Andy Taylor
Reviews By Author
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The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944Published:
Both quotes were by Major General Willam C. Lee, the “Father of the US Airborne”. As a lieutenant colonel in 1940, he organized the first US paratrooper platoon and developed its… more |
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The Battle for Brittany - The Taking of Brest, 1944 - Then and NowPublished:
The Third US Army conquered the Brittany peninsula by August 1944, and isolated German forces into Lorient, Brest and St Nazaire. The strategic objective, stated above, was the capture of the ports and their harbors. The Third US Army’s role in the first phases of this battle were covered in a previous book in this series, The Battle for Brittany Then and Now, The Third US Army First Battle. On 5 September 1944, the Ninth US Army took command of the VIII Corps with the mission of taking Brest and, with it, Brittany. Brest featured largely in the Allied plans for the capture of Normandy. Once the beachhead was secured, ports were necessary for the continuation of offensive operations to dislodge the Germans from France. From the introduction,
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Tanks on the Battlefield: T-34Published:
The Soviet T-34 tank is omnipresent with WWII armor. When the German blitzkrieg erupted across Soviet territory, two tanks stunned the Germans, with the primary being the T-34. Its design was robust, armor effective and carried a main gun that could hold its own. Superior German tactics and neophyte Soviet doctrine and training still prevailed, but tank warfare was forever changed in those early encounters. The T-34 gained a fearsome reputation and captured examples were soon put in use against their former owners. The author, Francis Pulham, continues with his Introduction,
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South African Armoured Vehicles, Volume 1 - A History of Innovation and ExcellencePublished:
South African Armoured Vehicles, Volume 1 - A History of Innovation and Excellence is revised and expanded from an earlier book by the author, Dr Dewald Venter, South African Armoured Fighting Vehicles: A History of Innovation and Excellence, 1960-2020 (Africa@War No. 36). The author notes that this updated edition is split into two editions. The author continues,
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Partisans & Guerrillas of World War Two - Poland, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Italy, FrancePublished:
The Images of War series is a great series for modelers and those interested in history because the story told in amazing photographs that are usually not available anywhere else. Philip Jowett has authored several books within this series, and one of the amazing aspects of these books is that no matter the author, the books all feel a part of the series rather than disparate writing styles under the same banner. Following the familiar Pen & Sword Images of War series is the story of Partisans & Guerrillas of World War Two - Poland, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Italy, France, covering 248 pages with 300 black and white photographs. Each chapter starts with a brief history of the topic covered, followed by a lot of photographs to complement the text. This book is… more |
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The Battle of the Coral Sea ExplainedPublished:
I believe the Battle of the Coral Sea is vastly underrated and overlooked in its importance, often overshadowed by the imminently more covered Battle of Midway less than a month later. The Battle of the Coral Sea could arguably be more important than Midway, and author Dr Tom Lewis does a fantastic job of not only describing the Battle of the Coral Sea very well, but he also places it where it belongs in history. Having never read one of Dr Tom Lewis’ over two dozen books before, I wasn’t sure of his writing style. Having been familiar with the Pacific Profiles series, I am happy to report that this book fits in beautifully. Dr Tom Lewis’ background includes serving over twenty years in the Royal Australian Navy, post-graduate degrees in Cold War Politics and Strategic Studies… more |
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JLTV (1) - M1279 US MarinesPublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, JLTV (1) - M1279 US Marines (35-013). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options. In October 2008, Oshkosh won the contract for the American military Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program to replace the US military’s High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). The contract specified combining the mobility of a HMMWVS combined with the protection and survivability of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP). The JLTV has three base models: the 2-door Combat Support Vehicle (CSV)/Utility Vehicle (UTL), the 4-door General Purpose Vehicle (GP) and the 4-door Close… more |
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M-ATV (1) M1240/M1277 US Air Force, Marines, Army, and National GuardPublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, the M-ATV (1) M1240/M1277 US Air Force, Marines, Army, and National Guard (35-010). The decals come in two sheets, one consisting of stencils, and the other with markings for nine vehicles. The second decal sheet in the M-ATV series, M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, and Ukraine (35-011), was previously reviewed. The M-ATV is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program, to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee). It is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility.… more |
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M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, & UkrainePublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review one of their newest releases, the M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, & Ukraine (35-011). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options.
The Oshkosh M-ATV is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program, to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee). It is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility. With nearly 10,000 M-ATVs in service since their introduction in 2009, there are a lot of options for modelers to build. Fortunately for modelers, AOA… more |
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YPR-765 PRI.50 APC w/ .50-caliber M2 HB Machine GunPublished:
The MICV-65 (Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle) was a project conducted by the United States Army seeking an armored personnel carrier vehicle to replace the M113, built by the FMC Corporation (Ford Machinery & Chemical Corporation). FMC was awarded to design and build the MICV and designated XM734. The XM734 utilized the M113 as basic platform, armed with a turret manned by a single crew firing a 20mm cannon. The newly designed vehicle was re-designated the AIFV (Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle), but the United States showed no interest in the vehicle; however, the Dutch government showed interest and placed orders in 1975. Further modifications were made and the vehicle was redesignated YPR-765 (Pantser Rups Infanterie 765). The YPR-765 PRI.50 is a lightened version, debuting… more |