MILITARY ELITES by Roger A Beaumont. 251 pages; many photographs. Robert Hale Ltd. - £ 5.50p).
Colourful and much publicised corps d'Elite are invariably accepted as being useful, perhaps vital parts of armies and rarely until this book have people questioned their existence. And yet it can be claimed that much that is put to the question in these extremely well written and thoughtful pages is answered by the recent stimulating operation at Entebbe. Considering elite forces of the 20th century, the book poses the question -- "What will the effect be if you skim off the best men in war and get them killed off at a high rate?" Have you found a good way of getting rid of dangerous, violent, over eager people or perhaps you have discovered an ideal method of stripping your army (or nation?) of leadership in future years? Dealing with British commandos, airborne and SAS troops, American Rangers, Popski's Private Army, Waffen SS troops, French Paras, Spanish Foreign Legion in Civil War, Japanese Kamikaze pilots -- this book describes their training, background and operations. As it does so it poses such fascinating questions as "Should not the privates in these elite outfits be the sergeants and lieutenants in the conscript army? Is it wise cluster together the eager and the fit and throw them into hazardous and costly operations?" In no way detracting from the courage, ability or results of elite forces, Roger Beaumont admirably assess their worth and impact in a manner that could well influence the wargamer in his future choice of the formations that make up his table-top armies. Like the recently reviewed FACE OF WAR, this book is unique modern thoughtful appreciation of a most interesting aspect of warfare rather than a trendy denigration of cherished beliefs -- read it and see for yourself!
HANDBOOK ON THE BRITISH ARMY edited by Chris Ellis and Peter Chamberlain. 234 pages innumerable photographs, black-and-white line drawings, maps and plans. Arms and Armour Press - £ 4.
During World War II the U.S. Army produced manuals on the opposing armies and many of them have been re-printed in recent years, this much rarer work is TM 30-410 Handbook on the British Army, which was produced early in 1943 to give an overall picture of the British Army, its equipment, uniforms, organisation and tactics, to the American soldier. Considerably edited to correct errors and with omissions and amendments that, with hindsight, improve the book, makes it a valuable and compact guide to the British Army as it was in the middle of World War II as 1943 represents a good average of the war's organisation of the British Army in general. It is an absolute mine of information by two respected writers well known to current military collectors and militarists.
After some introduction and general notes it goes into the organisation of command, administration and tactics before considing in detail infantry, airborne troops, artillery, anti-aircraft command, Royal Armoured Corps, Roy Engineers, Royal Signals, Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps and other arms and services. Then there are ranks, uniforms and insignia; armament and equipment of infantry, artillery, anti-aircraft, defence against chemical warfare, armoured fighting vehicles, and soft vehicles. There is a chapter on tactics and another on military intelligence in the field. It is explicitly illustrated with photographs of uniforms, badges, weapons and the like so that there is little doubt that its claim to be a complete reference book for the British Army of World War II is more than justified. Quite invaluable to the wargamer building up armies for World War II.
BRITISH TANKS OF WORLD WAR 2 by Terry Gander and Peter Chamberlain. (64 pages; 70 photographs and 30 drawings. Patrick Stephens - £ 1.40p).
This small but highly detailed book gives a complete listing of all British tanks used during World War 2, together with their main variants and details on their armament and camouflage schemes so that it is of great value to modellers and wargamers. It begins with two preliminary chapters describing the outline history of British tank development before and during World War 2 and a short note on American tanks in British service. Then there is a detailed data section which describes ea vehicle in chronological order under the headings of "Light"; "Infantry" and "Medium" or "Cruiser". This section includes information on the development and active service use of each vehicle, listing its derivatives such as mine clearing, bridge laying and flame throwing tanks and finishes with a table on a representative marks.
Every British tank from the little Vickers Lights and the airborne Tetrarch through the Cruiser tanks I to IV, Covenanter, Crusader, Cavalier, Centaur, Cromwell and Comet, and the heavily armoured infantry Matilda, Valentine and Churchill, are covered in this way. Then there is similar data on the main American tanks in British service - the Stuart, the Lee/Grant and the Sherman plus chapters on British tank armament including the 2, 6 and 17 pdr guns and machir guns plus details on camouflage and markings in the European, North African and far-Eastern theatre. This Airfix Magazine Guide 17 is a mine of information at a ridiculously low price for this day and age.
AIRFIX MAGAZINE ANNUAL 6 FOR MODELLERS edited by Bruce Quarrie. 100 pages; 132 photos; 171 drawings and 38 full-colour illustrations. Patrick Stephens Ltd - £ 2.50p).
Lavishly illustrated and written by experts, this Annual is aimed at those who want to get the utmost from their plastic construction kits. There are many features aircraft and ships but of main interest to wargamers the articles by John Sindars "Motor infantry i the Desert"; uniform details of Chasseurs a Cheval de la Garde by Bryan Fosten; German Steyr 640 tr models in 1:76 scale and Ancient Roman artillery models and crews which will excite the wargamer ir this period. Then there is a fine article on re-vamping the Airfix French Foreign Legion fort by old friend Terry Wise and another on 1:76 scale model CDL and Crane Matildas.
MODELL MAGAZIN WAR ALBUM (200 x 160 mm; 96 pages; Many photographs. Argus Books - £ 2.75p).
This soft linen covered book is a collection of military, naval and aviation archive pictures, mainly of German origin from the German publication "Model Magazine". The majority are World War 2 but there are also some for World War I and between the wars; also all are previously unpublished a many of them are rare and unique. There are six pages in colour and the text is in English and German. There are a number of armoured vehicles among these photographs which may well make this book of value to the modeller in this field.
MANUAL OF THE WAFFEN-SS - Badges, Uniforms and Equipment by Walther-Karl Holzmann. (96 pages plus 4 colour plates and numerous black-and-wbite drawings. Argus Books - £ 2.95p).
This compact but comprehensive guide to the uniforms, badges, standards and equipment of the Waffen-SS in World War 2 is by a man who served in the German armed forces and has produced in collaboration with BMSS members R. Marrion and D. Fosten. It includes many hitherto unpublished pictures fully detailed text, many uniform drawings and colour plates of camouflage patterns, legion badges, rank badges and standards. If you want to become an authority on this infamous outfit then you will learn all you need to know from this book -- and I suppose there are some people who find them interesting - but not me!
THE GUINNESS BOOK OF TANK FACTS AND FEATS by Kenneth Macksey. (256 pages; dozens of photographs and drawings both in colour and black-and-white. Guinness Superlatives Ltd - £ 4.95p).
This is the second edition of a work published four years ago which has since become recognised as one of the most authoritative and popular volumes on armoured fighting vehicles. Beautifully produced and so full of new material, including a whole host of vehicles which were on the secret list or even unthought of in 1972, the book is literally invaluable to the wargamer interested in armoured warfare. The latest tank wars including that of Yom Kippur are included together with a fascinating insight into the latest technical discoveries and inventions which influence this aspect of warfare. The author and his collaborators are all ex-Royal Tank Regiment officers which, for my money, hallmarks the book. I think it is reasonable to claim that if you were only allowed one book in your library on tanks then this would have to be it!
F.104 STARFIGHTING IN ACTION by Lou Drendel. This is number 27 of the Squadron/Signal Publication Aircraft Series and describes with dozens of pictures, drawings and some coloured plates what one experienced Starfighter pilot described as "The most dangerous, insidious airplane that I have ever flown, having many coffin corners that you can get yourself into without natural warnings and leavin, yourself no place to go!" If you are an aircraft buff then you will find this of vital interest.
Another Squadron/Signal publication is ARMEE DE L'AIR - A Pictorial History of the French Air Force 1937-1945. This is a very full pictorial history of the French Air force with action photographs of aircraft both during and pre-World War II - as always, the photographs are very explicit and the boo] includes nine full-page colour photographs depicting various types of aircraft resplendant in their camouflage and markings.
A SOLDIER OF THE SEVENTY-FIRST by Christopher Hibbert. (121 pages. Squadron/Signal Publications -- U.S.A. $4.95).
This is an American edition of a book first published in England in 1975 which was a reprint of a remarkable little book published in Edinburgh in 1819 as the journal of a soldier of the Highland Light Infantry from 1806 to 1815 and subsequently edited by well-known British historian Christopher Hibbet. Ranging from action in South America 1806 up to the Battle of Waterloo, the book is a very detailed and colourful description of the everyday life of a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars.
BOOKS OF RHODESIA (137A Rhodes Street (14th-15th Aves) P.O.Box 1994, Bulawayo, Rhodesia), as though hastening to put out every possible volume in their Rhodesiana Reprint Library, have recently issued four fine volumes, all ably illustrating the courageous pioneering spirit of the early white settlers which seems to have come to nought and to be discounted in the face of the political aspects of Black majority rule.
The first is Vol.1: THE WAR HISTORY OF SOUTHERN RHODESIA 1939-1945 (353 pages; full coloured illustrations; many fold-out maps in colour and black-and-white; innumerable photographs. Rh.$15.75; R20.40 in South Africa). This is a reprint of a 1947 publication commissioned by the Southern Rhodesian Government soon after the end of World War II and proudly relates the war effort of a small Colony who came without hesitation or conditions to aid the Mother Country in her hour of need. It begins immediately prior to the war and carries on through the Desert and in Africa until September 1942.
Volume 2 carries the story on until the end of the War and is to be published shortly. Very readable and telling innumerable personal stories of Rhodesian soldiers and airmen, this book throws extensive light on many aspects of the African campaigns which have rarely been considered elsewhere in such detail. It is a fine book to add to those dealing with the history of World War II
CAMP LIFE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA by T.J.Lucas. (260 pages; 4 pages of illustrations
This is a book that the student of British Colonial warfare will find highly interesting as it is the informative and lively account of a soldier's experiences in the Eighth and greatest of the wars between white and black on the Cape eastern frontier lasting from 1850 to 1853.
The author, a Cape Mounted Rifleman, served throughout the hostilities and his experiences of Kaffir warfare are described from an eye-witness viewpoint which reveals a great deal about little known aspects of Victorian Colonial campaigns. Our old friend Sir Harry Smith of the Peninsular and Sikh War fame) plays a prominent part throughout and it is noticeable that 1he impetuosity he showed throughout his life did not serve him in such good stead here as it might have done!
THROUGH SHOT AND FLAME by J.D.Kestell.(357 pages; 28 photographs).
Innumerable records of the fighting of the 2nd Boer War have been left by British soldiers but few personal accounts of the war have been published by the Boers in English and this volume origin; put out in 1903, is one of the most important. The author was an Afrikaner patriot who was present many of the significant engagements of the war which he describes in stirring style, especially his account of Colenso and the Boer attempt to break into Ladysmith, his own adventures on commando and of the guerilla warfare which took up the second half of the conflict. Naturally a trifle biased, i author pays credit to the spirit of the British soldiers by saying of the attempt to save the guns at Colenso "I do not think that a more heroic deed was done in the whole war". The photographs are excellent and if you want to read a colourful and fascinating account of war from the "enemy's" viei point then this is your book!
RAIDERS AND REBELS IN SOUTH AFRICA by Elsa Goodwin Green. (Rh.$10.35 (R13.50 in South Africa). 213 pages; 14 illustrations.
This is the chronicle of a trained nurse who found herself deeply involved with wounded prison( from the Jameson Raid and later in Rhodesia during the Mashona uprising. She graphically describes the major campaigns in Mashonaland, the defeat and death of the rebel chief Makoni, the episode of the Mazoe patrol and actions in the Hartley district. She writes warmly of that earlier perilous period in Rhodesia's history and her story when read alongside that of Colonel E.A.H. Alderson in his book "With the Mounted Infantry and the MMF 1896", will give the Colonial wargamer a very fair picture of a typical struggle faced by grandparents in what was often a fierce and hostile land.
All these books of the Rhodesiana Reprint Library are beautifully bound and presented and Members of the Books of Rhodesia Book Club and of the Africana Book Society receive a discount of 33*%. ThE student of British Colonial history will find them not only fascinating but almost unique in this country because the dissemination of literature from Rhodesia has hardly been encouraged during the past decade!
OPERATION WARBOARD by Gavin Lyall. (159 pages; 20 illustrations. A. and C. Black Limited - P,3.90p).
In the far distant past when wargamers were thin on the ground, one of my greatest pleasures was to spend a weekend at Dover wargaming with Charles Grant and his son Charles Junior (now a Captain in a Highland Regiment). I found their father/son wargaming relationship most stimulating and I have never lost my admiration for Charles Grant's manner of "master-minding" the game so that it flowed swiftly, realistically and without dissent. On opening this book, it immediately became apparent that the author Gavin Lyall had managed to work a similar miracle with his elder son Bernard -- so now that is two fathers and sons I envy because all my efforts to achieve the same relationship with my 15 year old son never result in anything like the Lyalls and the Grants have had! Dealing exclusively with wargaming in the World War II period, I found this a most inspiring and stimulating book that I caused me to already spend some hours this weekend reorganising the dusty and rarely used British and German infantry and armour forces described seven years ago in Chapter 15 of my book "ADVANCED WARGAMES". Gavin Lyall's book is , redolent with enthusiasm and undoubtedly, as he claims, it describe about the cheapest possible way of wargaming, using the readily available 20mm. plastic figures and vehicles. Because of the close affinity between the two opponents there is much accepted and taken for granted in this book that might well be a source of discussion or even argument between opponents lacking such ties. Nevertheless, this is wargaming at its best and as it should be, aided by easily understood relatively basic rules - and everyone knows that I always go for the simple rules! I imagine that if you are not fanatical about accuracy and detail and you do not press too hard, that these rules will-give you a fast moving and very realistic game. The book covers all sorts of suggested wargames including, for the first time in my recollection, various aspects of the D-Day landings. A very worthy addition to the literature of wargaming.
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© Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone.
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