Reviews of products for scale miscellaneous models.

Book Author(s)
Dodge Billingsley
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
June 13, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

The Foreword written by Les Grau sums up this book quite well,

“’Fangs of the Lone Wolf’ is a unique book. It is not so much a history as an exploration into numerous fights, large and small. There are no epic heroes of impeccable virtue, unsurpassed intellect and athletic invincibility. These are ordinary men who are fighting outnumbered and outgunned against a modern army. They are fighting for their land, family, neighbors, or just out of plain cussedness. This book is their story. It is not about right or wrong and has no political points to make. The war was what it was and this is the story of combatants in that war.”

In 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin encouraged Soviet people to “grab as much freedom as they can.” As Author Dodge Billingsley wrote,

Book Author(s)
Dr Stephen Rookes & Polydore Stevens (BAF)
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
June 12, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This is the second volume of the Belgian Military Forces in Belgium. The first book, “Belgian Military Forces in the Congo, Volume 1: The Force Publique, 1885-1960”, covered the events of Belgium’s 75 years in their Congo colony, leading to the official withdrawal of Belgian forces. Volume 2 picks up in 1964 after the newly independent Republic of the Congo-Kinshasa’s (later renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo-DRC) brief, bright future was overcome with internal factions, and the independence movement spreading through Africa (with several backed by Marxist forces). While Belgium wanted to remain hands-off, it quickly became apparent that they needed to step in to protect Belgian and Congolese interests.

Book Author(s)
Tom Cooper & Efim Sandler
Review Author
David Horn
Published on
June 8, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

Helion & Company publishing produces specialized military history books. Part of the “Middle East at War” series, Lebanese Civil War, volume 3 (third of a five part series) book covers a short period from 4 to 7 June 1982 known as the “Moving to war”. The publication is 96 pages of full color, black & white photographs, diagrams as well as artist illustrations.

The book starts out with abbreviations that will be found in the following pages and a map of Lebanon showing the control zones. Text and illustrations are laid out in chronological order covering all the groups on both sides of the conflict.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
April 25, 2023
Company
Tru-Color Paint
MSRP
$45.95

Rick Galazzo and Scott Cohen started Tru-Color Paint in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008, based on their experience in formulating paint for the commercial market. They reformulated the former Accupaint formulas and created this paint line. It is refreshing to see that in today’s day and age with model kits and supplies moving overseas, that these paints are made in the USA. They have five paint lines including automotive, aircraft, naval and military colors, including many sets to make a project easier by having all the colors in one box. Another huge bonus for me is that Scott Cohen wrote a personal letter explaining the paints for review, a request for new paint color suggestions, and genuinely supporting modelers and IPMS. Based on all this, I was eager to try these paints for myself.

Book Author(s)
Henri-Paul Enjames
Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
April 25, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$69.95

Henri-Paul Enjames started collecting uniforms and equipment of the American soldier in Europe during the 19 43–1945 period. He was fascinated by the power of the United States Army and how it supplied soldiers with the most modern equipment and uniforms. His collection includes items in the best possible condition, many with readable markings providing information about manufacture dates and models. He used a 1943 Quartermaster Corps supply catalog to organize and show his collection. His intention with this book is to gather as much information as possible on the uniforms and equipment of the American soldier in Europe to illustrate authentic items.

Enjames’ Collection is shown in high-quality color photographs of the actual items with captions of the articles name, number, and years of use. Additional text provides background on the equipment illustrated.

The chapters are organized similar to the 1943 QMC Supply Catalog:

Book Author(s)
Ken Conboy
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
April 20, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

I reviewed the Erawan War, Volume 2 - The CIA Paramilitary Campaign in Laos 1969-1974 that was posted in January 2023. I was impressed so much with Ken Conboy’s style, research, and approach that I asked to review the third volume in his series on the Erawan War. And I was not disappointed. While the first two volumes focus on American efforts, largely though the CIA, this volume focuses on the Laotian perspective and their many wars, infighting, international relations, and coups. Despite the efforts of the French, Americans, South Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino advisors and military, the Laotian country followed the other Southeast Asian countries in their forceful conversion to communism.

Book Author(s)
Martin Smisek
Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
April 12, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

The book is volume 46 of Helion & Company’s Middle East @ War series and, as noted in the title, is the third volume of its coverage of Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East focusing on arms exports to Egypt between 1948 and 1989.

Starting in the mid-1950’s and continuing on and off up to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989, the Czech arms industry exported a wide variety of weapons to Egypt, including ammunition, small arms, artillery, tanks and aircraft. It was also heavily involved in training many pilots, ground personnel and technicians, conducting courses both in Egypt and Czechoslovakia.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 15, 2023
Company
Tru-Color Paint
MSRP
$42.95

Rick Galazzo and Scott Cohen started Tru-Color Paint in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008, based on their experience in formulating paint for the commercial market. They reformulated the former Accupaint formulas and created this paint line. It is refreshing to see that in today’s day and age with model kits and supplies moving overseas, that these paints are made in the USA. They have five paint lines including automotive, aircraft, naval and military colors, including many sets to make a project easier by having all the colors in one box. Another huge bonus for me is that Scott Cohen wrote a personal letter explaining the paints for review, a request for new paint color suggestions, and genuinely supporting modelers and IPMS. Based on all this, I was eager to try these paints for myself.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 13, 2023
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$26.95

Ian Baxter is a prolific author and has an impressive collection of photographs, many unpublished previously. The book follows the familiar Images of War format with brief introductions for each chapter followed by a lot of photographs to tell the story. After reading Ian’s book on Heinrich Himmler, the Architect of the Holocaust, I wanted to read, and learn more, about the mass deportation of some 438,000 Hungarian Jews. Ian Baxter did not disappoint. He illustrated how the Nazi final solution had become even more efficient and brutal in 1944 after the Hungarian change in government at the behest of the Germans. The Hungarian Jews, who until that time, were temporarily protected, were now open to joining their Jewish neighbors throughout Europe. Operation Höss was named after Rudolph Höss, the longest serving commandant of the Auschwitz camp system from 4 May 1940 to November 1943.

Book Author(s)
Alan Ranger
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 7, 2023
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$25.00

Alan Ranger is a former British Royal Engineer, engineer, collector of World War II militaria and original period photographs, and prolific author. Alan started his publishing days with Model Art of Japan this is his 28th book in the Camera On series (he already has another four in production), typically focusing on weapon systems and vehicles. The beauty of this book is the photos were taken by German soldiers during their wartime service, not typically posed and polished propaganda shots.