‘Whenever I receive a book written by Tim Mullin I know that I am going to be reading something outstanding. He is an unusual man in that he has a deep theoretical knowledge of firearms, together with an extensive ‘hands on’ approach to their use. He has been an Army officer, a Police Officer and has published numerous books on firearms and their use. In this case, drawing on an extensive amount of original research he looks at Special Operations, its history and the diverse facets of its operation and then goes on to give a very clear view on the various weapons available. He discusses a whole host of weapons in meticulous detail, including pistols, rifles, assault rifles, machine guns and shot guns as well as sniper rifles and special weapons. Non-firearms weapons such as knives in their several forms, shooting techniques, the many forms of sights available, ammunition and armour and his evaluation of the available ‘top guns’. This is a book written by a man for whom I have the greatest respect - he really knows what he is writing about and no armchair commando!’ – Gun Mart reviewing Special Operations: Weapons and Tactics by T. J. Mullin. ‘There is much of interest in this resume of the first aces and their battles. The author includes details of the good and bad points of the scouts (the name for fighters of the First World War) used by both sides and the evolution of the tactics which would have to be relearnt less than a quarter of a century later. This is a good primer for anyone interested in knowing more about those early pilots and their aircraft.’ – Aviation News reviewing Dog Fight by Norman Franks. ‘An invaluable work ... balanced and objective ... paints a full and fair picture of the C-in-C’s complex personality ... Probert’s work deserves to rank amongst the best of them. In fact this is the literary equivalent of the statue which stands alongside Lord Dowding, who received equally shoddy treatment, at St. Clement Danes ... Probert looks at all of Harris’s operational decisions impartially and with eyes as cold as Bert Harris’s own; he does not spare him when it comes to exposing his over-optimistic and sometimes bombastic pronounce-ments on the effectiveness of the air war. With keenness of analytical intellect he reflects on the dichotomy between the Air Ministry’s and indeed the Prime Minister’s sanction for area bombing -the only way Britain could get at the enemy in his homeland at the time - and the C-in-C’s single-minded dedication to that task. Area bombing was not Harris’s idea, but as a realist he concluded early on that precision night-bombing, even with radar’s aids, was impractical, if not impossible. – Everyone’s War: The Journal of the Second World War Experience Centre reviewing Bomber Harris: His Life and Times by Henry Probert. ‘Michael Mawson, Dallas’s great grandson, has done an excellent job in editing these very interesting and well written letters. How many other people have a trunk containing old family letters, gathering dust in an attic, one wonders?’ – Colonel O J M Lindsay, editor of The Guards Magazine reviewing Eyewitness in the Crimea by Michael Mawson. ‘Major-General Verney’s classic and inspiring account of the men of the 7th Armoured Division during World War II ... this book is an outstanding testament to the valour of a remarkable unit and is reprinted in paperback after being out of print for a number of years. This easy-to- read narrative of harrowing battles, hardship and unsung courage will appeal to the historian war-gamer and the general reader.’ – Max Sarche in Gun Mart reviewing The Desert Rats – The 7th Armoured Division in World War II (paperback) by Major-General C L Verney, DSO, MVO. ‘Napoleon had opinions on every aspect of war, of which he was an undoubted master. His selected maxims cover the dangers of retreat, lines of communi-cation, enterprise and bravery, infantry formations, horse artillery, death or victory ... The Military Maxims of Napoleon plus the explanatory anno-tations by both Cairnes and Chandler give a broad insight into the art of war, as practised by one of history’s masters.’ – Paul Chamberlain reviewing The Military Maxims of Napoleon edited by David G. Chandler in First Empire. ‘Markham has written an excellent intro-duction ... these bulletins also provide a real insight into Napoleonic propaganda ... a wealth of information on Napoleon, his armies and men who fought those wars. Markham has provided a major contribution to Napoleonic studies by making the bulletins available in the English language in one concise volume. It will be a welcome addition to indi-vidual libraries and a must for colleges and universities where French history is taught.– John G. Gallaher, President of the Napoleonic Alliance reviewing Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon’s Grande Armee 1805-1814 by J. David Markham in First Empire. ‘Noted Napoleonic scholar J. David Markham has collected and edited for the first time in English this remarkable collection of all Napoleon’s Grande Armee bulletins written from 1805 to 1814 ... (with) an informative and perceptive introduction ... they shed light on Napoleon’s perceptions, character, leadership and subordinates, as well as the Emperor’s attempts to praise his soldiers, inform the home population and shape public opinion. The volume is an invaluable addition to the personal library of anyone interested in Napoleon and his wars. Greenhill Books is to be congratulated for filling this void in Napoleonic literature, now available to English-speaking people.’ – Military Heritage (USA) reviewing Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon’s Grande Armee 1805-1814 by J. David Markham. ‘Penetrating ... valuable and interesting.’ – Military Heritage (USA) reviewing Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-Up by Ron Lock and Peter Quantrill. ‘The well-deserved popularity of the Greenhill Military Manuals series is exemplified once again by this revised edition of the late Ian Hogg’s original work ... you can catch up with some of the latest items such as the Barrett Light Fifty M82A1, the FN Five-Seven delayed blowback pistol, the Galil sniper rifle in 7.62 x 51, the H & K G36 rifle (not roller locked) and the Steyr M-40 and M-9 pistols ... In short, more than 220 species and sub-species are described and/or illustrated to make this book a treasure trove for anyone remotely interested in small arms.’ - S. W. Wigzell in Australia reviewing Small Arms: Pistols and Rifles (Greenhill Military Manuals) by Ian V. Hogg. Visit our Web Site Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 126 Table of Contents Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Greenhill Books This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com