlson, commander of America's first special forces, secret confidant of FDR, and one of the most controversial officers in the history of the Marine Corps, who dedicated his life to bridging the cultural divide between the United States and China. By December of 1941, at the age of 45, Evans Carlson had already faced off against Sandinistas in the jungles of Nicaragua and served multiple tours in China, where he embedded with Mao's communist forces during the Sino-Japanese War and learned their guerrilla tactics. These were the tactics he would import to the Pacific Theater in 1942 with his renowned Marine Raiders, the progenitors of America's special operations forces, who fought behind Japanese lines on Guadalcanal with the collaborative spirit of 'gung ho'--a phrase Carlson introduced to the English language. In The Raider, Cundill Prize-winning historian Stephen R. Platt gives us the first authoritative account of Carlson's larger-than-life exploits: the real story, based on years of research including newly discovered diaries and correspondence in English and Chinese, with deep insight into the conflicted idealism about the Chinese communists that would prove Carlson's undoing in the McCarthy era. It is a propulsive, dramatic tale revealing the origins of the tensions between China and the US that endure to this day. Tracing the rise and fall of an unlikely American war hero, The Raider is a story of exploration, of cultural (mis)understanding, and of one man's awakening to the sheer breadth of the world"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780525658016
  • ISBN: 0525658017
  • Physical Description: xiii, 522 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First hardcover edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2025.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 427-497) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction -- Maps -- Prologue: The great adventure -- Part I: Leaving home. The telegram ; Shanghai ; Bandits ; The old capital ; Warm Springs -- Part II: China war. Into the cataclysm ; The Reds ; Agnes ; Into the north ; The other side ; Crossroads -- Part III: American interlude. Sympathy ; Unheard warnings -- Part IV: Pacific war. New beginnings ; Makin Island ; Survival ; Fame and glory ; Into the jungle ; Home fronts ; Backlash ; The maw -- Part V: Homecoming. Into the postwar ; Shifting grounds ; Forgetting -- Acknowledgments -- Note on romanization -- Source notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
Carlson, Evans Fordyce, 1896-1947.
United States. Marine Corps > Biography.
World War, 1939-1945 > Commando operations > Pacific Area.
World War, 1939-1945 > Campaigns > Pacific Area.
United States. Marine Corps. Marine Raider Battalion, 2nd > History.
Carlson, Evans Fordyce, 1896-1947 > Travel > China.
Asia Pacific War, ca. 1931-1945.
Generals > United States > Biography.
Intelligence officers > China > Biography.
Special forces (Military science) > History > 20th century.
Genre:
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 19 of 19 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 19 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Jacksonville Main Library BIO CARLSON (Text) 36015000723615 Adult Biography Available -

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MARC Record

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24630. ‡aUntold Story of a renegade Marine and the birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II
250 . ‡aFirst hardcover edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bAlfred A. Knopf, ‡c2025.
300 . ‡axiii, 522 pages : ‡billustrations, maps ; ‡c25 cm
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504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 427-497) and index.
5050 . ‡aIntroduction -- Maps -- Prologue: The great adventure -- Part I: Leaving home. The telegram ; Shanghai ; Bandits ; The old capital ; Warm Springs -- Part II: China war. Into the cataclysm ; The Reds ; Agnes ; Into the north ; The other side ; Crossroads -- Part III: American interlude. Sympathy ; Unheard warnings -- Part IV: Pacific war. New beginnings ; Makin Island ; Survival ; Fame and glory ; Into the jungle ; Home fronts ; Backlash ; The maw -- Part V: Homecoming. Into the postwar ; Shifting grounds ; Forgetting -- Acknowledgments -- Note on romanization -- Source notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
520 . ‡a"The extraordinary life of forgotten World War II hero Evans Carlson, commander of America's first special forces, secret confidant of FDR, and one of the most controversial officers in the history of the Marine Corps, who dedicated his life to bridging the cultural divide between the United States and China. By December of 1941, at the age of 45, Evans Carlson had already faced off against Sandinistas in the jungles of Nicaragua and served multiple tours in China, where he embedded with Mao's communist forces during the Sino-Japanese War and learned their guerrilla tactics. These were the tactics he would import to the Pacific Theater in 1942 with his renowned Marine Raiders, the progenitors of America's special operations forces, who fought behind Japanese lines on Guadalcanal with the collaborative spirit of 'gung ho'--a phrase Carlson introduced to the English language. In The Raider, Cundill Prize-winning historian Stephen R. Platt gives us the first authoritative account of Carlson's larger-than-life exploits: the real story, based on years of research including newly discovered diaries and correspondence in English and Chinese, with deep insight into the conflicted idealism about the Chinese communists that would prove Carlson's undoing in the McCarthy era. It is a propulsive, dramatic tale revealing the origins of the tensions between China and the US that endure to this day. Tracing the rise and fall of an unlikely American war hero, The Raider is a story of exploration, of cultural (mis)understanding, and of one man's awakening to the sheer breadth of the world"-- ‡cProvided by publisher.
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