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(More customer reviews)As more and more people discover this book, there's going to be a lot of Marines out there kicking themselves, wondering why they didn't think of writing it first. Out of the millions of Americans who have gone through basic training, few have taken the time to painstakingly record their daily experiences. Typically, recruits are focused on just surviving. Somehow, Lalor managed to pull off the impossible at boot camp-- keeping a secret journal under the watchful eye of his Drill Instructors, possibly risking his career.
From the very first pages, this book hit home. Even though my experiences during Navy boot camp weren't the exact same as Lalor's, the similarities are endless. I too was a not-too-young recruit, who had joined the military to allay feelings of guilt and pent-up patriotism. Like Lalor, I knew that friends and family would think I was nuts to voluntarily sign up. At boot camp, my survival techniques were the same as many outlined in this book-- count the days until you go home, try to not take the way you're treated too personally, and remember how proud you'll feel once it's all over.
This book is a must read for two different audiences: First, anyone who has been through boot camp from any branch. You won't realize how much you've forgotten about your own experience until you've read a detailed account like this. Sure, there are plenty of things about these grueling early days that you'll never forget, but you'll be surprised about how much can come back to you once your memory is jogged. The drill instructors and the fellow recruits that Lalor spent every moment with on Parris Island all reminded me of people I dealt with and trained with at Navy basic training at Great Lakes.
The next audience for which this book should be mandatory is anyone thinking about joining the military, or who is already on his/her way to boot camp. During the first few terrifying minutes, days and weeks of basic, you will want to know how to make your life more bearable. This book will help you, because it will spell out all the dirty tricks, harsh behavior and round-the-clock stress you will be forced to endure. This book will help you understand that success in boot camp is only minimally about how many push-ups you can do, or how fast you can run. Instead, 90% of being successful is keeping your head on straight and learning how to excel while under extreme stress. Knowing what you're up against will give you the perspective that will help you rise to the top of your platoon. This book will give you the insight you'll need.
During your darkest hours on Parris Island (and there will be dark hours), you will thank yourself for having read this book.
Click Here to see more reviews about: This Recruit: A Firsthand Account of Marine Corps Boot Camp, Written While Knee-Deep in the Mayhem of Parris Island
Just before the dawn of the Global War on Terror, Kieran Michael Lalor left his career as a high school social studies teacher, endeavoring to fulfill his lifelong dream. Lalor followed his father and brother's footsteps into the United States Marine Corps. This Recruit presents Lalor's nightly journal entries, beginning with the uneasy trip to the recruiter's office and the eerily quiet midnight bus ride to Parris Island. Lalor describes the wicked combination of fatigue, nerves, disorientation, misery, loneliness, and homesickness that conspire to keep him from his goal-along with the hours of close order drill, push-ups, hand-to-hand combat training, the pit, and the unrelenting mind games.
Witness the nasty recruit-on-recruit infighting that results when young men struggle to survive while being pushed past their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. Gaze at the target from the five hundred yard line on Qualification Day, when failure means at least an extra two weeks on the island and the added humiliation of failing the quintessential test of a Marine. Experience the rappel tower, night firing, the infiltration courses, and long, back-crushing humps. Struggle with Lalor and his platoon as they try to overcome the Crucible, the final obstacle before claiming the title of United States Marine.
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