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Military Fiction - 6/8/2002 8:01:13 AM   
Arith

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/25/2002
From: Just outside Chicago IL USA
Status: offline 		Hi guys. I did a search here and could not find this subject, so i figured id ask, can anyone recomend any good military fiction along the lines of Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising"? I want military action, tanks, infantry, jets, ships, anything. Preferably large battles like in "Red Storm Rising" but anything will do. Can you guys please give me some suggestions? Thanks!

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Post #: 1
Books - 6/8/2002 10:25:49 AM   
VictorH

 

Posts: 309
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Georgetown, Texas, U.S.
Status: offline 		I have a few suggestions:

Not Jets and such but try Bernard Cornwell's series of books: Sharpe's Eagle, Sharpe's Gold , etc., they are on the Napoleonic Era.

Also try Bruce Catton's books on the Civil War.

Then try Von Mansteins and Guderian's Books on WWII.

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Post #: 2
- 6/8/2002 12:09:13 PM   
scimitar

 

Posts: 301
Joined: 8/22/2001
From: Belgium
Status: offline 		Try also "Once an Eagle", WWI dedicated. Sorry, don't remember the author's name...

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Post #: 3
- 6/8/2002 12:36:43 PM   
antarctic

 

Posts: 132
Joined: 5/24/2001
From: Australia
Status: offline 		Not Exactly Tanks and Jets, but spec ops:

The Eagle has Landed
The Eagle has Flown

Both by Jack Higgins

Also, have you tried reading other Tom Clancy Books?

Antarctic

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Post #: 4
- 6/8/2002 1:06:19 PM   
MarkFroio


Posts: 127
Joined: 12/20/2000
From: Mercer Island, WA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by scimitar
[B]Try also "Once an Eagle", WWI dedicated. Sorry, don't remember the author's name... [/B][/QUOTE]


This is a great book. In my top 5 of all the novels I've read. It was written by Anton Myrer, and the novel follows a Nebraska farm boy who joins the army and serves his country throughout the 20th century. I can't recommend this book enough.

"So in the Libyan fable it is told
That once an eagle, stricken with a dart,
Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,
'With our own feathers, not by others' hands,
Are we now smitten."

Aeschylus

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Post #: 5
military fiction - 6/8/2002 1:11:16 PM   
Arith

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/25/2002
From: Just outside Chicago IL USA
Status: offline 		Hi guys. I have read all of Clancy's books and have never been able to find anything equal. I absolutley loved "Red Storm Rising" and would love to find something similar. I really enjoyed the armor battles. I trying to find something similar. I appreciate the suggestions, keep em coming :)

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- - ARITH - -

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Post #: 6
- 6/9/2002 2:44:26 AM   
Randy

 

Posts: 1172
Joined: 8/22/2000
From: Torrance, Calif. USA
Status: offline 		Here is one that I thought was pretty good. It is "Proud Legions" by John Antal. Its about another N/Korean attack on the South. John Antal is a Lt. Col. and he was serving as a tank bn. CO. This is a pretty good book with all the techno/hardware stuff that we all love. One of those that once you pick it up, you won't put it down until you are finished (at least in my case). Enjoy.

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Semper Fi
Randy

The United States Marines: America's 911 Force-The Tip of the Spear

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Post #: 7
- 6/9/2002 3:12:43 AM   
Les_the_Sarge_9_1

 

Posts: 4392
Joined: 12/29/2000
Status: offline 		not sure if the market still has them handy but my all time most liked military fiction series was by W.E.B Griffin called "The Brotherhood of War.

The series begins with the Torch Landings in 42. It weaves it's way through several books ending up I think with the Vietnam War. It has a cast of characters that you see evolve.

They weave real military history into the fiction for a nice air of credibility. I think there was 8 books eventually.

The same author writes a series called The Corps (but I have not read those ones yet).

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I LIKE that my life bothers them,
Why should I be the only one bothered by it eh.

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Post #: 8
Vietnam - 6/9/2002 5:15:46 AM   
VictorH

 

Posts: 309
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Georgetown, Texas, U.S.
Status: offline 		Excellent book on Vietnam:

Bright Shining Lie.

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Post #: 9
- 6/10/2002 10:03:39 PM   
Marathon


Posts: 317
Joined: 10/23/2001
Status: offline 		Look for books by Larry Bond and Harold Coyle.

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Post #: 10
- 6/10/2002 11:22:10 PM   
rbrunsman


Posts: 1837
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Phoenix, AZ
Status: offline 		I agree whole heartedly with the Larry Bond recommendation for modern warfare.

You should read these three for sure: [B]Red Phoenix[/B] (N. Korea invades S. Korea. Lots of tanks, jets, artillery and infantry warfare); [B]Vortex[/B] (S. Africa, Angola, Cuba. Tank battles in the desert. I loved the ambushes set up by the smaller tanks, the artillery, the tactics); and [B]Cauldron[/B] (WWIII in Europe, sort of like Red Storm rising).

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Post #: 11
Thunbs up for Bond - 6/11/2002 12:20:30 AM   
Gabby

 

Posts: 67
Joined: 4/26/2002
Status: offline 		I echo the recomendation of Bond's books. IIRC He gets a backhanded credit in Red Storm, in the prolog. He is a close friend of Tom Clancy, and a former Commander in the USN.

Larry Bond, is also the author of the original Harpoon, modern naval minitures game(Which is also a computer game), and the WWII companion called Command at Sea.

As you might guess Larry is also a devoated Wargammer.

I swear my name is not Larry Bond, but I have met him once or twice. He usually attends the Origians Game convetion, held every year around the 4th of July, in Columbus Ohio.

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Post #: 12
Wargamer.com - 6/11/2002 8:00:15 AM   
KG Erwin


Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline 		Arith, please go over to http://wargamer.com and check out the forums. Join up, there's a discussion about that very subject that's generated some responses (mine included). We'd love to have you come over & visit. Don't worry, Matrix/Wargamer are in partnership, not competition.

(in reply to Arith)
Post #: 13
- 6/11/2002 9:55:26 AM   
A_B

 

Posts: 296
Joined: 4/11/2001
From: San Jose, CA
Status: offline 		I think Larry Bond writes a much better military situation than Clancy, hands down. Clancy is better at the spy stuff, and politics, but who cares about that.

Coyle is ok. I like his civil war stuff. His Modern combat series is too politically correct. He has a woman Infantry leader as one of the military Heroes. I got out of the military in ’92. There is NO WAY a platoon of infantry soldiers would have accepted a woman platoon leader the way they did in the book. Coyle must have spent too much time in a Staff job (he was active duty army when he wrote the book) when he thought that up. The troops do follow her, of course, and she leads a bayonet charge and saves the day. I stopped reading his books after that.

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Unconventional war requires unconventional thought

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Post #: 14
- 6/12/2002 9:24:13 AM   
Possum

 

Posts: 349
Joined: 3/27/2000
From: Adelaide, SA, Australia
Status: offline 		For Excellent military Science fiction on small scale conflicts read
A Small Colonial War, Fire in a Faraway Place, and Cain's Land
all by Robert Frezza.

_____________________________

"We're having a war, and we want you to come!"
So the pig began to whistle and to pound on a drum.
"We'll give you a gun, and we'll give you a hat!"
And the pig began to whistle when they told the piggies that.

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Post #: 15
- 6/12/2002 10:44:27 AM   
Les_the_Sarge_9_1

 

Posts: 4392
Joined: 12/29/2000
Status: offline 		Not sure you will find them, as they are paperbacks I bought in the late 80's.

But I have a collection of I think 9 books that are collections of short stories all titled There Will Be War and always had a theme for the specific novel.

They started as earth based, then near space, then deep space, then colonial revolution, and all manner of topical matters.

Interswoven through the books is actual hard core non fiction as well. Serious dialogue on the realities of warfare under varying conditions. And I dare say material with more substance than is commonplace.

If you missed these books, you missed the best of the best in my opinion.

_____________________________

I LIKE that my life bothers them,
Why should I be the only one bothered by it eh.

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Post #: 16
- 6/13/2002 11:09:48 PM   
thantis

 

Posts: 185
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Cooksville, MD
Status: offline 		I can definitely recommend any of Larry Bond's novels (though some are more spy stuff/Clancy oriented), but you can read the jackets to make sure you have the right ones - Red Phoenix, Vortex, and Cauldron are all great.

I can also recommend Arc Light, Protect & Defend, and Invasion by Eric Harry. Not the best out there, but a pretty good read nonetheless.

As far as Coyle is concerned, he lost me after The Ten Thousand. I find it hard to believe the US public would stand by and watch Germany try to annihilate an entire Corps of US troops....Team Yankee was his best work, but definitely went downhill from there (just like Clancy as far I'm concerned - RSR was his best work, but I believe Larry Bond did most of the real writing).

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Post #: 17
- 6/14/2002 6:32:22 AM   
troopie

 

Posts: 996
Joined: 4/8/2000
From: Directly above the centre of the Earth.
Status: offline 		The Paul Frezza books are great, but whenever his people are supposed to be speaking Afrikaans, they are actually speaking Nederlands. A minor linquistic quibble.

Pournelle's Mercenary series is good, but it ended the way I thought it would. "Mercenary captains are either very capable men or they are not. If they are, you cannot rely on them. For they will always desire their own glory, either by oppressing you, or oppressing others against your designs. But if a mercenary captain is not an able man, he will generally ruin you."

troopie

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Pamwe Chete

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Post #: 18
- 6/15/2002 7:15:36 AM   
DougAngle

 

Posts: 37
Joined: 4/4/2000
From: Arvada, Co USA
Status: offline 		Max is correct about 'Once and Eagle'. It is required reading at the acadamies. It is a great text for studying leadership. It goes from WW I thru Vietnam. Stephen Coontz and Dale Brown also write in the same vane as Clancy.

(in reply to Arith)
Post #: 19
The Thin Red Line - 6/15/2002 12:55:57 PM   
MarkFroio


Posts: 127
Joined: 12/20/2000
From: Mercer Island, WA
Status: offline 		I almost forgot this classic. The book is much better than the movie. In fact, I really thought the movie was terrible. I read the book and then saw the movie and was very disappointed by the movie. If you've only seen the movie, don't be fooled. Do yourself a favor and read the book.



[URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385324081/qid=1024120227/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-5754713-7823914]The Thin Red Line - James Jones[/URL]

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Post #: 20
Re: Books - 6/16/2002 7:49:22 AM   
Capt. Pixel

 

Posts: 1219
Joined: 10/15/2001
From: Tucson, AZ
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by VictorH
[B]I have a few suggestions:

Not Jets and such but try Bernard Cornwell's series of books: Sharpe's Eagle, Sharpe's Gold , etc., they are on the Napoleonic Era. [/B][/QUOTE]

I'm reading this series right now. It's fabulous. An easy read, interesting characters and neatly 'twisted' storylines.

Even if you're not 'into' Napoleonic era, you should try to read these books. :cool:

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"Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible. "
- Stonewall Jackson

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Post #: 21
- 6/18/2002 1:16:07 PM   
stevemk1a


Posts: 855
Joined: 3/30/2002
From: Penticton B.C.
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]There will be war[/QUOTE]
Posted by Sarge 9-1
I think I remember that series, I had a paperback called: [U]Thor's Hammer: War in the near future[/U] It had some excellent short stories I think one was called "The Cold Equations" and another was about a sentient jet fighter aircraft that saves it's pilot. I also liked Larry Bond's [U]Vortex[/U] . For WWII I recommend Guy Sajer's [U]Forgotten Soldier[/U]. I wish I could remember the name of the book that got me interested in WWII, I read it in elem. school in the late '70's and it was about a coastwatcher in the pacific... been hooked ever since.

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Post #: 22
Eric L. Harry - 6/18/2002 9:01:52 PM   
Cromort

 

Posts: 45
Joined: 5/2/2001
From: Brussels
Status: offline 		Well ok Larry bond and Tom Clancy are good (love them), but so is Eric L. Harry or he even tops them .
I read three books from Harry and wow :;)
1. "Arc light"
2. "Protect and Defend"
3. "Invasion"

I didnt read "Society of the Mind : A Cyberthriller", cause it didnt seem much to do with global warfare :rolleyes:


http://www.ameijer.demon.nl/author/harry.htm : y find some explanations by title

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Post #: 23
??? - 6/19/2002 3:54:50 AM   
Fallschirmjager


Posts: 6793
Joined: 3/18/2002
From: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Status: offline 		Has no one mentioned [I]The Killer Angels [/I] by Michael Shaara yet?


My goodness ppl....

I wonder about this forum sometimes.

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Post #: 24
- 6/19/2002 5:52:47 AM   
abradley

 

Posts: 6638
Joined: 10/25/2000
From: Naklua, Chonburi, Thailand
Status: offline 		I like the 'Flashman' series by George MacDonald Frazer, covers the players of Britian's Victorian era with much 'tongue in cheek' humor. He even gets into US history.

A good modern combat book is 'Defense of Hill 781', James R. McDonough. It's a takeoff of 'The Defense of Duffer's Drift'* (by Ernest Swinton) about a British officer in the Boer War having recurring dreams dealing with his having to defend his position.
The 'Hill 781' is about a light inf Col. dying and being sent to 'H*ll' (NTC) to command a mech unit 'til he get's it right!

On the NTC bit Daniel P Bolgers' 'Dragons at War' is a good read of his rotation to the NTC-"Wouldn't get out of a electic chair to go back to NTC!" is often used to express the stress experienced.

*Posted Duffer's Drift as a serial a while back on the 'Art of War' forum-do a search, may still be around. Good, short read!

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Post #: 25
- 6/20/2002 7:36:15 AM   
abradley

 

Posts: 6638
Joined: 10/25/2000
From: Naklua, Chonburi, Thailand
Status: offline 		Anybody that's interested 'The Defence of Duffer's Drift' is posted at ;

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18326

Darn good basics!

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Post #: 26
Red Army - 6/21/2002 12:47:05 AM   
sprior


Posts: 8596
Joined: 6/18/2002
From: Portsmouth, UK
Status: offline 		.. is an excellent WWIII book, but I can't remember the authors name. Ralph Peterson?

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Post #: 27
Your Ageing Yourself - 6/21/2002 7:13:56 AM   
VictorH

 

Posts: 309
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Georgetown, Texas, U.S.
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by abradley
[B]I like the 'Flashman' series by George MacDonald Frazer, covers the players of Britian's Victorian era with much 'tongue in cheek' humor. He even gets into US history.

A good modern combat book is 'Defense of Hill 781', James R. McDonough. It's a takeoff of 'The Defense of Duffer's Drift'* (by Ernest Swinton) about a British officer in the Boer War having recurring dreams dealing with his having to defend his position.
The 'Hill 781' is about a light inf Col. dying and being sent to 'H*ll' (NTC) to command a mech unit 'til he get's it right!

On the NTC bit Daniel P Bolgers' 'Dragons at War' is a good read of his rotation to the NTC-"Wouldn't get out of a electic chair to go back to NTC!" is often used to express the stress experienced.

*Posted Duffer's Drift as a serial a while back on the 'Art of War' forum-do a search, may still be around. Good, short read! [/B][/QUOTE]

Flashman, Your Old!! Remember the movie with Malcolm McDowell?

Your right Good Books, and I'm Old Too!

(in reply to Arith)
Post #: 28
Re: Your Ageing Yourself - 6/21/2002 8:47:37 AM   
abradley

 

Posts: 6638
Joined: 10/25/2000
From: Naklua, Chonburi, Thailand
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by VictorH
[B]

Flashman, Your Old!! Remember the movie with Malcolm McDowell?

Your right Good Books, and I'm Old Too! [/B][/QUOTE]

Your right on both counts, Flashman is a good romp and I am way to old (66)-what we called an 'old fart or fool' when I was young.

Yes, saw and enjoyed 'The Royal Flash'. MacDowell was near perfect. Was hoping for more but no luck.

One more book to add to the list is a short story called "Enders Game" you can read it at,

http://www.hatrack.com/osc/stories/enders-game.shtml

Should be interesting for any wargamers on the form!

(in reply to Arith)
Post #: 29
- 7/5/2002 9:24:37 AM   
OberstCrow

 

Posts: 14
Joined: 6/23/2002
Status: offline 		My two favorites in order: "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein, the book, not that trash Hollywood put out, and "Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer.

(in reply to Arith)
Post #: 30
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