• War

      The Art of War by M.C. Scott 

      by
      Command_doh
       Number of Views: 736 
      1. Categories:
      2. Fiction,
      3. History,
      4. Military,
      5. War
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      The Art of War is set in AD 69, the 'year of the four Emperors' and is the fourth in the Rome series by MC Scott. I hadn't heard of the author prior to being allocated this novel by Auld_Yin, and was mildly surprised to see that it was in fact, a woman. Nothing wrong with that, it's just I don't think I've seen many (or read any for that matter) historical fiction books written by women.

      It's a hefty tome, weighing in at some 560 odd pages, but don't let that worry you, it is a very easy book to read, and the story flows along nicely, drawing you further and deeper in as it progresses. Unusually – for me at least – the tale is told in the First-person narrative, describing both their observations of other characters and their own feelings. Scott does it very well, and whilst there are times you see the same situation from multiple perspectives, the repetition is only minor and instead the motives of a key character doing something are fleshed out in more detail. ...
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      THE SCARLET THIEF by Paul Fraser Collard 

      by
      Auld-Yin
       Number of Views: 310 
      1. Categories:
      2. History,
      3. Military,
      4. War
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      .
      Introducing Jack Lark, product of the slums of London, soldier in the British Army of 1854. Jack is the soldier servant of one of his Regiment’s officers Captain Sloames who is looking for glory, promotion and riches for his family. He won’t find them in this Regiment as they have been posted to the West Indies, known for disease and the death rate so Sloames buys a commission in another Regiment that has been sent to the Crimea. Jack has just moved from his Company to become Sloames’ orderly but has left behind a vicious Colour Sergeant who is after the skin off Jack’s back and intends to get him flogged by fair means or foul.

      Just before leaving with Captain Sloames Jack has a falling out with CSgt Slater in which Jack’s girlfriend is killed by Slater. Sloames moves away from the Regiment, taking Jack with him to keep him alive. On their way to join their new Regiment Sloames contracts cholera and dies. Jack takes his place and as he reckons no-one in the new regiment knows him; he impersonates Sloames and takes over the Light Company of The Kings Royal Fusiliers just before they move to the Crimea and the Battle of Alma. However, to make life difficult for Jack, the only person who could have destroyed his life joins the Fusiliers – Slater. Now bust to sergeant for the events in UK and dismissed from his Regiment. He sees Jack, recognises him bit thinks that with a hold over Jack life could get very easy for him.

      ...
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      Carrhae by Peter Darman - Review by Captain-Crusty 

      by
      Captain_Crusty
       Number of Views: 1023 
      1. Categories:
      2. Fiction,
      3. History,
      4. Military,
      5. War
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      .
      Carrhae is the fourth and final instalment in Peter Darman's excellent 'Parcorus' series of historical novels. The three previous novels (The Parthian ,Parthian Dawn ,Parthian Vengeance) have been reviewed here. Peter Darman is an established military non-fiction writer with a background on the Defence Intelligence Staff on Whitehall - he has now well and truly put a marker in the sand to be considered an accomplished military fiction writer as well. In previous reviews, I have described these novels as an equivalent to a Roman Sharpe series - indeed, Darman has a similar writing style to Bernard Cornwell that grips the reader and sweeps them along with the action.

      The series of novels follows Parcorus, initially a Prince within a Middle Eastern kingdom in Roman times, as he is captured in a battle, sold to the Romans as a slave and then escapes as part of the Spartacus uprising. The books follow his life story as he establishes himself as a great king and a gifted general. This, the final book, brings the tale to its climax and ties off many of the different threads that have run throughout the series.

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      Zero Six Bravo By Damien Lewis 

      by
      old_fat_and_hairy
       Number of Views: 1377 
      1. Categories:
      2. War,
      3. Adventure/Thriller
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      March, 2003 and 'M'Squadron were being deployed. The squadron was an Special Boat Service (SBS) unit but with troops from the Special Air Service attached as well.

      Their mission was to penetrate Iraq, go 1,0000 kilometers behind enemy lines and and take the surrender of of an entire Army Corps; the Iraqi 5th Corps. A force of 100,000 men with armour, artillery and logistic supplies. There were 60 people in 'M'Squadron, with a civilian interpreter. The task was nicknamed 'Operation No Return'.

      Between the men of the squadron and the destination were miles and miles of harsh and unforgiving terrain and thousands of fedayeen, the die-hard fanatical supporters of Saddam Hussein. And the war had not yet started.

      ...
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      A Splendid Little War by Derek Robinson 

      by
      terroratthepicnic
       Number of Views: 496 
      1. Categories:
      2. Humour,
      3. Military,
      4. War
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      .

      WW I has ended and all is right with the world. Well, almost..

      The year is 1919 and Russia is in the grip of a civil war. The Whites are fighting the Bolshevik Reds for control. So British being the British we stay out of it, yeah right.

      The Secretary of State for War (Winston Churchill) wants to make sure Communism doesn't win so he backs the Whites in the form of volunteers from the newly formed Royal Air Force. A British staff Officer had told them, ‘there’s a splendid little war going on, you’ll like it’.

      So the volunteers trotted of to Russia with their Sopwith Camels to ‘biff some bolo’s’. What they found was a large intense war in a country full of disease and death at every turn. They also came up against the non existent Red Air force, which turned out to be rather good at their job.

      ...
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      One Second After by William R Forstchen 

      by
      TheIronDuke
       Number of Views: 440 
      1. Categories:
      2. Fiction,
      3. Military,
      4. War
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      This is a weird one since I have been asked to review a book that was published in 2009 and made the New York Times best sellers list. It is now available as a free PDF download here, or you can buy it in shops or from Amazon.

      http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2191690...cond+After.pdf

      The review has come about following a chat with one of the sinister figures that run the ARRSE Book Review. I said I found the book scary as hell. Since I have owed him a five figure sum for many years, he has done his best to scare me in the past and he knows I do not scare easy.

      So he said “Why don’t you review it?”

      Well, it was that or part with a five figure sum. So here you go. I did not write this but why risk chipping a nail by duplicating effort…

      One Second After - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      As you will see, the book centres on a EMP attack on the USA.
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      Men of Honour, by Patrick Mercer. 

      by
      old_fat_and_hairy
       Number of Views: 429 
      1. Categories:
      2. War
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      Two soldiers, both officers, both leaders of men, courageous and dedicated, yet both vastly different whilst still having the same objective in mind; survive, prevail, fight and bring your men home.

      The battalions, both infantry, both with long and honourable reputations and loyal troops.

      The place; Afghanistan, in particular, a forward operating base in a dangerous location in that most hostile of countries.
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      Dominion by C.J. Sansom 

      by
      ancienturion
       Number of Views: 444 
      1. Categories:
      2. War
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      The story is set in 1952 around the time of one of the last great smogs to beset London. The situation is one where Britain capitulated, and sued for peace, in 1940 during the short war against the Axis powers. The war is now a struggle between Germany and Russia with no interference from the USA.

      In Britain all is not well and people are beginning to realise that the country is slowly being dominated by Germany. The Jews are to be rounded up, and more and more information is being gathered by the government for the benefit of the Germans.
      ...
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