The 7th Infantry Regiment: Combat in an Age of Terror: The Korean War Through the Present

This is the gold standard of regimental histories and the 7th US Infantry Regiment (currently assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division) deserves it. I found this book more interesting than the first part, which surprised me. His summary of Korea helped me better understand the broader issues of the war (and yes, MacArthur should have been relieved after the line was stabilized in 1951). Vietnam--awesome--as the 7th IR was assigned to the Saigon AOR. Gulf War--great. Iraq War/march up, outstanding! I thank the author for his work.

John McManus has a great gift for writing engrossing historical narratives. Don't let the academic title and cover deceive you. His latest book is not some dry academic chronicle of the 7th Infantry Regiment ("the Cottonbalers") from the Korean War to the modern era. It is up close and personal journey with the American infantryman as he struggles to carry out his mission through all kinds of adversity in all kinds of wars. McManus takes you from the rugged mountains of Korea where seemingly endless waves of Chinese threaten to dislodge you from your frozen hillside foxhole, to the humid, mosquito infested rice paddies of Vietnam where a ghostly enemy strikes suddenly and then disappears. The saga ends with modern day Cottonbalers dispersing from Bradleys to battle insurgents in the heart of Baghdad. McManus not only tells a good series of stories, he paints graphic pictures complete with sights, smells, and sounds. Throughout the book's subject span of nearly sixty years, the names, the weapons and the geographic settings change, but the unique burdens of the infantryman remain unchanged. McManus reminds the reader that wars are won by an army's ability to capture and hold ground. This is the dirty, thankless job of an infantryman whether he wears a steel pot and carries a carbine, or relies on Kevlar, night-vision, and an M16. I am looking forward to reading the upcoming "prequel" to this unique unit history. McManus will detail the 7th Infantry Regiment from the War of 1812 to WWII. I expect another round of engaging storytelling where a musket, Springfield, and M1 Garand will be placed alternately into my figurative hands. I also suspect the core theme will remain: the queen of battle is, and always has been, the infantry.

John C. McManus has again written an excellent military history this time with a focus on the a single regiment. As usual, McManus has combined military reports of combat with eyewitness accounts of the soldiers who were there in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. While each of these wars occurred for different reasons, in different countries, and with different enemys, the American soldiers of the 7th Regiment served with honor and courage. I highly recommend this book to anyone who interested in U.S. military history. Dr. McManus is superb historian with the ability to write well and keep the reader's attention. I am looking forward reading the next volume in the story of the 7th Regiment.