When Reagan Sent in the Marines review

Title: When Reagan Sent in the Marines: The Invasion of Lebanon 

Author: Patrick J Sloyan 

Chapters: 14 plus prologue and epilogue 

Pages: 240

Genre: nonfiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books 

I'm not going to lie When Reagan Sent in the Marines: The Invasion of Lebanon by Patrick J Sloyan was a hard read at least for me. Not because of the writing level or the amount of information, but because of the subject material.  Unlike most people, my age who weren't alive when the events in this book happened I grew up hearing about the attack and the events leading up to it and the Marines effected have pretty much affected my life and the lives of members of my family.  The Date of October 23, 1983, is forever burned into my memory as the day my dad lost Marine brothers and my home state lost five Marines two from my hometown and one from my mom's hometown and a distant relative. 

Patrick J Sloyan disused both sides as well as gave an overview of what was happening in the Middle East at the time as well as the rest of the world.  As a journalist turned writer it clear that he tried to remain unbiased as much as he could but there were some parts where you could tell it was hard for him to keep it out of the writing.  What sets this book apart from previous books about the topic is that by the time it was published 36 years had passed since the bombing.   As well as getting an overview and history of what was happening at the time. As well as more information on Reagan's role in Lebanon and why he sent the Marines there.  However, there are things we will never know.  

Also reading you learn that the main reason that the Invasion of Grenada happened was Reagan was trying to find a way to save face from the issues in Lebanon and so the Marines headed to Lebanon to back up the drowning Marines in Beirut were rerouted to be part of the Invasion force for Grenada.   What a reader should take away from this book if they take nothing else from it is that the bombing that killed 241 Americans 220 of them Marines was the first and worst terrorist attack our Nation would have until 9/11, and that this attack and the response to it is still felt today and paved the way for other terrorist attacks.  And for me personally after reading this book I better understand my dad and what he went through as a 20-year-old Marine.