Ron Field (1)

After all these decades, the "Men-at-Arms" series probably remains one of Osprey Publishing's most basic products, and with 500-plus separate titles having been published, there is no claiming that all of them are essential. What lifts this particular title above the mean is the period, the crash emergency period of the early days of the American Civil War, and secondly, Field has collected a lot of first-person accounts of how the Union militiamen and new recruits responded to their new show more garb (often very underwhelmed!). Besides that this booklet also does a good job of documenting the period when Union troops were as likely to serve in the field wearing grey as blue, and when "uniform" was more of an aspiration than a reality (that was also true of the Confederate forces). show less

Rangers were some of the most effective units used in Vietnam. The light infantry tactics of the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols were able to turn the tables on the Viet Cong, catching them in ambushes and accurately aimed artillery where large-scale sweeps and random harassment and interdiction fire failed. The core of this book are brief oral histories from each of the Ranger Companies, short tales of bravery, fear, and enemy action.

The problem is that this book doesn't put the Rangers show more into any kind of context in the Vietnam War, choosing instead to link them with Colonial and Revolutionary-era forces. This might be the mythos the Rangers draw upon, but their doctrine and tactics is far more modern; British Commandos and special operations in WW2. It's not quite clear where the Rangers fit between mainline units and the Special Forces, who are distinct. The equipment chapter is likewise lackluster, mostly full of rather quibbling details about uniforms (did you know Rangers had to steal, beg, and barter for camouflage uniforms in theater?). While the original pictures are great, the reconstructions are not. Could you guys at least find a skinny guy to model the web gear?

Ah, the risks of impulse buying at outdoor used book sales. show less

Civil War buffs will enjoy this well-illustrated guide to the soldiers - Billy Yank and Johnny Reb - who waged war from 1861 to 1865. The book describes the weapons, equipment and training each received and then relates how they fared in three separate battles. The text is interesting and informative. Then too the 80-page book features many full-color maps, illustrations and battle scenes that bring the subject to life. It's an appealing, up-close-and-personal look at combat as experienced show more by the common Civil War soldier.

Mike O. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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How this subject could possibly rate a book on its own is a mystery. These minor forts, where not even a viable threat of military action ever arose, should have been included in another book. An utter waste of shelf space.