Collectors of the Greenhill Military Manuals series will be pleased to learn that there will be two important additions this year. Modern Military Rifles by John Walter is a profusely illustrated gun-by-gun directory detailing the most important rifles to have served worldwide since the end of World War II. Alphabetically arranged by country of origin, from Argentina to the USSR, this comprehensive profile includes some of the last-bolt action guns to see service, such as the British No.4 Lee-Enfields and the German Mauser Kar. 98k, through to first-generation semi-automatics such as the Garand. Coverage is given to classic designs such as the FNFAL, the Kalashnikov (see illustration) and the ArmaLite AR-15/M16 series, as well as to designs currently under review, such as the Russian AN-94 (‘Nikonov’) and CZ2000 (of the Czech Republic). Each entry lists weights, dimensions and performance, summarises the history of the design, and presents brief opinions of the capabilities of each weapon. John Walter has also included, where appropriate, appendices on cartridge data, a guide to identifying national markings, and list of the equipment used by individual armies. John Walter is a respected authority on all aspects of weaponry, whose other contributions to the Greenhill Military Manuals series include Kalashnikov and Modern Machine-Guns. His comprehensive guide to the art and artists of gunmaking, The Greenhill Dictionary of Guns and Gunmakers, is due to be published by Greenhill later this year. Developed in the mid-nineties, the Tatra T816-G3 (origin: Czech Republic) is a high-mobility truck for use in extreme terrain and climatic conditions. Military Transport: Trucks and Transporters by T. J. O’Malley has drawings by Ray Hutchins and revisions by Pat Ware. This definitive assessment of modern-day load-carrying vehicles has now been updated. In addition to profiling a range of new designs, Pat Ware looks objectively at O’Malley’s predictions for the future of military transport, and evaluates these in the light of contemporary trends. He discusses the contrast between development of newer American trucks, such as the Stewart & Stevenson FMTV, with their standard bonneted layout; and the larger tactical European trucks typified by the Tatra HET, which have a low-profile, cab-forward mid-engined envelope. He also discusses the ‘under the skin’ developments - the industry’s wholehearted embrace of advanced technology to the point where features such as electronic engine-management, central-tyre inflation and anti-lock braking systems have become standard on many tactical vehicles. There are thirteen new additions to the existing spreads, with photographs and complementary drawings by Ray Hutchins. These are organised alphabetically according to country of origin and divided into categories of ‘Lightweight vehicles’, ‘Trucks’, ‘Heavy Equipment Transporters’, and ‘Tracked Vehicles’. Profiles detail manufacturing initiatives and early trials, plus special features, load capacity and, where appropriate, variations in design. The perfected version of the immensely popular Kalashnikov action rifle, profiled in Modern Military Rifles. Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 109 Table of Contents Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Greenhill Books This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com