Silly me. When I saw the title of this book, I thought it was simply going to be a compilation of various shield motifs I could use in my figure modeling. Instead, this publication opened a world of fascinating information on the development, manufacture and use of this most Roman of military items – the scutum or shield. Use of the large, rectangular shield had a large part in dictating Roman tactics, as it permitted the Legionnaire to move in tight formations, well-protected by his fellow soldiers and his own shield – something few other ancient armies were capable of.

ICM has released a kit of a Vickers Machine Gun in 35^th scale. The kit includes 21 parts, and that includes two versions of the body of the machine gun. One version has the water jacket molded onto the barrel cylinder, and the other version does not have the water jacket in place. An ammo can, consisting of three parts, is included. The lid on the ammo can is molded in the open position so that the ammo belt attached to the machine gun can then have its other end attached to the ammo inside the ammo can, giving the finished project the appearance of being loaded and ready for use. If one is using the barrel with the water jacket, there is a container representing the water can that consists of 5 parts. There is no “hose” part to connect the water container to the water jacket. The lack of a water hose is not a problem. That part can be made by stretching sprue, allowing the builder the flexibility to place the water container and gun as desired when building a diorama.

Thanks to Osprey Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Steven J. Zaloga has a BA in History from Union Collee and a MA from Columbia University. Steven was an analyst on missile systems and international arms trade for the aerospace industry for over 30 years, and served on the Institute for Defense Analyses, a Federal think tank. He is a prolific author on military issues, specializing on WW2 US Army and Poland/Russia/Soviet Union history.

Steve Noon illustrated the book and painted original artwork of battle scenes.