Book description
Steven Preece was a Royal Marine Commando from 1983 to 1990, serving
first at entry-level and then as a lance-corporal. Amongst the Marines
is Steven's first-hand account of his years as an elite soldier,
focusing directly on the excessive and often shocking lifestyle of the
Marines during this time, and impact this had on his own personality
and behaviour.
Preece fulfilled his childhood ambition by earning the coveted Green
Beret when he was 18. He was unaware, however, of the brutal rite of
passage that awaited him and all the other 'pieces of skin' [new
recruits]. Violence in the Marines, as Steven discovered, was not
limited to the battlefield but a continual part of a pervasive culture
of bullying and aggression.
It did not take long for Preece to be accepted into this culture and
to adopt it as his own. On duty he was fit, committed and loyal, while
off duty he displayed a mammoth capacity for drinking, fighting and
womanising. On home leave, Steven found it increasingly hard to adapt
to civilian life. His drinking sessions in local pubs frequently ended
in fights with the locals and even in violence against members of his
own family. Preece earned a reputation amongst his fellow Marines for
pranks and dangerous behaviour; and this eventually led him to be
court-maritialled. To his relief and surprise, however, Preece was
fully acquitted by the court.
Amongst the Marines is an unflinching exposé of the culture of the
Marines, from foul practical jokes and rough justice to the off-duty
orgies of drink, sex and violence. It is a no-holds-barred account of
the many shocking incidents Preece witnessed and participated in, from
his first day as a new recruit to his exit from the Marines with his
reputation intact and his scores settled once and for all.
Since leaving the Marines in 1990, Steven Preece has forged a
successful career in IT and currently works as a senior technical
operations manager. This is his first book.
