In the thirteenth volume of Pen & Sword Books Land Craft series, Dr. David Grummitt provides an informative and detailed look US Self-Propelled Artillery from the post Korean War era to present. Having previously authored six other books for Pen & Sword, covering armored fighting vehicles and tanks, Dr. Grummitt now turns his attention to self-propelled artillery in his latest book: Kings of Battle, US Self-Propelled Artillery, 1963-2023. A professional Historian by trade, Dr. Grummitt is also an avid modeler and serves as the editor of Military Modelcraft International, which unique background combines to present a work that is both historically interesting and relevant to the scale modeler.

In this book the history of US Self-Propelled Artillery since 1963 is covered over sixty-four pages divided into twelve chapters outlined as follows

• Introduction: The King of Battle
• The Development of the M109 Self-Propelled Howitzer
• The M107 and M110
• Camouflage and Markings
• Model Showcase
• Modeling Products
• The M107 and M110 (continued)
• Walkaround
• Foreign Service
• Self-Propelled Artillery at War
• Self-Propelled Artillery Today
• Further Reading

There are 88 photographs ranging from static museum displays, to service in peacetime, and in combat. There are also fifteen illustrations depicting the camouflage and markings of the vehicles.

In the Introduction the author gives a concise, yet detailed, history of the development of Self-Propelled Artillery in the United States from its origins through the Korean War. The coverage of the M109 Howitzer in Chapter Two is extensive and leads little to be desired. Another thorough and to the point history is given, covering the initial development of the M109 through the M109A7 variant is given. In addition, the various ammunition used and the organizational deployment of these vehicles is explained, giving the reader a better understanding of how the US Army incorporated the M109 in its forces. As a bonus, the reader is given a section on the M992 FAASV ammunition re-supply vehicle used to carry and re-supply the M-109 in combat.

In Chapter Three, the M107 and M110 are covered much in the same way as the M109 was covered in the previous chapter. In the middle of the chapter however, it was decided to insert the illustrations of the various camouflage and markings throughout the years, as well as the section on modeling these vehicles. The Camouflage and Markings section gives a nice group of illustrations covering the subjects from the Vietnam War to Present. In the Model Showcase section the M109 and its variants are covered from several different manufacturers and scales. It also provides an overview on several aftermarket accessories available for the kits. After these sections, the M107 and M110 coverage is continued.

Wrapping it up in the final chapters, the reader is given several pages of detailed walkaround photos of the subjects and a nice section covering foreign service of them as well. The chapter on Self-Propelled Artillery at War is nice and covers their use from Vietnam to present, including Cold War operations and the present day Ukraine Conflict.

In summary, Dr. Grummitt provides a fantastic resource for anyone interested in US Self-Propelled Artillery. The historical background combined with the technical information is sure to meet the reader’s needs and then some. Filled with many great photographs and illustrations, anyone modeling these subjects is sure to have plenty of reference material and the chapters on modeling provide great information in regards to specific kits and accessories.

Many thanks to Casemate Publishers for the review sample!