The Raider

The Raider is a biography of Evans Carlson, the unconventional Marine officer whose career connected American military service with revolution and war in China. Carlson served in Nicaragua, observed Chinese Communist forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War and reported directly to Franklin D. Roosevelt. His experience with guerrilla organisation influenced the egalitarian training methods and small-unit tactics he later introduced to the Marines.

During the Pacific War, Carlson created and commanded the Marine Raiders, leading operations including the raid on Makin Island and the long patrol on Guadalcanal. His admiration for aspects of Mao Zedong’s forces, criticism of military hierarchy and left-wing associations later damaged his reputation during the anti-Communist politics of the early Cold War. Platt separates the documented officer from the legend surrounding the birth of American special operations.