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I'm looking for suggestion on books on the background story of space marines.

I've only really been into the painting of the miniatures, but playing Dawn of War again has sparked my interest in learning about the back story.

I've been looking online and found the http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki and being reading there but would love some book as i'm old school.

Any suggestions where I should start, any particular chapters that would be good to start with?

Define backstory. In 40k, that term has several different meanings.

If you want the most common information, codex: space marine has a very broad, if somewhat superficial, collection of information regarding astartes.

If you're looking for the true origins of astartes, there's the Horus Heresy series, a 30+ book series set 10,000 years before the current setting, detailing the fall of the primarchs and the first events that set into motion the formation of the 40k setting as it is seen today.

If you just want more information about marines in general, the space marines battle series are pretty good. Especially Helsreach, Battle of the Fang, Wrath of Iron, and Death of Integrity.

Personally, for now, just explore the wiki, although for general information, lexicanum would be a better source. It's not as well updated as the wiki, but it's also less prone to errors and unedited info dumps.