Cover of An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC

An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC

This first cradle-to-grave biography of Colonel John W. Ripley provides readers with the complete story about a great man who is considered by Marines, such as General Carl Mundy, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, to be on the same level as legends Chesty Puller and Dan Daly. Colonel Ripley is most commonly known for his heroics in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where Colonel Gerald Turley ordered him to hold and die, in the face of over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. John Ripley proceeded to blow the Dong Ha bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing. He unhesitatingly obeyed and earned the nation s second highest honor, the Navy Cross.

Read more

As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there was much more to Colonel John Ripley. An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC narrates his early life and the influences which shaped his personality.

In youth, he was a rambunctious Huckleberry Finn who spent his days getting into all kinds of mischief

Audience
adult

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Life And Miracles Of St. Benedict Shares history
  2. Sarah's Valley Shares history
  3. Massacre in Munich: The Manhunt for the Killers Behind the 1972 Olympics Massacre Shares history
  4. The Story of the Pony Express: A Concise History Shares history

“If you want more of the same (history about military history), start with these.”

  1. The Puppet Masters: Spies, Traitors and the Real Forces Behind World Events
  2. A Brief History of the Crimean War: The Causes and Consequences of a Medieval Conflict Fought in a Modern Age
  3. Heroes & Villains: Inside the minds of the greatest warriors in history
  4. The Greek & Persian Wars

“Readers describe these the same way.”

  1. Thieves in the Night: Chronicle of an Experiment
  2. Codename Tricycle: The true story of the Second World War's most extraordinary double agent
  3. Solstice at Panipat, 14 January 1761
  4. The Scopes Trial: A Brief History with Documents

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. The Bridge at Dong Ha
  2. I Was There
  3. The black jackals
  4. Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of LT. Michael P. Murphy, USN