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Like all of his books, the genre in this series is drama and not war. The Corps a series about relationships and culture, traditions and history of men who were actively involved in war. The storyline is set against war, and as a reader, you will get a perspective on what goes in the minds of men whenever they make decisions concerning their fate or how to get bullet boxes into the island located in the middle of nowhere. As the reader, you will get to meet various characters as they meet with one another. Furthermore, you will also get to see what they do from their perspectives. Each of the characters, tell their stories, worries, and ambitions. Thus we get to know what happens in their minds. From time to time, the reader gets to walk in the shoes of the main character as he experiences new situations.
Order of The Corps Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semper Fi | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Call to Arms | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Counterattack | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Battleground | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Line of Fire | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Close Combat | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Behind the Lines | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | In Danger's Path | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Under Fire | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Retreat, Hell! | 2003 | Description / Buy |
There are numerous tomes about campaigns and battles, but very little explorations, especially at the lower ranks. The author tries to explain explicitly the reasons as to why another man would place his life on another man, the double-dealings that go on in the military culture and the back channels. While this series will not educate you on any particular battle, it is going to let you know of other historical books. When compared to the Brotherhood of Arms series, this series is fairly condensed. The series is set in the year 1940 to 1945, with some books in the series, taking the reader into the Korean Army.
The Corps Awards
W.E.B Griffin is yet to win any major awards with any of the books in this series.
The Corps Books into Movies
None of the books in this series has been adapted for screenplay.
Best Corps Books
One of the best books in the Corps series is Sempi Fi. It is January 1941, and Kenneth McCoy, Private First Class, finds himself on the verge of promotion to corporal, while still serving with the 4th Marines. From the very start, you will realize that Kenneth is not only Street smart, but he had entered the Marine Corps through uncertain means, where he was to choose between the army or jail. The main intention of the judge was to ensure that Kenneth went through the strict discipline of the Marine Corps. It did not take before Kenneth discovered that life in the military is not what he expected. As a Marine Corp who served in China, he carved a niche for himself by gambling and playing poker at a nearby hotel. After an altercation with four Italian marines while coming back from a poker game. McCoy ends up killing two of the Italians and injuring the other two.
His acts of self-defense land him in trouble with the army. This, in turn, caught the attention of Captain Ed Banning. After all, this takes place; the story begins to snowball. Upon learning that McCoy is in trouble, Chatsworth comes to his aid by preventing a court martial who was keen in sinking McCoy’s promotion chances. Banning acknowledges McCoy as a man of intelligence, especially when he learns that McCoy can speak several languages like Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Kenneth McCoy finds himself transferred to the motor pool. However, this s a cover since he works for Banning directly. It does not take long before Kenneth McCoy begins conducting surveillance of Japanese armed forces and secret missions. Kenneth McCoy soon acquires the status of the killer of men. One day when on a mission, he is attacked by a group of Japanese-led attackers, and he immediately guns them down.
Another book that performed extremely well in this book series is Calls to Arms, which is the second novel in the Corps series by author W.E.B Griffin. As the second book in this series, Calls to Arms picks up from where the first book left off from and led us the readers through the events that happened after the Pearl Harbor. Despite the fact that this installment is a little bit slower than the first book, we find the main protagonist in San Diego and then move to Pensacola for the major part of the story. The author’s research is top notch while the details around the military strategies, maneuvers, and training, truly assist the series come to life. With that said, most of the books in this series will leave you wanting to read more about the role of United States in World War II.
Other Book Series You May Like
“Brotherhood of War” is also another great series from W.E.B Griffin. In this series, Griffin has created a master story by weaving a contagious tale about the lives of men who served in the army. Like most of his novels, the real action in this book series is bureaucratic. It not only has well-developed characters but it also looks deeply into the lives of the servicemen. This is a must read.
What Is The Next Book in The Corps Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Corps Series. The newest book is Retreat, Hell! and was released on December, 28th 2003.