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RE: The Black Effect - 1/24/2014 2:26:32 AM   
mikeCK

 

Posts: 565
Joined: 5/20/2008
Status: offline 		Just bought it

(in reply to daferg)
Post #: 31
RE: The Black Effect - 1/28/2014 4:51:48 PM   
schaefsky

 

Posts: 21
Joined: 7/13/2013
Status: offline 		Liked the "Effect" series so far, but one reason is simply that alternatives are few.
One thing that really bugged me are the russians, do they have to drink wodka every single time the story switches to them? And of course they will occasionaly threaten to shoot one of their own... in regard to describing russians it is almost as bad as "Red Storm Rising" IMO.

Is there any Cold War / WW3 book from NATO perspective that can go head to head with the IMO excellent "Red Army" by Ralph Peters? That one is one of my all time favorites.

(in reply to mikeCK)
Post #: 32
RE: The Black Effect - 1/28/2014 5:34:50 PM   
Tazak

 

Posts: 1452
Joined: 9/3/2011
Status: offline 		Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising

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Post #: 33
RE: The Black Effect - 1/28/2014 6:00:43 PM   
CaptCarnage

 

Posts: 335
Joined: 5/24/2011
Status: offline 		Just bought Red Army

(in reply to Tazak)
Post #: 34
RE: The Black Effect - 1/28/2014 8:37:19 PM   
mikeCK

 

Posts: 565
Joined: 5/20/2008
Status: offline 		Try armageddons song series

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Post #: 35
RE: The Black Effect - 1/29/2014 1:00:29 AM   
daferg

 

Posts: 46
Joined: 11/22/2010
Status: offline 		I would recommend 'Team Yankee' by Coyle and 'Chieftains' by Forrest-Webb. I love the 'Armageddons Song' series by Farman. 'Arclight' by Eric Harry is a great read. The first half of the book is focused on nuclear weapons and leadership. The last half of the book follows a US Army officer who gets called up from the IRR. The story follows him as he is in ground combat against the Russians. It is nowhere close to 'Red Army' by Peters but books that cover ground combat in WW3 are few and far between.

(in reply to schaefsky)
Post #: 36
RE: The Black Effect - 1/29/2014 1:15:02 PM   
JohnO


Posts: 268
Joined: 6/8/2005
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Status: offline 		I found that "Red Thrust" is a good book to read from the Soviet side of things.

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Post #: 37
RE: The Black Effect - 1/29/2014 1:18:15 PM   
daferg

 

Posts: 46
Joined: 11/22/2010
Status: offline 		'Red Thrust' has been on my Amazon wish list forever. I guess its time for me to order it.

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Post #: 38
RE: The Black Effect - 1/29/2014 3:39:27 PM   
Mad Russian


Posts: 13256
Joined: 3/16/2008
From: Texas
Status: offline 		'Red Army' and 'Red Thrust' are both good.

Good Hunting.

MR

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Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.

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Post #: 39
RE: The Black Effect - 1/30/2014 12:05:34 AM   
smithcorp

 

Posts: 36
Joined: 6/4/2010
Status: offline 		Ralph Peters' Red Army is excellent for the way it portrays the WP folk as fleshed-out characters, not one-dimensional baddies. Another Cold War gone hot book I have enjoyed is The War That Never Was (Michael Palmer). It uses the conceit of a review of a post-cold war electronic wargame between NATO and Warsaw Pact to present a non-fiction style telling of how a global hot war would play out. It's pretty good and shows human Russians.

(in reply to Mad Russian)
Post #: 40
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/9/2014 12:00:09 PM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		@Ferg1234 - Thanks for the plug Jason, ditto mikeCK!

@MSGalileo - I am guilty as charged, but in my defence I did state in the foreword of volume 1,'Stand-To', that I knew nothing of naval warfare.
I have been aboard a dozen or so surface warships from different nations but all were tied up at the time. If you ever have the opportunity to attend the Captain's party aboard the Brazilian frigate 'Brasil' then grab it. The parties are amazing and she is the only warship with a professional dance troupe (complete with feathers and skimpy thongs) and a professional jazz band.

Andy Farman

< Message edited by AndyF -- 2/9/2014 1:09:09 PM >

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

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Post #: 41
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/9/2014 2:28:01 PM   
Mad Russian


Posts: 13256
Joined: 3/16/2008
From: Texas
Status: offline 		Welcome to the addiction Andy. We are honored to have your first post on the site be with us!

Good Hunting.

MR

_____________________________

The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.

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Post #: 42
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/9/2014 7:22:58 PM   
mikeCK

 

Posts: 565
Joined: 5/20/2008
Status: offline 		I would also recommend," Defcon 1"by Weber.
I also enjoyed "Arc light" but that is more about a nuclear exchange and spends very little time on the US drive to Moscow

< Message edited by mikeCK -- 2/12/2014 1:42:33 AM >

(in reply to Mad Russian)
Post #: 43
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/10/2014 1:09:17 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		Thank you MR, it is a pleasure to be here although I know as much about online wargaming as I do about fleet actions



_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

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Post #: 44
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/10/2014 2:14:51 AM   
Mad Russian


Posts: 13256
Joined: 3/16/2008
From: Texas
Status: offline 		Ours is only online gaming if you choose to play someone by Play By Email. Otherwise you play against the computer. Stick around and ask questions and we'll head you in the right direction. It won't take a PHD to understand the answers either like it does with fleet actions!

Good Hunting.

MR

_____________________________

The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 45
RE: The Black Effect - 2/10/2014 10:18:30 AM   
fvianello


Posts: 534
Joined: 8/6/2002
From: Italy
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Tazak

Just finished reading the Black Effect by Harvey Black. It follows a number of British units and the 10th Guards Tank Division in a cold war turned hot setting, very good read even with a few typos (M109A2 using 152mm gun or swingfire missiles that weight 555kg).

While it covers NORTHAG it also touches on 11 ACR in a couple of chapters, very good read and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an insight into how the BAOR was trained to fight delaying actions using combined arms. While he covers 'combat teams' company sized units with 2 troops of tanks and 1-2 platoons of infantry, the overall picture can easily be turned into a campaign.


Just ordered "The Red Effect" and "The Black Effect" on Amazon :)


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Post #: 46
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/14/2014 8:53:15 PM   
mikeCK

 

Posts: 565
Joined: 5/20/2008
Status: offline 		Mr. Farmer, I have purchased the first book in your series. May I ask in what year the conflict is supposed to be taking place? The last two book I read in this genre were "Defcon 1" and "Arclight"...both were vague on the time of the conflict.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 47
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/22/2014 8:59:12 PM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		Hi Mike,

I have to fall on my sword there I am afraid.
The time period is a bit of an accidental subconscious hodgepodge. The writing started in 2002 and drew upon my 70's Cold War experience in the Regular British Army along with my 80s & 90s Cold War experience in the Territorial Army.
The writing stopped in 2004 as I was taken off front line duties and put behind a desk, well four desks actually, Operational Planning, Filming & TV Liaison, Counter Terrorism, and the Bird Flu Pandemic. I did not have any mental capacity left for writing and they gathered dust until after I retired and we found ourselves supporting a very sick relative with no medical insurance.
If I had had the time I would have carried out a rewrite but the bailiffs were knocking at the door.

I suppose a late 90's/early Millenium period is the best I can do as far as an answer goes, but it is Alternative History and there are readers who relate to it in a 70's setting whilst others see it as current but with a strange absence of stealth technology and Raptors.

Sorry about that!

I am responding to requests to add maps but the IT skills to add those to an eBook are not currently in my grasp. Perhaps that will distract readers from wondering why the year seems to be Nineteen hundred and two thousand and four-ish.




Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to mikeCK)
Post #: 48
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/22/2014 9:34:06 PM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: mikeCK

The last two book I read in this genre were "Defcon 1" and "Arclight"


I am the wrong person to ask about other books in the same genre. When I started writing I found some background on a character I had put on paper was in hindsight somehow familiar, and after some digging around I discovered the section was a little too similar to a passage in The Ipcress File that I had read back in the 70s, so I deleted it. I avoid reading anyone else's Alternative History now and stick to biographies, Westerns and SF for bedtime reading.

< Message edited by AndyF -- 2/22/2014 10:35:17 PM >

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

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Post #: 49
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/23/2014 2:12:05 AM   
mikeCK

 

Posts: 565
Joined: 5/20/2008
Status: offline 		Thank you for the info. While I traditionally read non-fiction history, I do enjoy military techno thrillers. Unfortunately, there are very few modern war novels. I have read two on a war with China and both were horrible. I also enjoy old school WP v NATO alternate scenarios so long as it is 1982 or later. I was 10 years old then and that's when I started really paying attention.

The other books I mentioned "Defcon 1 and Arclight also avoided mentioning a time cram although in Defcon they mentioned B-2s coming on line indicting it was 1993 or so. Anyway, I'm reading red/black effect series and yours.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 50
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/23/2014 3:38:56 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: mikeCK

Thank you for the info. While I traditionally read non-fiction history, I do enjoy military techno thrillers. Unfortunately, there are very few modern war novels. I have read two on a war with China and both were horrible. I also enjoy old school WP v NATO alternate scenarios so long as it is 1982 or later. I was 10 years old then and that's when I started really paying attention.

The other books I mentioned "Defcon 1 and Arclight also avoided mentioning a time cram although in Defcon they mentioned B-2s coming on line indicting it was 1993 or so. Anyway, I'm reading red/black effect series and yours.

I am 35K words into the fourth and final part so still a long way to go yet.

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to mikeCK)
Post #: 51
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/23/2014 3:13:47 PM   
Mad Russian


Posts: 13256
Joined: 3/16/2008
From: Texas
Status: offline 		Having written a book once upon a time long ago, and almost half another one here doing the storyline for FPC I can relate. Just keep plugging and you'll get it. I hope that your relative is better.

Good Hunting.

MR

_____________________________

The most expensive thing in the world is free time.

Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 52
RE: Armageddon's Song - 2/25/2014 10:10:12 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		Thank you MR, I constantly strive to entertain, not unlike a court jester at times.

The Abridged edition of my third book in the series just made #1 in Alternative History on Amazon Australia, and #10 in the 'War' genre on Amazon there so I must be doing something right, but why the Abridged version though?
I had no idea they were such sensitive folk in the land of Crocodile Dundee, preferring "Gosh", "Darn" and "Damn" exclamations to the rather more colourful (and realistic) four letter expletives in servicemens language.

Thank you for the concern about my Father-in-Law, but alas the Big C won again.

When are you going to finish your second book and what are the titles?

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to Mad Russian)
Post #: 53
RE: Armageddon's Song - 5/22/2014 5:31:45 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		I emerged from my cave on Monday, with three months growth of beard. 2yr old son ran and hid, wife had the suitcases packed until she saw volume 4 'The Longest Night' had gone to #1 Bestseller in the UK on Kindle for Alternative History, and Volume 5, 'Crossing the Rubicon' ,the final book in the series, was at #2.
Bags unpacked and bought toys for nipper.

Got to say, I have written almost a quarter of a million words for this series and I cannot think of a single new way to write a ground, air or sea battle.

Just publishing the paperback versions now before cracking on with a serious editing of volume 1.

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 54
RE: Armageddon's Song - 5/22/2014 5:45:09 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		I will give you a shout when the free download period starts, if anyone is interested.




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by AndyF -- 5/22/2014 6:58:11 AM >

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 55
RE: Armageddon's Song - 5/22/2014 2:30:49 PM   
Tazak

 

Posts: 1452
Joined: 9/3/2011
Status: offline 		Folks, just a quick FYI, Blue effect is up on amazon.

Yes please andy, need to get around to reading your series but want to finish Blue effect first

(in reply to AndyF)
Post #: 56
RE: Armageddon's Song - 5/23/2014 2:09:07 PM   
TheWombat_matrixforum

 

Posts: 469
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Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Tazak

Folks, just a quick FYI, Blue effect is up on amazon.

Yes please andy, need to get around to reading your series but want to finish Blue effect first


I finished Blue Effect (on Kindle) the other day. Nothing terribly surprising, and even more Brit-heavy than the earlier ones, but still interesting.

One problem with this genre is there are only a very limited number of options for resolving stuff, and none of them are particularly satisfactory. Just sort of underlines how lucky we were than none of this actually happened!

(in reply to Tazak)
Post #: 57
RE: Armageddon's Song - 5/23/2014 4:02:31 PM   
Tazak

 

Posts: 1452
Joined: 9/3/2011
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: TheWombat
Just sort of underlines how lucky we were than none of this actually happened!


One of the few truths of mankind is that we keep getting better at killing each other

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Post #: 58
Replacing Armageddon's Song Volumes 1 and 2 - 5/27/2014 4:03:37 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		Replacing the first two original books with map illustrated editions.

'Fight Through' is below the new maximum page count so that one will be re-uploaded and hopefully free updates will arrive with your devices.

_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to Tazak)
Post #: 59
Replacing original editions of Armageddon's Song - 5/27/2014 4:26:22 AM   
AndyF


Posts: 27
Joined: 2/9/2014
From: Sale, Cheshire, UK originally
Status: offline 		Volume 1 and 2 are both chunky sized books and neither of them are my best work, although I wrote them in the belief my grammar and punctuation were perfect. Nick Gill explained the error of my ways and both books need to be re-edited now that the series is done. The problem there though is that the maximum page count has dropped from 700 to 480 for paperbacks. After the editing the books cannot be re-uploaded, I have to split the volumes into two parts.
A second problem is file size as I am creating maps to go with the books, and new covers so all match the final books in the series.
I will be doing short free downloads on kindle for the benefit of everyone who purchased the originals but Kindle rules limit me to five days worth of freebies a month and a title cannot be introduced again as a free download for 90 days.
So, 'watch and shoot, watch and shoot' as we used to say. Keep a close eye out so as not to miss this.


_____________________________

Military fiction writer, the 'Armageddon's Song' series.
British Army veteran.

(in reply to Tazak)
Post #: 60
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