Product Description
This new edition of Ian Hoggs classic is thiscenturys ultimate reference work on the subject of military smallarms. It has been fully updated and expanded (by 64 pages) to coverall small arms in military service during the 20th century and nowincludes many arms listings and photographs that did not appear inearlier editions.

-Recognized internationally as the leading authority on military small arms, author Ian Hogg was given free rein on this edition; he has delivered the ultimate reference edition for all interested in the history of these arms. Arms coverageincludes:Pistols, Submachine Guns, Bolt-Action Rifles, Automatic Rifles, Machine Guns, Anti-Tank/Materiel Rifles and Ammunition.-Small arms of 46 countries are covered.-Over 800 photographs and illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Military Small Arms of the 20th Centry
Very happy with this book & it had all the information I needed on the rifles I have.

review
after reading this book I have a much better understanding of ballistic physics and modern weaponry. I hope everyone can find the time to read this book. Jacoby Ellsbury would be proud. Especially because he is perhaps the greatest baseball player ever.

Excellent reference
Covers pretty much every military small arm and includes some heavy weapons as well. All listed by country and with clear photographs, making it a good ID reference. None are in color, but fine for use as intended. Well worth the purchase.

Reference book even for non-shooters
There must be millions of readers out there who don't really care about guns, per se, but run into various types of weaponry when reading historical or crime fiction.
I know a little about guns -- grew up in a southern family, first .22 rifle when I was 13 years old, etc. -- but when I'm reading a World War I novel and the hero pulls out a huge Austro-Hungarian Empire military revolver, I may be a little lost.
Hogg's book fulfills a useful function for those who want to doublecheck and see what some weapon in a story actually looks like.
(Oh, so that's how a Webley Fosberry automatic revolver worked, huh?)
(A DeLisle carbine is a silenced Enfield rifle in .45 caliber? What the heck would that look like?)
Gun nuts (like me) can get a little picky about details in far-ranging reference books. But if you're starting from scratch, books like this are invaluable.

Best but could be better
I have had this book for a number of years and, although the research is excellent, it does indeed have substantial typo's and reference errors as if the material was compiled by a staff editor who knows nothing about firearms and has not taken the trouble to make simple corrections. Many firearms are omitted and some included, however revolutionary and ground-breaking they are not always representative of the whole. Furthermore, the entire category of combat shotguns has not even been addressed but anti-materiel rifles have, which are undeniably interesting but only a small part of the whole. The organization is good as are the photographs but I would have made a number of editing corrections as a previous reviewer has noted (I have written in the corrections in my own volume). I rely upon this volume for information but often double check the facts through other sources as the glaring errors reduces my confidence in this as a comprehensive reference. As a reference book writer myself, I have written to the publisher offering to edit an 8th edition should such a thing be in the works but of course there is no profit margin for a slightly corrected version of a popular volume. My edition is so heavily thumbed and used that I will likely acquire another and not balk at the price but would gladly pay more for an accurate reference. ... Read more

Product Description
Confronting insurgent violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military has recognized the need to "re-learn" counterinsurgency. But how has the Department of Defense with its mixed efforts responded to this new strategic environment? Has it learned anything from past failures?

In The New Counterinsurgency Era, David Ucko examines DoD's institutional obstacles and initially slow response to a changing strategic reality. Ucko also suggests how the military can better prepare for the unique challenges of modern warfare, where it is charged with everything from providing security to supporting reconstruction to establishing basic governance--all while stabilizing conquered territory and engaging with local populations. After briefly surveying the history of American counterinsurgency operations, Ucko focuses on measures the military has taken since 2001 to relearn old lessons about counterinsurgency, to improve its ability to conduct stability operations, to change the institutional bias against counterinsurgency, and to account for successes gained from the learning process.

Given the effectiveness of insurgent tactics, the frequency of operations aimed at building local capacity, and the danger of ungoverned spaces acting as havens for hostile groups, the military must acquire new skills to confront irregular threats in future wars. Ucko clearly shows that the opportunity to come to grips with counterinsurgency is matched in magnitude only by the cost of failing to do so. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A scholarly and informative read for those who want to understand modern military tactics
The enemy no longer just wears a different colored uniform for easy identification. "The New Counterinsurgency Era: Transforming the U.S. Military for Modern Wars" discusses how the United States military must change and revamp itself to meet a brand new threat of enemies who do not play by the traditional rules. Counterinsurgency is the new game, and "The New Counterinsurgency Era" is a scholarly and informative read for those who want to understand modern military tactics. ... Read more

Product Description
Expert advice on all aspects of military life

A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies is for the millions of military dependents, family members, and friends who are looking for straightforward guidance to take advantage of the benefits and overcome the challenges unique to life in the military. This comprehensive guide covers such key topics as introducing military life to readers new to the armed forces, financial planning, relocation, deployment, raising kids alone while a partner is away, and taking advantage of the available benefits. It offers tips and advice for dealing with emotions that surround events like deployments, deciphering the acronyms used in daily military life, forming support groups, keeping track of a loved one's whereabouts, and surviving on a military base in a foreign country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

What you would expect
Good read for a first time military family. Check it out at the library first, then if you want it buy it. Same old stuff I have heard over and over.

Book is a must have for any military family!
I find myself going to this book as a reference guide at least once a week, and we have been in service for ten + years now!!!
Great book! I highly recommend to anyone, whether a single soldier to a vet and their family!

Military Life - a good beginning guide
Asmilitary wife of many many years, and the very proud mother of a former soldier, this book really hit the important points.For a "newbie", I'd highly recommend it as a great starting point, as a reference to finding the information you need and places to get more information.Sue doesn't try to be all things to everyone, she gives a choice of links/hints and educates on some of the finer points that are often forgotten or never told to the newest members of this little world.Believe it or not, there are still "teas" and "balls" and dining ins/dining outs - all of which have their rules, and if you flub that one, your servicemember WILL hear about it later.

Knowing that information in the military is often changeable, and fluid, she give you links to find out those important things, pay, BAH, etc.Sue "translates" the jargon, she reminds you of the "little things" that are sometimes overwhelmed by the day to day life of a deployment, or training.This book doesn't sugarcoat our lives, doesn't wave the flag or denigrate the service, which is all too common in books about the military life.There is no judgment, no placing the military on a pedestal or dragging it through the mud - but her pride in this lifestyle shines through.

Worst Informational Book I Have Ever "Read"
I'm sorry to disagree with the above reviews, but I just could not stay quiet. My son entered boot camp in January of 2008, and he recently deployed to Afghanistan as a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division.As soon as he began considering the enlistment process, I went on a mission, researching everything I could find, everywhere I could find it, so we, as a family would be better educated and more capable of offering him the best support we could.

There is NOTHING in this book that I had not already found myself with a few very simple clicks on many a search engine, not to mention several phone calls, conversations with his recruiter, and acquaintances of ours who were happy to help.

The book is WAY too general, never offering specifics on things such as specific dollar amounts when it comes to pay grade, etc.Almost without exception, the most pertinent information a reader would be looking for was followed by a link, which they could have easily found themselves for free without paying the $15 or so for the book.

I also found many comments insulting and condescending, as when suggesting couples to be flexible with each other 'during this tough time' and remembering to email and call to remind each other how important they were to the other.For real???????

Some of the information was just a plain JOKE.The section that states that military families can use military aircraft for their air travel is just about as possible as winning the lottery.Believe me, I've had friends who've tried.There were other examples of this as well.Military families on limites budgets need the TRUTH.

To me, as a mom of a son defending our great country (I have 2 cousins in the Army also) this was insulting.It made it sound like the proper way to dress and speak at a garden party was of the utmost importance, rather than how to dig in, circle the wagons, and prepare yourselves for one of the most difficult, joyous, and sometimes heartwrenching time of your life.Not to mention that the main author of this book was a Financial Advisor????? Oh my goodness.

In conclusion, save your money.the internet is free and there are many helpful people out there, active and past military included who will give you honest and up-to-date information you can count on. This book just was not worth the paper it was printed on.

Essential for all soldiers- even if you're single!
I grew up with both of my parents being career Army and have now joined myself. This book offers indispensible information- even things my parents didn't know after 30+ years of service! There are great overviews that explain military customs, benefits, how and why to get a power of attorney, etc. It is definately worth the $13 list price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

this guy has the same name as me!
This guy has the same name as me, i haven't even read the book ... Read more

Product Description
Science of Coercion provides the first thorough examination of the role of the CIA, the Pentagon, and other US security agencies in the evolution of modern communication research, a field in the social sciences which crystallized into a distinct discipline in the early 1950s. Government-funded psychological warfare programs underwrote the academic triumph of preconceptions about communication that persist today in communication studies, advertising research, and in counterinsurgency operations. Christopher Simpson contends that it is unlikely that communication research could have emerged into its present form without regular transfusions of money from U.S military, intelligence, and propaganda agencies during the Cold War. A fascinating case study in the history of science and the sociology of knowledge, Science of Coercion offers valuable insights into the dynamics of ideology and the social psychology of communication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An anti-US polemic, ironically prescient
This is a bad book. It is full of sly innuendo, tabloid reporting, and blatant propaganda: scholasticism posing as scholarship. A quotation and some facts suffice to indicate the degree of its bias. The quotation is the book's conclusion: "The role of the United States in world affairs during our lifetimes [circa 1994] has often been rapacious, destructive, tolerant of genocide, and willing to sacrifice countless people in the pursuit of a chimera of security that has grown ever more remote" (116--117). That is it. Simpson offers no balance, no counterpoint. He states that the people of the "principal battlegrounds" of the Cold War (he lists the Philippines, Turkey, Indonesia, Panama, and the former Soviet Union) are "poorer today both materially and spiritually, less democratic, less free, and often living in worse health and greater terror" than before the superpower confrontation (116). Ironically, Simpson's conclusion in 1994 is, in my view false, but it is also largely true when applied to current US world affairs.
Simpson's book presents no data anywhere to support even one of those claims. On the other hand, UN, World Bank, and Amnesty International data showed those claims false. People in these countries in 1994 were richer, more democratic, freer, and in better health than they were from 1945--1960. As for the charge of "rapacious, destructive, tolerant of genocide," Simpson's bald assessment of the United States in 1994 was not balanced by even a single negative word about the counterpart Cold War roles of the Soviet Union, Communist China, North Korea, or North Vietnam. An uninformed reader of Simpson's book would never know about the psychological warfare of the first fifteen years of the Cold War, or that these latter countries even practiced propaganda or psychological warfare from 1945--1960.
A few facts indicate Simpson's biased and false assessment of the United States role in the period from 1945 to 1960. Take his assertion of "poorer spiritually." When roll was taken in the Philippine Army, the name "Douglas MacArthur" was read, and a sergeant responded, "Present in spirit." This tradition, fifty years after the general strode ashore at Leyte, symbolizes the security, self-reliance, and national pride that the United States helped to bring tomany on the Cold War battlefields Simpson noted.
Take the charge of "worse health." The American occupation's post-World War II public health programs in Japan saved more lives (2.1 million--relative pre-1945 mortality) from communicable diseases than all of Japan's wartime battle deaths and three times as many as Japan's civilian losses to the wartime bombing.
Many East Europeans firmly believe that they owe their present security from Soviet domination and their independence from communist dictatorship in great measure to United States psychological warfare. One such East European is Vaclav Havel, who stopped his motorcade in Washington personally to thank the employees at the Voice of America (VOA). Another is Lech Walesa. Yet another is Boris Yeltsin, who faxed his thanks to VOA for its help during the 1991 attempted coup.
Ironically, much of what Simpson asserted about 1945-1960 has come to pass in the consequences of US propaganda from 2001-2007. "The pursuit of security" has "grown ever more remote" in these more recent times. Many of the charges Simpson made with weaker support for 1945-1960 US propaganda effects are now clearly apparent in the results of 2001-2007 US propaganda. Indeed, we are less secure, less trusted, less respected (but perhaps more feared) in 2007 than in 2000.
So while Simpson's conclusions on United States psychological warfare from 1945-1960 cannot be accepted at face value, especially his claim that the lessening of security in that time frame, his concerns (if not his scholarship) were prescient and should inform our assessments of US propaganda today. While this book is an anti-United States polemic, its author's concerns are real and should be shared today by many. Some of his arguments and rationale might inform an examination of propaganda and public diplomacy in the Bush Administration and their effects on US security and world stability. [Originally reviewed in "Journal of Interdisciplinary History"]

The Coercion of Communications
This book will be of great interest to communications majors and social historians with muckraking tendencies. In an intriguing display of investigative research, Christopher Simpson uncovers the darker side of early communications studies. The field was defined as an academic discipline during and after World War II, and much of the early research that built the foundation of modern communications studies was actually a part of American (and occasionally German) war efforts. Government-funded social scientists built the communications knowledge base while researching and developing the tools of propaganda and psychological warfare, and occasionally disinformation techniques that were used on the American people by their own government. Even some of the highly respected founders of communications were involved, including Harold Lasswell and Wilbur Schramm, and many of their influential studies did not have purely academic motives. Simpson compiles valuable insights into how communications and other social sciences have been co-opted by government for nefarious ends, and some fields may have never gotten off the ground were it not for wartime funding. The only problem with this book is that Simpson occasionally ruminates on the darker philosophical ramifications of these trends, but only rarely, so the deeper insights that can be gained by the reader are often held back by research minutiae and occasionally tiresome historical coverage. [~doomsdayer520~]

Not what you might think
This book is primarily a documentation of the extensive influence of government and corporate agendas on the development of communications science.The title is misleading in two ways:the actual book is neither about the science itself nor is it about coercion, which generally involves the use of force.A more accurate title would have been "Propaganda and the Development of Communication Science" or something like that.

Buy this book if you really want to know the details of every government grant that supported the foundation of communication science.

Do not buy this book if you want to understand what those grants--or those foundations--actually were all about.

Very important and well-documented book
Science of Coercion is an excellent study of how ideas can be shaped bypowerful groups. Most revealing is the way in which the researchersthemselves allowed this to happen. Many of them were mildly progressivepolitically, yet they seemed to have no reservations about being involvedin military-sponsored projects. Simpson argues that the most importantfactor in helping the academic researchers to accept the militaryconnection was insulation from the effects of psychological warfare,especially the use of violence.

Simpson provides extensive documentationfor his argument: there are only 115 pages of text and more than 60 pagesof notes. Given that it is strictly about the US experience, it would benice to have a comparison with experiences in other countries. His studyprovides a worrying reminder about the extent to which standard ideas inmany fields of research may be shaped to serve the interests of powerfulinterest groups and elite academics. ... Read more

Product Description

"Combat Modeling" is a systematic learning resource and reference text for the quantitative analysis of combat. After a brief overview, authors Washburn and Kress present individual chapters on shooting without feedback; shooting with feedback; target defense; attrition models; game theory and wargames; search; unmanned aerial vehicles; and terror and insurgency. Three appendices provide a review of basic probability concepts, probability distributions, and Markov models; an introduction to optimization models; and a discussion of Monte-Carlo simulations. Drawing on their many years of experience at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, Washburn and Kress have created a reference that will provide the tools and techniques for analysts involved in the underpinnings of combat decisions. This is a book that can be used as a military manual, reference book, and textbook for military courses on this vital subject.

Product Description
The essays in The Science of War will foster a better understanding of the factors that operate at the higher levels of war. This penetrating study integrates military theory and historical experience, providing a theoretical basis for the principles of the planning and conduct of war at the operational level, without linking it to a specific formation or scenario. This authoritative review of topics central to the study of war in the modern world provides an assessment of the possible shape and location of future wars. ... Read more

Product Description
The struggle for independence on two colony worlds—Mars in the not-so-distant future, and a distant world circling another star in the far future, both threatened by powerful forces and faceless bureaucrats.

            Birth of Fire: A teenage delinquent on a crowded, corrupt Earth, Garrett was given a choice: rot in prison on Earth, or be deported to Mars to work in the colony there. But on Mars he would find an inner strength that he had never known before, and when Mars revolted against the multinational corporations that controlled the colonist's lives, Garrett was on the front lines in the battle for planetary freedom.

            King David's Spaceship: Set in the same universe as the New York Times best seller, The Mote in God's Eye. A new Empire has arisen and is annexing Earth's surviving colony worlds. Haven had fallen back to a nineteenth century level of technology, and the basic requirement for a colony world to be admitted to the Empire as a full-fledged member with the right of self-government is that the colony have space travel. Unless Haven can somehow develop a spaceship, and quickly, the planet will be ruled by Imperial agents and the inhabitants will be little more than medieval serfs.

            Two complete novels in one volume by New York Times best-selling author Jerry Pournelle, telling of the eternal struggle of freedom against tyranny throughout the galaxy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

reprints of two terrific action-packed science fiction thrillers
"Birth of Fire".Earth teenager Garrett Pittson was convicted of a homicide he did not commit but his violent past did not help the delinquent.He is given a choice of a life sentence on earth without parole or deportation as a convicted slave at the penal colony on Mars; Garrett chooses Mars.On the fourth planet from the sun, Garrett meets angry workers used as expendable slaves in horrific mining conditions by the earth-based ruling multinational corporations.He thrives in the hostile environs and soon is in the forefront of revolt.

"King David's Spaceship".The civil war on Haven ended with the monarchy ruling as the outside Imperial Navy destroyed the resistance.Rebel leader Colonel Nathan MacKinnie knows the cost of the defeat first hand as his beloved, his friends, and his soldiers are dead.The victor King David asks Nathan to perform a mission; he wants to refuse but acquiesces as he knows the resistance is over.MacKinnie leads a small contingency to the backward planet Makassar where an ancient First Empire Library exists, but no outsider may enter as this is a holy shrine.He must find books on space travel before the Imperial Empire determines his home needs outside rule as the key for full self-rule membership is space travel.

These are reprints of two terrific action-packed science fiction thrillers with similar themes of freedom fighters trying to keep a much more powerful and technological advanced superpower from dominating them.BIRTH OF FIRE is an entertaining coming of age tale.KING DAVID'S SPACESHIP (with some references to THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE) is an intriguing comparative look at civilizations with the Imperial Empire at a twenty-second century or later level of technology; Haven is at late nineteenth-early twentieth century technology; and Makassar is near the bottom with a medieval technology.Both books are exciting as the pursuit of basic rights is the universal connector.

Harriet Klausner

Fighting for Liberty
Fires of Freedom (2009) is an omnibus edition of two SF novels, including Birth of Fire and King David's Spaceship.These novels take place at widely different times during mankind's expansion into the universe.

Birth of Fire (1976) is a standalone SF novel.It takes place several decades from now in a future where Mars has been settled.The planet is being used as an alternative to prison for convicts, much like Australia.

In this novel, Garrett Pittson is a member of a youth gang.His Dog Soldiers have a rumble with the Hackers, leaving several dead bodies, including two cops.As the only adult among the captives, Garrett gets reamed.

Alexander Farr is superintendent of the Mars training school.It teaches newcomers how to survive on Mars.Farr is also recruiting a few newbies into the Martian underground.

Sarge Wechsung is a Marsman.He owns a claim on the Hellas rim.He is a part of the Martian underground.

Erica Hendrix is Marsborn.Her father is Sam Hendrix, owner of a large claim on the Hellas rim.His claim has a huge amount of frozen water.

In this story, the jury returns a verdict of guilty on Murder One.Garrett gets twenty years to life.Then the deputy public defender gives him an alternative:exile for life to the Mars colony.Garrett jumps at the chance to get offplanet.

Life on Mars is strange.Farr tells the newcomers the four rules on the first day of training:don't try to escape.Ultimately, escape means trying to breathe the outside air.That is not conducive to long life and good health.

One local quirk is the air tax.It seems that the air is not free.The air tax tags change colors over time.If you are not wearing a tag or if it is red, you get thrown out the airlock.

Another quirk is the justice system.There is a distinct lack of courtrooms and prisons, but plenty of airlocks.For most crimes, the punishment is local and quick:out the airlock.

After Garrett gets out of training, he hangs around Hellastown.Farr has told him to look around and wait for someone to come for him.So Garrett gets a job as a runner for a hole-in-the-wall store until Sarge comes for him.

Back at Sarge's place, Garrett is worked hard and learns much about running a Martian farm.He gets out to meet the neighbors and falls head over heels for Erica.He also gets to hear a lot of political discussions from her father and the neighbors.

Then one day, the marines come for Sarge.Garrett and Erica are in the marscar coming back from Hendrix's place when they hear a call from Sarge.They hide the car and walk in a back way.They watch two marines take Sarge to town, but most of them head toward Erica's home.

King David's Spaceship (1980) is an SF novel in the Alderson Drive series.It takes place about the same time as the events in The Mote in God's Eye.

Prince Samuel's World has recovered greatly from the Succession Wars.Now they have been rediscovered by the Second Empire.The Imperials have allied with the Kingdom of Haven to reunify the various polities into a world government.

In this novel, Nathan McKinnie is a former colonel in the army of Orleans.His regiment -- the Wolves -- received the dubious benefits of the Imperial Navy's alliance with Haven.The death toll amounted to two battalions and his beloved.But he received a pension from Haven to compensate for the loss of his commission and personnel.

Hal Stark is Nathan's batman, lead noncom and now his personal servant.They are living in a rundown boarding house near the waterfront.Yet they go uptown to drink.

Shipmaster MacLean of the Royal Merchant Service is qualified on both sail and motor vessels.At least that is his story.But he is most probably from the Royal Haven Navy.

Academician Longway is from Prince Samuel University.He studies social organization and primitive cultures as well as ancient history.

Scholar-Bachelor Kleinst is Longway's assistant.He is supposedly a historian, but is actually a physicist.

Mary Graham is a university graduate.Women students at the university are few and far between, so Mary has been allowed to study many different subjects for her degree.

Malcolm Dougal is the head of the Haven Royal Secret Police.He has been gathering information on the Second Empire since before their alliance with Haven.He has found that the Empire is probably going to colonize Prince Samuel's World.

In this story, McKinnie and Start are drinking in the Blue Bottle while three Imperial Navy lieutenants are buying drinks for the house.Of course, they are recruiting young men for their ship.But they are also getting rather noisy.

During the evening, Lieutenant Jefferson mentions an Old Empire library on Makassar, among other remarks.Nathan pays little attention, for his thoughts are on the events that led to his surrender to Haven.At the end of the evening, Dougal introduces himself and invites them out for a drink, but McKinnie refuses and heads back to the boarding house.

On the way, McKinnie and Start are abducted by the Secret Police and conveyed to the palace for a meeting with Dougal.Malcolm tells Nathan about the situation with the Second Empire.Then he asks Nathan to help them on a special mission to Makassar, the nearest inhabited world.

These tales involve the regaining of freedoms.Naturally, these efforts are only partially successful, for total freedom is anarchy.Yet they win a measure of liberty.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Pournelle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of military combat, political intrigue, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
The Dynamics of Military Revolution bridges a major gap in the emerging literature on revolutions in military affairs. It suggests that two very different phenomena have been at work over the past centuries: "military revolutions," which are driven by vast social and political changes, and "revolutions in military affairs," which military institutions have directed, although usually with great difficulty and ambiguous results. MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray provide a conceptual framework and historical context for understanding the patterns of change, innovation, and adaptation that have marked war in the Western world since the fourteenth century--beginning with Edward III's revolution in medieval warfare, through the development of modern military institutions in seventeenth-century France, to the military impact of mass politics in the French Revolution, the cataclysmic military-industrial struggle of 1914-1918, and the German Blitzkrieg victories of 1940. Case studies and a conceptual overview offer an indispensible introduction to revolutionary military change,--which is as inevitable as it is difficult to predict.Macgregor Knox is the Stevenson Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of Common Destiny (Cambridge, 2000) and Hitler's Italian Allies (Cambridge, 2000). Knox and Murray are co-editors of Making of Strategy (Cambridge, 1996).Willamson Murray is Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analysis. He is the co-editor of Military Innovation in the Interwar Period (Cambridge, 1996) and author of A War to Be Won (Harvard University Press, 2000). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Military Development
This is a standard book that is required reading for Army Field Grade officers. It is easy to read and has some good points.

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050
This is a well written book by two former military officers who share their insights and research on the subject of Military Revolutions and how they have affected the different countries of the world.It is a good read for military history and just those who like military type subjects.This book is somewhat detailed with good historical examples.

A unique experience...
... a book that is both required reading AND interesting!

The Dynamics of Military Revolution looks at the evolution of military power and does it very well. This book looks at Military Revolutions (which had wide-ranging impacts on social and political matters as well as military) and Revolutions in Military Affairs (which are characterized by new weapons, tactics and other military innovations and which can contribute to Military Revolutions).

If you're looking for a theory that explains why new weapons systems aren't always revolutionary, or how something as simple as paying your troops for a change can result in a major shift in military power, then this is a book you want to read. It includes a lot of good writing and the reasoning behind it is impeccable. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

Technology alone just doesn't cut it....
This book contains an awful lot of wisdom for such a slim volume (it clocks in at just under 200 pages).

The authors examine the natures of military revolutions and RMA (a very hot topic that has arguably produced more hot air than substance) and provide a number of case studies examining the issues and testing the authors' views through history.

The case studies are;

- The English in the 14th century
- 17th century France
- The French Revolution
- The American Civil War
- The Prussian RMA, 1840-1871
- The Battlefleet Revolution
- The First World War
- Blitzkrieg 1940

The various case studies are backed up by an extremely satisfying introduction and a thorough, well argued conclusion which fires one or two shots across the bows of those residents of the Pentagon who may be suffering from technology-centric tunnel vision. The authors (very distinguished bunch, it should be said) warn against the idea that Clausewitzian truths regarding such issues as friction can be discounted thanks to the wonders of technology and indeed make clear that they are as important as ever.

The various case studies work extremely well as concise stand-alone works on their various historical periods, even if RMA is not your hot topic. Especially good are the chapters on the English in the 14th century and on the Battlefleet Revolution (and the inner workings of the Imperial German Navyand the Royal Navy during this period).

This is a well written, interesting book which should annoy all the right people.

Concise overview of military revolutions
This book is the volume one should buy if he or she is searching for the best, consise overvue of the history and processes involved in the military innovations of the Western world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not helpful for everyone
This is quite complete as a tool for finding service friends, but you must have some vital information (such as Social Security numbers or military ID numbers, etc.) for a search to be successful.It's not enough to know where someone was stationed (an Air Force base, for example) in what years.Maybe that was too much to expect.

No help for me
Book is no help unless you have a lot of information on person you are trying to find. I had name, year of birth, where born, branch of service, year of enlistment, etc, and was unable to find if person(s) were deceased or not using info in this book.

Directories, Internet sources, and much, much more
Now in its eighth edition, How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Ben in the Military, collaboratively written by Lt. Col. Richard S. Johnson and Debra Johnson Knox, is a direct, easy-to-use, "reader friendly", how-to-guide packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for finding anyone with an American military connection, whether they are active duty, reserve, or retired. From steps anyone can take to verify claims of a military background, to locating veterans for a reunion, How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Ben in the Military is packed with practical, useable information, directories, Internet sources, and much, much more. To put it simply but accurately, How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Ben in the Military is an excellent and useful resource.

Excellent Resource!!!
I have run the website Sgt. Mom's Place (recently partnered withMaingate.com) for approximately 4 years now and this book has been anexcellent resource for me!!I constantly get requests to help someone finda lost friend or relative, others wanting the records for their father orrelative from WWII, etc.I have used this book countless times to givethese visitors the information needed to help them in their search.Mythanks to the authors!!I will continue to buy the updated versions too soI can keep up to date on everything!

This is a guide to find anyone who has a military connection
Find people you served with, find friends, fathers, etc. This book guides you step-by-step in locating just about anyone who has any sort of military connection. Now in 7th edition. Foreword by William Westmorelan ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a scientific interpretation of the field of military knowledge situated between strategy and tactics, better known as operational art', and traces the evolution of operational awareness and its culmination in a full-fledged theory. The author, a Brigadier General (ret.) in the Israeli Defence Forces and Doctor of History, King's College, London, clarifies the substance of operational art' and constructs a cognitive framework for its critical analysis. He chronicles the stages in the evolution of operational theory from the emergence of 19th-century military thought to Blitzkrieg. For the first time the Soviet theories of Deep Operations' and Strike Manoeuvre' that emerged in the 1920s and 1930 are discussed. The author argues that it is these doctrines that eventually led to the crystallization of the American Airland Battle theory, successfully implemented in the Gulf War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

JH
This is an interesting, well-researched book in a field of study lacking accessible studies.However, the material in this book is not accessible without a high level of knowledge regarding the history and theories of operational level warfare (OLW).Even with a working knowledge of OLW, the reading was slow and difficult due to the prevalence of academic jargon and assumptions introduced without explanation of their origins.I found the historical aspects interesting and helpful, but again, there seemed to be an assumption that the backgrounds of many of the theorists and practioners of OLW were already known.I do not recommend this book for beginners.

"Operational Art," from its Soviet roots and until today.
This book is an academic but readable work which analyses of the development of what is known as "operational art," or in other words, the intermediate field of theory, which connects strategy withtactics. This is a relatively new and unfamiliar cognitive field in theWestern world, and has only been begun to be understood since the late1970's. Naveh combines complex theory within a historical context,beginning with the doctrines of von Clausewitz, continuing through thedebacles of World War One and to the first Revolution in Military Affairswhich took place in the Soviet Red Army of the 1920's. The latter half ofthe book concludes with the development of operational thought in the USArmy which began in 1976. This followed the realization in the US militarythat their tactical doctrines provided no answer to the threats east of theiron curtain. This process of thought culminated with the Gulf War, whichsaw the successful implementation of the theory, independently developed tothat of the Red Army, but remarkably similair.This book is unique, not inthat it analyses operational theory, but in that it outlines the pioneeringprocesses that took place in the Soviet Union during the 1920's and 30's.This information has remained hidden and unknown to the West until onlyvery recently, and has been revealed here by the author who has researchedthe field intensively. ... Read more

Product Description
With the continuing importance of Saudi Arabia in regional and world politics, the current and future effectiveness of the Saudi military carries increased significance. Despite recent strains in relations with the U.S., particularly in light of the role Saudis played in the events of September 11, 2001, the Kingdom remains America's key Arab ally. Cordesman studies the challenges faced by the Saudis from both their allies and their potential enemies to assess Saudi Arabia's ability to forge a better approach to collective security in the Gulf and to create more stable long-term security arrangements with the U.S. and other Western Powers. This assessment of Saudi Arabia's strategic position includes a full-scale analysis of Saudi military forces, defense expenditures, arms imports, military modernization, readiness and war fighting capability. It examines both the cooperation and tension with other Southern Gulf States. It explores the implications of the conventional military build-up and creeping proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Gulf and the resulting changes in Saudi Arabia's security position. All of these factors have critical implications for stability within the Kingdom, within the Gulf, as well as in the broader global context. ... Read more

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Westerners have long fetishized the idea of "Oriental" warfare, hoping to either emulate the strategies of foreign armies or assimilate members of Eastern and "martial races," such as Sikhs or Gurkhas, into their ranks. Samurai warriors, obedient to an ancient code of chivalry and honor, and the Mongol hordes thundering across the steppe-these exotic visions have thrilled Western imaginations for centuries. Yet, at the same time, today's Eastern warriors, such as the Taliban and Hezbollah, are treated with skepticism, and their success is acknowledged only grudgingly in the West. These contradictory positions throw into question the romantic notion that race, culture, and tradition determines how armies fight.

Military Orientalism argues against the idea that culture dictates the strategy of war. Culture is powerful, Patrick Porter asserts, but it encompasses an ambiguous repertoire of ideas rather than a clear code of action. To divide the world into Western, Asiatic, or Islamic ways of war is a misconception, one that profoundly impacts our approach to present and future conflicts, especially the "War on Terror." Porter also emphasizes the danger of fetishizing the exotic, which complicates a more accurate understanding of the enemy. Launching a rare investigation into the history of this trend as it has appeared in the work of Herodotus and numerous other fictional and nonfictional narratives, Porter strikes at the heart of the fear, envy, and wonder inspired by the Oriental warrior.

Customer Reviews (3)

A Welcome Caveat
Patrick Porter's Military Orientalism provides an excellent analysis of the recent culturally-focused bent within western military thinking. "It is not a question of whether culture matters," writes Porter, "but how it matters, and how to conceptualise [sic:] it." This is expressed through several case studies: British perceptions and accounts of the Russo-Japanese War, interwar military thinking and the "lessons" of Ghengis Khan (particularly as expressed by Basil Liddell Hart), the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and finally Israel's experience in the 2006 Lebanon War.

Almost without exception, Porter does a fantastic job outlining relevancies, misperceptions, and the 'trap' that is overawareness of an enemy's culture. While there are certainly traditions and beliefs that inform the actions of say, al Qaeda, they are equally willing to preserve their own lives at the cost of their perceived traditions. Porter also goes on to demonstrate how a group like al Qaeda might encourage such unchanging assumptions, as then any deviation from those expectations will easily surprise their opponents.

However, it is the last of the case studies that might be a stretch. While Israel is certainly to be considered a part and an ally of the west, the circumstances and nature of their war in Lebanon is a bit tricky to use as an example of military orientalism. More than some sort of cultural bias, what the Lebanese experience shows is perhaps an overreliance on Israeli military history - a case of generals preparing to fight the previous war.

Nevertheless, Porter's book is an excellent counterpart to those professing to understand the "Arab mind" and other such monolithic nonsense, and recommended reading for anyone engaged in study on the middle east and eastern military history in general.

A timely warning
Military Orientalism by Patrick Porter was a book that I wanted to read as soon as it arrived from Amazon. It was a book that I knew very little about and even a quick search on the web did not turn up much about either the book or the concept. Patrick Porter has borrowed the term 'Orientalism' from authors like Edward Said and tweaked it slightly, although in essence it is still the defining of ourselves by the perception of what the East is. For instance Orientals are duplicitous while we are honourable.

I think at times the book could be sub-titled beware the Cultural snake oil seller, as he does list a number of examples of where cultural 'experts' have got it wrong, including General MacArthur's claims to understand the Asiatic mind in regards to leadership. For me I thought that Patrick Porter was too forceful here, almost implying that culture has nothing to do with the way that nations wage war. He does not say that, in fact his argument is more complex, pointing out that cultures do approach war differently but that military interaction does bring about a degree of conformity. His comments on the Taliban are very insightful when he points out that a movement that was painted as primitive and anti-modern in some segments of the media has embraced technology to prosecute its war. In addition, it has used women as combatants despite its view on women when it was in power.

After reading this book you will look scornfully at the next expert that tells you that an ethnic group only understands force. While Patrick Porter does seem to be very negative on people who have put themselves up as cultural experts where it relates to a military context he does also write about those who got it right, or mostly right. On Japan he talks bout two works, The Psychology of the Japanese Soldier and the The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, as works that did a good job of actually analysing Japan's military from a cultural standpoint. I guess that was where I came away from the book thinking how we, the west, had got our understanding so wrong and Porter was light on explaining how we could avoid this mistake in the future.

As the militaries of the West 'weaponise' culture and discuss human terrain I think that this book is a good warning that cultural understanding is not a panacea, especially if that 'understanding' is based on a perception of 'they' are different to 'us' because they are them and we are us. I recommend this book for anyone interested in how culture does impact on military operations.

GreAT!
This is a GREAT book.

Taking on those who see a distinct "Occidental" way of war, the author demolishes Western notions of "the Orient". He shows how, in reality, those notions make a hopeless mess of Arab Islamic, Chinese, and Japanese ways in warfare. Next he demonstrates how, in reality, "Oriental" ways of war are often the expression not of some alien culture but of rational strategic thought; finally, he explains how the West has often used its notions concerning "Oriental" methods in order to define itself and justify its own brutal behavior.

Well written and easy to read, this slim volume has something original to say on practically every page. I wish I had the wit to write it myself.


Martin van Creveld

... Read more

Product Description

Noted Middle East military expert Anthony H. Cordesman details the complex trends that come into play in determining the military balance in a region that has become so critical to world peace. This ready resource provides a wealth of information on military expenditures and major arms systems, as well as qualitative trends, by country and by zone. However, as Cordesman stresses, because the greater Middle East is more a matter of rhetoric than military reality, mere data summarizing trends in 23 different countries is no substitute for a substantive explanation. Using tables, graphs, and charts, this study explores every aspect of the regional military balance with attention to sub-regional balances, internal civil conflicts, and low level border tensions.

The Middle East is certainly one of the most militarized areas in the world, and changes in technology, access to weapons of mass destruction, and political instability contribute to a situation that has long been in constant flux. Some of the regional flashpoints covered in this study include the Maghreb (North Africa); the Arab-Israeli conflict (dominated by Israel versus Syria); and the Gulf (divided into those states that view Iran as the primary threat and those who lived in fear of Iraq). Internal conflicts, such as those in Mauritania, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Yemen, increasingly dominate regional tensions. In addition, border conflicts within the region and with neighboring countries could further aggravate the delicate balance.

Product Description
This volume examines the state of the art in modern military history, and the utility of the subject as a training, educational, and policy-relevant tool for professional armed forces. The contributing authors represent an impressive cross-section of prominent academic and official historians recognized as leading scholars in the study of military history. Part 1 explores the state of military historical writing in Britain and the U.S., and Part 2 illustrates the utility of the historical method in analyzing command decisions, providing an "institutional memory" for a wide range of policy, command, and operational problems, and its application in specific subjects. ... Read more

Product Description
An exhaustive, clearly written, illustrated compilation of information about the German war machine from 1939 to 1945 covers military command structure, unit organization, field tactics, fortification, weapons and other equipment, uniforms and insignia. Reprint. UP. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

HANDBOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES
A must-read for anyone interested in WWII and the German Army in particular. Excellent value and a classic.

If Only This Book Had Been Available to the Troops
I admired this book ever since I chanced upon a borrowed copy of the original War Department issued publication.Some years later I bought the currently available volume and added it to my collection.This is a great historical reference.In going through the book cover to cover my immediate concern was that this volume is a reprint of a March 1945 publication.At that point the Third Reich had at most two months left.I doubt that the original manual made it into the hands of trainers, intelligence officers, or combat leaders in time to have any effect.The introduction to this reprint explains that the handbook may have been a formal version of a pre-existing in-house War Department binder.

I was pleasantly surprised at the detail afforded to the different German military organizations.Despite the fact that Army officers in the field confused Volksgrenadier with Volksturm, this reference actually got it right.The black and white photos in the book are what you would expect of an Army field manual.Believe me, US Army field manual graphics were little improved in 1980s and 1990s publications.However you have to realize that this manual was not designed to be a conversation piece on a coffee table.The photos and graphics were utilitarian in order to get the reference into the field.I will say that the color plate graphics are first rate.

The book presents a broad spectrum of information about the German armed forces, primarily the Heer and Waffen SS, with regard to training, organization, uniforms, and equipment.The true value of this book is not so much as a guide to the organization and equipment of the Wehrmacht as it is a snapshot of the US Army's assessment of its European adversary.

Handbook on German Military Forces
If you're looking for the nuts and bolts of what made the WW2 German army, this is the book. A very nice overview of the entire military machine. As a historian and WW2 German reenactor I liked the coverage of military tactics from army to platoon, as well as the coverage from tanks and airplanes to individual field gear. Weapons, boots, bread bags, radios and all the field gear are covered along with lesser known machines like field kitchens and bread makers! Highly recommended.

WWII Enthusiast Heaven
Totally comprehensive review of everything about the Wehrmacht from their biggest guns down to their canteens. Massive review of the organizational structure of all elements from the leadership down to breakdowns of divisions, tactics, etc...The claim on the back that Marshall might have known more about the Wehrmacht than Hitler seems plausible. This is a real gem.

Excellent fact book of the German Army.
This an outstanding book of facts and data whose main scope is the German Army. Although the name of the book refers to the whole German armed forces in reality the coverage is wide for the Army, light for the Air Force and almost non-existent for the Navy.The information it contains is extremely detailed (in particular in tables of organization and equipment of many divisions) and on the whole very accurate (although not without the ocassional flaw: a schwärme is referred as a tactical unit of 5 airplanes but in reality was a 4 airplane unit).
Although it provides information from 1939 to 1945 the information relating to the tables of organization, tactics, equipment and uniforms refers mainly to the period 1944-45.
For example, you can find the TO&E of an army and SS panzerdivision in 1944 but not in 1939 or 1940.
Also, it is important to note that due to the nature of the book it is mainly a WHAT and HOW book (provides data and factual information )but is not a WHY book. That is, you will notice that a motorized infantry battalion differs organizationaly from a regular infantry battalion but it is not explained WHY. Other books give the explanation. This is not a problem with the book, it is just its scope. Overall it is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the details that are not covered in most WW2 books. ... Read more

Product Description
Rangers, Green Berets, SEALs, Delta Force, LRRPs, Force Recon—
and the struggle of the best and the bravest to keep America free

They’re some of the toughest and most highly trained fighting men in the world—going where no ordinary soldier would go and doing what no ordinary soldier would dare. Outnumbered and outgunned, operating in small teams of five or six-deep in enemy territory far from help, they rely on their wits, their skills, and each other to get out alive.

Blood Warriors is a penetrating, no-holds-barred account of the training, missions, and history of the military elites who mold America’s most dangerous and highly skilled warriors . . . from the navy’s SEALs and the Marine Corps’ Force Reconnaissance to the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, Rangers, and Special Forces. Here’s an in-depth look at each unit’s methods and standards: what’s required and what it takes to survive and succeed. Whether gathering intelligence, capturing prisoners, executing raids and ambushes, or just creating havoc in enemy territory, these men know that death is their constant companion—and one small misstep could mean body bags for everyone. Maybe that’s why America calls them heroes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

AWealth of information
I would urge anyone with an interest in the Special Forces to buy this book. I am in the Army (actually writing this from afghanistan)and have read many military books and yet this one still had plenty of new things that i never hear before. President John Kennedys trip to Fort Bragg early in his term as well as the fact that Winston Churchill himself chose to call his elite troops "Commando" are just two examples of the kind of interesting details you will find in Michael Lannings pages.I liked the Daily Training schedule he included in the appendix and if someone is thinking of trying out for the Army Rangers,Delta Force or Navy Seals you would do well to have the information in this book.Lastly i wanted to mention the fact that you get the chapters set up where you get the history of a given unit first and then you read what the units responsibilities are Today.

The book to read, recommend, and buy!
It should be obvious that Michael Lee Lanning's BLOOD WARRIORS: American Military Elites was intentionally written for the reader with an interest in---but neither an obsession with, nor an already encyclopedic knowledge of---US Air Force Combat Control "CCTs" and Pararescue "PJs";USMC Force Reconnaissance Marines; US Army Delta operators, Green Berets, and Rangers; and US Navy SEAL Teams. This is a book for readers who might not have already read dozens of other books about American special operations units. It is a book for people whose interest in America's elite military units may have been stirred by the fact that our country is at war and that members of these units are doing an extremely important share of the fighting.Even a glance at the books shelved next to each other will show that BLOOD WARRIORS is only marginally longer than Lt Col Lanning's INSIDE FORCE RECON or INSIDE THE LRRPs, and a glance at the subtitles shows that BLOOD WARRIORS covers a broader spectrum of units. It is pretty obvious, then, that this book was not intended to look at all these units in the same depth with which INSIDE FORCE RECON looked at Recon Marines, or INSIDE THE LRRPs looked at the Long Range Patrol and Ranger companies of the Vietnam War.BLOOD WARRIORS was intended to be an overview of American special operations forces, both historical and present day. And that is exactly what it is. It is unfortunate, then, that the first review of BLOOD WARRIORS posted ... takes Lt Col Lanning to task for accomplishing exactly what he sat out to do. BLOOD WARRIORS may have been written for a general audience and not specifically for those who've read dozens of books about American special operations forces. But I have read hundreds of books about American special operations forces, and I still learned new things from this book. When I showed BLOOD WARRIORS to a military author who has served in the active duty Army Rangers, reserve and National Guard Special Forces, and the Marine Corps Reserve Force Reconnaissance Company, he would have read it straight through if I hadn't snatched it out of his hands and told him to buy his own copy. He commented that the book was awfully hard to put down, and that the appendixes at the end of it were themselves worth the price of the book. When it comes to a comprehensive overview of American special operation forces, Michael Lee Lanning's BLOOD WARRIORS is the book to read, the book to recommend, and the book to buy.

Not impressed and a letdown for this author
It's difficult to believe that this book was written by the same man who wrote the excellent (if a bit dry) books about the Vietnam era Recon Marines and LRRPs. I get the impression that the book was quickly written to take advantage of the recent interest in the special operations elites of the US militaries.

Firstly, there is nothing new here at all. The background of the units might be of interest for those who don't want to buy a book dedicated to the individual units. However, it is quite abbreviated. The coverage of the units in the current day is even worse, there is nothing in there that is not covered more completely and for free on the web at sites like specialoperations.com or what have you. In addition, several of the entries, most notably the Delta Force one, looks like all of the research was done by reading older books on the subject already out there. The old story of Delta Force's racism is brought up again, which has as its sole source a poorly written special operations overview by an Italian author whose title I won't dignify by repeating. The fact that people, including former black Delta Force members have denied this is not even mentioned. The fact that most special operations forces have low nmumbers of minorities is never mentioned, except in the SF section where it is carefully explained away socially.

This book may have some use if you know nothing about these units and would like a relatively cheap primer. However, there are vastly better books already out there so save your money. And that is my main complaint with the book.There are already better books out there that do the same overview of America's units. Douglass Waller's "The Commandos" and David Bohrer's "America's Special Forces" come to mind.In addition, it repeats myths as fact, seemingly taken out of older, innaccurate books.In short, it's a book that tries to do what other books have already done and it does it poorly.It is simply another superficial "quickie overview of all of America's elite units or at least the ones with name recognition" book in a shelf already crowded with those books.From an author like this, who is simply the gold standard for special forces books along with Kevin Dockery, it is a true letdown.Also, the repeating every or two pages of the term "blood warriors" gets old, awfully fast.This seems to be the case of an exceptional author who, in this case, wrote a poor book.

Matt ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Book is available in soft cover under the author, Griess
This title is available in soft cover under the author, Thomas E. Griess, the editor of the series. ... Read more

Product Description
If anecdotes are marginal notes on the pages of history, these will delight any reader who has ever been moved or entertained by the condition of the soldier.Few fields of human endeavor have inspired so many memorable anecdotes as warfare, from the Bible and Livy through Gibbon and Froissart, to the imperial wars of the nineteenth century and the world conflicts of the twentieth.

This collection of is principally concerned with American and British conflicts, with, as the author says, "occasional forays among the ranks of foreign armies"--notably the Greeks, the Romans, and Napoleon's veterans.Hastings has sought stories that illustrate the military condition through the ages, both on the battlefield and in barracks: comic, eccentric, heroic, tragic.Here are Caesar at the Rubicon and the revolt of the Praetorian Guard; Alexander's horse and Prince Rupert's dog; the legendary Mother Ross enlisting in search of her lost husband in 1693; Evelyn Waugh as the least plausible of commandos; General Douglas MacArthur's good luck charm "Charlie," a lump of lava rock carved into a Hawaiian warrior; and much more.Some of the stories will be familiar to students of military history while others are less well known, but all provide fascinating sidelights to history.

"An outstanding book...in a class by itself. It's a work of literature. One can't simply browse: The quality of the writing casts the spell of poetry.Although historical, the stories take on the universality of art."--Christian Science Monitor

"Hastings is...aware of a good story.[He] succeeds in illustrating the soldiers' experience in both unusual and specific aspects."--Library Journal

* "[A] fascinating collection of military stories...the sort of book that can be picked up at intervals...[but] once tasted, is hard to put down."--Washington Post Book World

Great war stories by Max Hastings, a leading military historian and war correspondent

About the Author:

Max Hastings is a well-known author specializing in military history. His most recent books include Bomber Command, Battle for the Falklands, and Overlord. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Must have for the anglophilic military enthusiast
A great compilation of tales from the touching to the comically irrelevant (be warned, some tales are really funny), as can only be delivered from a British viewpoint. Another similar book is "Military Anecdotes" by G. Regan, which also appears to be out of print currently. I have read this book again and again until the covers are about to come off. I love the variety of stories here. Highly recommended, and I wish Oxford will update this with a new print edition so it would be cheaper. Hastings has done a laudable job in selecting and editing these stories.

Diverse collection for the historian or average reader
Max Hastings has compiled a truly stellar group of personal stories of campaigns dating from the Bible to the Falklands War.Each item is briefly introduced, with any background needed to understand the context of the story as it relates to the battle or campaign.It being the "Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes" the emphasis is on British history, but there's also a fair number of French, and American stories thrown in as well. Active or retired military members of most countries will especially enjoy the fights against bureaucracy going back to the Napoleonic Wars-plus ca change I guess.Anyway, it's too bad though, that almost no German or Russian stories are included-but any anthology requires some fairly tough editing to make publication.In fairness, Mr Hastings explains that there just weren't "that many" German anecdotes, and I expect that linguistic difficulties and sources (my copy is dated 1985) excluded the Russians.A more surprising omission is a lack of ancient Greek military stories, a few of which are almost common knowledge (at least in military circles.)
The publishing date is, I think, the only real issue I have with the book.After almost ten years, a new edition with Ancient Greece, plus maybe the Vietnam, and Gulf I/II would further enchance an excellent book.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent
I didn't even know this book existed.It's a wonderful addition to my collection.

Scifi Fan
As a first time reader of the War World series, I was at first concerned I would be lost starting with The Battle of Sauron.Quite the contrary.I was quickly drawn into the Sauron-Imperial conflict, feeling empathy actually for both sides, the characters being very well developed and "human".I especially liked the battle scenes, the tactical and technical logistics of the battles were amazing, as well as the human side of war.I plan to buy as gifts for my fellow scifi friends.

Long Awaited Novel in the War World Series
Most fans of Jerry Pournelle's War World and CoDominium series no doubt assumed they would never see a new book.Carr and Hawthorne have added to these series with this great book, which describes in great detail the crucial end to the Sauron insurrection and the coming of the surviving Saurons to Haven, the Warworld.While some of the book is re-hashed from WarWorld anthologies, most is new work of high caliber.Thw authors capture the flavor of earlier works and suck the reader into the curiously sympathetic story of the Sauron's final leader and his quest to save his (not-so-liekable) people.

Amazing!!!!
I have been a fan of the war world series for quite some time and this is the best book of the series i have seen yet.Just the overall look of the book is amazing!!! The cover and inside are is stunning and its great to have all the info in one place as well as the new content.The space battle scenes are incredible and the background info on the Sauron's make me love and hate them at the same time.I'm giving them away to friends of mine for Xmas!! ... Read more