Troops Books

Phil Chinnery is a people person who goes to those who have been 'in harms way' for his books. He talks and more importantly, listens to the person relating their story to him. He isn't just writing a book, he is documenting, often for the first (and possibly last time due to age) time a living historical account of military 'black ops'. The Free Tibet movement isn't as new as some may think. USAF special ops types were flying missions into Tibet in the 50s & 60s. And there are more accounts of little known quirks of national policy than some can believe. For me, Phil's book has personal meaning. His account of what happened on the night of 24-25 April 1980, at Desert One Iran, helped me to get past the trauma of that night. I was a loadmaster on the tanker that was hit by the helo and exploded and his account opened old wounds and helped to heal. For that, I rate his book '5 Stars'! Thank you Phil...

Phil Chinnery is a people person who goes to those who have been 'in harms way' for his books. He talks and more importantly, listens to the person relating their story to him. He isn't just writing a book, he is documenting, often for the first (and possibly last time due to age) time a living historical account of military 'black ops'. The Free Tibet movement isn't as new as some may think. USAF special ops types were flying missions into Tibet in the 50s & 60s. And there are more accounts of little known quirks of national policy than some can believe. For me, Phil's book has personal meaning. His account of what happened on the night of 24-25 April 1980, at Desert One Iran, helped me to get past the trauma of that night. I was a loadmaster on the tanker that was hit by the helo and exploded and his account opened old wounds and helped to heal. For that, I rate his book '5 Stars'! Thank you Phil...

" Any Time, Any Place" is a comprehensive account of the aircrews and aircraft that have provided special operations air support for the last fifty years. Though special operations aviation has been a relatively obscure part of the U.S. military establishment, Chinnery does a good job describing both the well-known missions (Son Tay, Desert One) as well as the more obscure ones (Operation Thursday, Operation Eager Anvil). The only criticism I have of "Any Time, Any Place" is the rather dry tone with which the author presents the stories. As a current helo pilot in AFSOC, I can assure any reader that the truth behind these missions is far more entertaining (and informative) than any bland recounting of dates and names. For those readers looking for more accounts of Air Force Special Operations, I suggest "From a Dark Sky" by Orr Kelly and "The Guts to Try" by Jim Kyle.

I submitted a review on this format on 3 September (8 working days ago). I really worked hard on the review etc. Should I resubmit..or are just just a little bit behind and I should be patient. Thanks. Charles

Three points about this volume are of particular positive interest. First, the editors decision to have contributors discuss not only history, but also doctrinal and technological development of American armor. This makes for a volume which will be of interest to both amateurs and professionals. Second, the choice of contributors could not, in my opinion, have been much better. Lastly, the inclusion of chapters dealing with the history and development of armor in the U.S. Marine Corps is an often overlooked area of discussion.

In such an excellent volume, my criticisms are few, but relate to what the editors and the individual contributors have decided to exclude. For example, though there is a fine chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in Europe (Chapter 5), there is no corresponding chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in the Pacific. Instead, the editors have included a chapter on U.S. Marine Corps tank operations in the Pacific (Chapter 6). This decision is rather curious in that, at its peak strength, the U.S. Marine Corps only had 6 tank battalions and 6 amphibious tractor battalions (one of each per division), while the U.S. Army had 18 tank battalions, 10 tank destroyer battalions, and 19 amphibious tank and tractor battalions, and a cavalry mechanized reconnaissance squadron in the Pacific. Unfortunately, this sort of omission might lead the amateur reader to believe that the U.S. Army's commitment to the Pacific War was so minuscule that it was not worth mentioning, which is absolutely not the case.

Two other items received only scant mention in this volume - tank destroyers and the M113. While the whole concept of tank destroyers ultimately proved unsuccessful, the amount of resources devoted to them during the war certainly necessitates more discussion than the half dozen or so pages in this volume. The other odd omission is the M113 armored personal carrier. This venerable workhorse of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps from the 1950s to the 1980s, receives only scant mention, while the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle, a relative newcomer, receives much more extensive coverage.

Anyone interested in tanks and mechanized infantry in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps ought to read this collection of historical essays. The emphasis is upon technical and doctrinal development, and while most of these topics have been treated elsewhere, their compilation here makes for a nice (if uneven) survey. Strengths: the discussion of armor use in the Marine Corps, the recognition that U.S. tank destroyers were as significant as tanks during WWII, the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the relationship of doctrinal development and the use of armor in the 1970s and 1980s. This reviewer faults an emphasis on post-WWII developments, a lack of discussion on armored artillery or the seemingly-immortal M113 and its variants, glossing over survivability criticisms of the M2/M3, a lack of tabular comparative technical data, and limited discussion of armored and mechanized tables of organization and equipment. That said, highly recommended for any modern military collection.

As the sequel to DRAGON AND THEIF D and S continues the story of young Jack Morgan and his new symbiot Draycos as they try to discover the attacker's of Draycos' people before they are completely destroyed.

It is well written, and by that I mean it is written to a level that early teens will find easy and pleasant to follow. But not only that it has a simple, although interesting plot, with plenty of action to keep someone interested. I don't mean to infer that adults won't like it, if you like well crafted YA lit then you're probably going to enjoy D and S, especially if you enjoyed D and T.

Although Jack's and Draycos' don't evolve much in this volume we are introduced to another character, Alison, a girl about his age. It is plain to see Alison is not only going to be and interesting addition to the Dragonback sage but will play a critical role in the future.

A quick read D and S is a great complement to the first volume and I certainly RECOMMEND it. Not only was it fun to read but it definitely leaves you waiting expectantly for the next installment.

Dragon and Soldier (2004) is the second novel in the Dragonback Adventure series, following Dragon and Thief. In the previous volume, Jack had been framed for theft of cargo belonging to Braxton Universis and then was framed for murder; in fact, a BU security man had really killed the two aliens. Then Jack was extorted into stealing a cylinder from the purser's safe on a spaceliner.

Jack was persuaded by Draycos to buck the system and revealed this scheme to the victim. But then he learned that the victim was really Braxton himself and managed to defeat an attempt by the conspirators to space both of them. Braxton nullified the warrants for his arrest and profusely expressed his gratitude. Since Draycos had helped clear him, Jack left as quickly as possible to start looking for the people who had ambushed the Shontine/K'da advance party.

In this novel, Jack, Draycos and Uncle Virge discuss their options and decide not to report the situation to StarForce since someone in the government may be passing information to the ambushers. They cannot rely on mercenary units either. Instead, they decide to infiltrate one mercenary group and check their files for any relevant information.

Jack signs on with Whinyard's Edge as Jack Montana. Things start to go wrong from the first contact with the recruiters. However, he meets another recruit, Alison Kayna, who seems to know everything and is willing to pass on her knowledge.

Jack, Alison and the other recruits are put through a ten day training course to prepare them for army living and combat. The length of the course is not adequate for real training, so Jack assumes that they are being prepared as cannon fodder. If they survive their first combat, maybe they will receive further training.

When Jack tries to break into the camp computer net, Draycos notices someone else sneaking around the headquarters building. Jack climbs out the window and returns to his bunk before the general alarm, yet the recruits are not rousted out of bed. Later Jack, Alison and four other recruits are called in for a special briefing.

These six recruits are shipped to Sunright as computer operators. They are situated in an isolated camp far from other Whinyard's Edge troops. Then the regular troops in the area are withdrawn and the recruits are left alone in their bivouac.

This novel describes Jack's introduction to mercenary life. He doesn't like it very much. Moreover, he now has an excellent chance of getting shot, either by the enemy or by friendly troops. He is still mystified by Alison, who never seems to be lacking in the required skills.

Highly recommended for Dragonback fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure and sneaky gambits.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This knock-your-socks-off, rip-roaring-adventure from a master storyteller continues the story of former thief, fourteen-year-old Jack Morgan who teamed up in a symbiotic relationship with Draycos, a dragon-like warrior-poet in Dragon and Thief. This self-contained story stands alone but is such fun that readers will definitely want to read its predecessor. Trying to find leads that may help them save the refugee fleet coming from Draycos's planet, Jack infiltrates a mercenary organization as a raw recruit and ends up in the middle of a war. The combination of high-tech adventure and the philosophy and moral stands of Draycos give it wide appeal. Recently I was asked if anyone was still writing the kind of grand space adventure like Heinlein's juveniles or Andre Norton's tales that enticed so many people into science fiction fandom. Now I have the answer and it is a resounding yes! Zahn rocks!

Unlike many titles in the Osprey series that only deal with the uniforms as objects ( colours, buttons, insigna, etc.), this one is a good and short synthesis about the republican army of 1870-71. No such book was available before. The only noticeable defect is that there is no bibliography.
The army described in the book was raised by the new republican government of France in 1870 to try to repel invasion by the Prussian and German armies, after the two main French Imperial armies had surrendered at Sedan and Metz and the Second Empire had collapsed as a consequence.
(NB: The Imperial army is covered in The French Army of the Franco-Prussian War - part 1).
The republican army was composed of the remnants of the regular army that had not surrendered, as well as the " Garde Mobile" and "Garde Nationale mobilisee" ( made up of people who had drawn a " good number" and were not conscripted in the regular army; they were untrained civilans) and various volunteer or partisan forces.
This books explains clearly and simply what each component of this army was made of, how it was raised, their equipment, weapons and uniforms, their battle records.
At the time, republican France took American civil war armies as their model; they had also been citizen armies raised in haste. Only their opponents, the German armies, were revolutionizing warfare at the time, with their very organized general staff, officer and non-commissioned officer corps, mobilization of well-trained reserve troops, as well as a superior artillery ( Krupp breech-loading steel cannon).
The improvised French army did not stand a chance and all it did in the end was to save the honour of France, that had been badly tarnished by the disasters at Sedan and Metz.

As in every book in the Man-at-arms series there is a series of colour-plates illustrating the uniforms worn by combatants.
The uniforms of this army were quite colourful and the artist has done a good job at reconstructing them.
For more pictures of those uniforms and the battles of the time, the paintings of Edouard Detaille and Alphonse de Neuville, the two most famous French military painters of the time, are THE SOURCE. They are reproduced in many books but the few monographs covering their work in pictures are in French and are very difficult to find.
I would however warmly recommend an excellent recent book by Francois Robichon: L'Armee francaise vue par les peintres, 1870-1914, available from Amazon.fr.

For a thorough account of the war, you can refer to "The Franco-Prussian war" by Michael Howard and a few other titles.

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was a dark page in French history, and ended with the destruction of the Second Empire,But even after the surrender and abdication of Napoleon III, the french army continued to battle in the ranks of the Republican armies. The Turcos,The chasseur's d'Afrique,The foreign Legion, The infanterie Legere d'Afrique and the Spahis with a detachment of Papal Zouaves which was dispatched by Pius IX to aid France in the conflict were ready to continue the fighting. Despite the disastrous result of the war, the republican troops took the arms and decide not to surrender but The newly raised republican armys had no chance against the german troops.In January Paris surrendered. This Book covers the last part of the Second Empire with information on the uniforms,eigth full color plates with black and white photos. If you are interesting in the FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR you can also consider the Next Titles The Debacle by Emile Zola, Art, War and Revolution in France, 1870-1871, and a Beautiful title from the master of illustration L'Armee Francaise : An Illustrated History of the French Army, 1790-1885(Edoaurd Detaille)

The Second Empire has become a more and more popular period of study for many uniform and military historians. This is the first of two books depicting uniforms of Napoleon III's Imperial Guard troops. the Zouaves,Voltigeurs of the Imperial Guard and many more plates from the Imperial troops

In July 1870, France declared war on Prussia in part over a disagreement about a Prussian prince accepting the crown of Spain. By September 1870, a French army had been defeated, Emperor Napoleon III captured at Sedan, France declared a republic, and Paris under siege. In January 1871, Wilhelm I of Prussia was crowned Kaiser Wilhelm I of a unified Germany at Versailles, Paris fell, and France surrendered, losing Alsace and Lorraine and forced to pay huge reparations. Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Prussia since 1862, and now Germany, subsequently sought to keep France isolated to prevent the recovery of Alsace and Lorraine.

The Second Empire, under Napoleon III, was a reaction against the bourgeois age of the previous ruler King Louis Philippe in spirit as well as in deed. The army, elevated from tactful obscurity, was re-modelled on Napoleonic lines, and its neglected iconography revived in the form of the eagle, the crowned 'N' and the Imperial bee. What was needed to complete the resurrection was victory in the field. It is hardly surprising that Napoleon and the army were mindful of the great Napoleonic traditions and were anxious to emulate them. Their first real opportunity came with the Crimean War, in which, despite a muddled campaign, the army acquitted itself well. In 1859 it was again successful, against the Austrians this time, with costly victories at Magenta and Solferino. Their next adventure, unfortunately, ended in a humiliating withdrawal, after a protracted anti-guerrilla struggle in Mexico. Meanwhile, back in Europe, Prussia was fast emerging as a challenge to France's military pre-eminence. In concert with Austria, Bismarck first crushed Denmark before turning on Austria herself. The victory at Sadowa in 1866 stunned Europe, and in Paris Napoleon and his advisers set to thinking of a way to counter this new threat. In this first of two volumes looking at the French Army of the Franco-Prussian War, Stephen Shann and Louis Delperier examine the history, organisation and weapons of the French Imperial troops.

Remember there are two volumes this is the Imperial troops there is also the republican troops

Mr Michelletti has down a good job at presenting a complete status report on the French SF which underwent a complete reshuffle in 1993. Far from the anglo-saxon view that tends to think that the French SF are made up by the 2eme REP and nothing else, the reader will discover who is who in the French SF circles. Rarely seen units such as the DAOS (SF Aviation unit),the Navy commandos,the Air Force CPA 1O CSAR unit, are reviewed along more publicized units such as the 1er RPIMa or the Combat Swimmers from the "Commando Hubert". The pictures are of very high standard,never publicized before for most of them and rich in interesting details for "kit" fanatics. Weapons rarely seens in French hands such as Colt 735/M203s,SIG 550s and heavy sniping rifles are clearly visible. Overally a very pleasant and well researched book by a former member of the French Airborne Forces.

French Special Forces, Eric Micheletti, Histoire & Collections, 160 pages.
IF IT'S special forces that has your interest, Eric Micheletti's new French Special Forces will be right up your alley.
As a former member of the French airborne and editor of RAIDS, a French military magazine, Micheletti is well-placed to pen this detailed account of his country's SF.
The book looks at the most secretive of French SF - 1RPIMa, naval commandos, and special operations aviation assets as well as the basic, run-of-the-mill SF.
We see the various French operations around the world, different exercises, training and day-to-day activities.
The book is comprehensive in its explanation of the role of the special forces in France, and profiles each of the regiments clarifying their position in the greater scheme of things. You can learn about their equipment, kit, weapons - even operational history.
Set out like a flashy, hard cover magazine, French Special Forces is an easy, but very informative read, filled with amazing pictures of the boys in action.

Former French para and military writter Eric Micheletti has written a number of books over the last decade. He has covered topics rangig from a study of French hotels to the conflict in the former Yugosolvia.

In his latest work, French Special Forces, he provides a detailed look into the unit s that compose France's Commandement des Operations Speciales (COS) including the 1 RPMIa, the Commando Hubert combat diver unit, and CPA No.10. The book is coffee table format, hard back and contains a large number of high quality glossy photos.

Micheletti has broken the book up into several main sections, with each section covering the special operations unit s of each armed service.

Micheletti describes in great detail the makeup of each individual unit, their equipment, selection,training, and some of their recent operations.

The final section of the book provides information on how COS units fit into France's military strategy, and orders of battle for each of the units.

Overall French Special Forces is well worth the price, and would be a excellent addtion to anyone interested in special operations, or French military operations library.

Crammed into a boxcar with a bunch of strangers and their packs, duffle bags and rifles, on a train that rattles along in the night headed for who knows where, Reuben Crane, just 18, goes to war. Leon Powell's The Gapfiller, brings the young soldier's discomfort, bewilderment and ever present fear in the pit of his stomach, front and center with an immediacy reminiscent of World War II artist Bill Mauldin's "G. I. Joe". Reuben's fellow squad members have little in common with each other or with this quiet boy fresh from a Tennessee farm. The author's description of the esprit de corps that develops is thoughtfully crafted and shows an understanding of human relationships that reaches beyond the confines of his story.

Well-written story by a former Army Airbone trooper tells a saga of a young Upper South Everyman, Reuban Cain, who plugs the gap as a World War II post-Battle of the Bulge replacement. Cain's trip across Europe is not without danger, but it is tempered by the camaradie of his squad, some are good guys, some not. It's a good sequel to other World War II adventures.

The author tells the story of a young, green recruit, Reuben Cain, who joins an Airborne Infantry unit. Cain, an everyman from the Upper South, must interact with other squad members, some good, some bad. After a brief interlude in Paris and a visit to the infamous Rue Pigalle, Cain moves up to front. Dead bodies appear. The author's tone is realistic and occasionally gritty as he unfolds this war story through young Cain's eyes. It's well-written and a good read. If you've read Ambrose's D-Day work or seen the film "Saving Private Ryan", you'll appreciate this tale as a useful sequel about war at the squad level. The author's background as explained on the book cover gives him special insight in developing this fictional memoir.

Buy this book! Great text with many pictures ive never seen.

This book has potential but is marred by an inexplicable number of errors. I found myself unable to enjoy the text without discovering page after page of misidentifications (i.e.: Panzer IVs labeled as Panzer IIIs, Marder IIs labeled as Marder IIIs, etc., etc.). Scenes from Africa are misidentified as "..on the Eastern Front..." Some of the vehicles are not only mislabeled, but are also put into a context that is chronologically impossible (i.e.: Panzer IV Ausf. Js during Operation Citadel). I simply cannot fathom how an author can place such facts into print without doing a minimal amount of research. Also, the author has a habit of speculating about what is happening in the photographs, to the extent that I almost expected to read what the crew was thinking when the photo was snapped. Most of this is obviously pure conjecture, and rings hollow when coupled with the factual errors that are evident. The layout of the book had promise, with different chapters devoted to main battle tanks, light tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, etc. But I was disappointed to find that the chapters do not even come close to being comprehensive in scope. For example, the reconnaissance chapter has over twenty photos of motorcycle dispatch riders, but very little coverage of the various models of armored cars used throughout the conflict. Some of the photos are of dubious quality and/or informational value, and others have been seen before in other publications (not generally a problem, but the book is subtitled "the unpublished photographs"). The book earned three stars from me because I am an avid armor fan and modeler, and am always looking for new photos of interest. I guess it's because of guys like me that books like this keep getting turned out. I just wish that the people responsible would take the time to check their facts and strive for a little more quality. If the errors don't bother you and you're a WWII armor junkie, then buy this book. If you don't own "The Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two," just make sure you buy that first. Actually, you should browse lots of other titles first...

German Armored Warfare Of World War II: The Unpublished Photographs 1939-1945 by military historian Ian Baxter is an impressive and authoritative survey enhanced with many previously unpublished black-and-white photographs of World War II German armor, soldiers, and battles. Descriptive captions enrich the photographs with historical facts and reference information of the events portrayed. A powerful visual presentation of arms and armaments, German Armored Warfare Of World War II is a core addition to any personal reading list, as well as professional and academic World War II Military Studies reference collections.

i bought this book for a $... at another retailer one day not thinking too much about it. read it and thought it was one of the better books i picked up in a while. quality ideas to follow and good reasons to self-reflect on your own management styles

The first book I read by Mr. Holton was a similar book, just about U. S. Grant. I liked that one a lot (I have a review here also), so much so that I went ahead and got this one too. I figured that I'd give both sides a fair chance...

Well, I was not disappointed in the least. The style is the same as the Grant volume, and the format is the same. None the less, it reads very well and is very informative, although not as entertaining as I would have liked, thus the 4 stars. One thing for sure, you'll get to know Lee very well reading this book. And there are many lessons to be had from the reading, possibly one on every page, if you feel so inclined.

As with the Grant volume, Mr. Holton takes one area of leadership and reports how Lee acted in regards to that item (Patriot Voice, Duty are 2 examples). Each discussion is contained on one page! A very good use of words by the writer makes this work. Then it's on to the next, then the next, the next, and so on. One can read one page and think about it, or take a couple of hours and polish off the whole book!! I perferred the slower method.

However you choose to read this bbok, make sure that you do read it, and the Grant volume also. You'll get a good look at 2 very important military minds of our short history. You'll also learn some important lessons on how to deal with people and situations, in both business and personal life. Well done Mr. Holton. Thank you!

"Leadership Lessons of Robert E. Lee" is a well written, thought provoking book. Lee was a man of outstanding character and moral values. Any manager can learn a tremendous amout from reading and placing the principles contained in this wonderful book into his daily life. An excellant book that I most highly recommend to any one who manages or leads people

I bought this book to try to find ways to motivate the people that worked for me. As I read the book, I found "real life" situations that were occuring. This book is written by the hands of the most successful leaders of not just the Navy but the United States Marine Corps, the Royal Navy, and Germany. They discuss in great detail of what they expect of one of their officers. It tells the reader not to be afraid of making a mistake. Mistakes are a learning process. Those who contributed to this book state overwhelmingly that they want their subordinates to challenge them when presenting an idea. It talks about the "big picture" of an organization. All people interviewed for this book talk about not just being in the position of leadership but setting the example for others. It talks about your actions on and off the job. In summary, it says there are three types of people. The few that make things happen, the majority who don't know how to make things happen, and those who have no idea of what is happening. This book is ideal for any military officer and those in management positions.

Although titled 'NAVAL LEADERSHIP', this book is excellent for leadership in general. Topics are crisp, clear and sprinkled with more than a few 'real life' events to show the human side of the topic. Covers the topic in more detail than most of the light weight management books and gets right to the point. This book should be on the desk of all managers who want to strive to lead a team.

This book is compiled with the premise that leaders are trained and made, not born, and offers a wealth of advice from successful naval officers about the principles and practices of good naval leadership. The compartmentalization between specific leadership skills/qualities/practices is somewhat artificial, for leadership is a holistic enterprise, but such an organized format allows the reader to read at his own pace and begin reading from any section that interests him. This book is not about sequential mastery, but serves as a reference and resource. It is great for junior officers who want to imbibe the ideals of leadership, and would benefit hardened naval veterans who desire a return to leadership first principles and rejuvenate thier professional outlook.

This book offers the most complete description of mercenary action in the past century. Very detailed, very much fact, but reads like a novel. Read what Forsyth based his 'Dogs of War' on.
If it is out of print, try to order it somewhere else (thru Amazon) because this one is worth it!

Anthony Meckler's "The New Mercenaries" covers the violent post-colonial period in Africa from about 1960 to 1981. Included are summaries of mercenary actions in Mozambique, Angola, the Congo, and elsewhere in that troubled continent. Names of noteworthy soldiers of fortune who appear in the book are "Mad Mike" Hoare, "Black Jack" Shramme, Bob Denard and others. Oddly, very little is mentioned about counter-terror campaigns in Rhodesia following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Perhaps this is because Rhodesia was a legitimate government, as opposed the the main thrust of Meckler's viewpoint - that the mercenaries in Africa were a law unto themselves, which was in some cases very true.

Although the work is scholarly (Meckler is after all an academician), and is the result of so-so research (by reading newspaper clippings, it often appears), the book reads like what it is - a boring compilation of stale facts and anecdotes, and is further compromised be being liberally sprinkled with the author's pointless remarks and opinions. Perhaps this was an attempt to liven up a real snoozer.

Although the book would be helpful to someone researching African politics, military history researchers won't find much of use in "The New Mercenaries".

This is the single most comprehensive book on mercenaries , period. Mockler combines the scholarship of an Oxford professor, which he is, with the flair of a journalist, which he is, to tell the story of modern mercenaries. He also goes into the definition, the history and the future of the subject. Mercenaries are becoming more common and more respectable today (please refer to them as private sector contract military trainers). You can see them on the evening news training the Bosnian army