Product Description
By 1920 the Red Army fielded an overwhelming array of armored cars and armored trains, while tank detachments had begun forming in earnest. These armored units played an important part in consolidating the newly won Bolshevik empire in the early 1920s; as a consequence of the fact that railways were the strategic arteries that essentially controlled Russia, armored trains have never played such a significant role in military history as they did in the Russian Civil War. This title details their management, construction and repair, personnel and training and combat on all fronts, as well as discussing Trotsky’s armored train, in which he conducted 36 tours. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Birth of Soviet Armor
The second classic from an international team, the first covering the Whites and Allies. Here, the Red Army is examined in its earliest years, during the civil war. Dr. Bullock, a former military officer and military historian has assembled a team of experts in their fields. Features include Trotsky's famous command train, the first consolidated list of Red armored trains complete with silhouettes from A-Z. Many of these silhouettes were originally pioneered by the Ukraine's leading armor expert, Mr. Romadin. Russia's foremost author and photo collector of armor, Maxim Kolomiets, has provided several armored train photos. Tanks and armored cars are also covered in detail, depicting the Soviet's first organization and use of these on the battlefield. Features include American tanks in Soviet service, detailed patterns of markings and insignia of tanks, armored cars and armored trains. Additional information and details provided by Alexander Deryabin, son of a famous Soviet General officer. The majority of color plates are by Russia's leading armor artist, Andrei Aksenov, the center plate by England's top armor artist, Peter Sarson. Superb collector and resell value if this edition goes out of print.

A brilliant book
This volume, though slim, addresses the equipment and tactics used by the nascent Red Army during the Russian Civil War, a subject NEVER addressed in any other book I've ever come across, other than a few lines here and there.

Tanks were, of course, a new technology in 1918. Invented by the western Allies, tanks found their way to Russian depots and later fell into the hands of Red Guards, who promptly used them against the Whites. This book has some rare photos of these machines and discusses their use and numbers. Definitely something you want if you are interested in the Russian Civil War specifically or armored warfare in general. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Detailed & Comprehensive
THE TACTICS OF THE ARMORED UNITS OF THE RED ARMY
FROM INDIVIDUAL VEHICLES TO BATTALIONS ACCORDING
TO THE COMBAT REGULATIONS OF FEBRUARY 1944 numerous black & white illustrations 104 pages
If you liked his work on German Panzer Tactics, you'll love this. Filled with data, diagrams, and wonderful stuff for those of you who are interested in how the Soviets fought off the German panzers. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most important conflicts of the 20th century, the Russian Civil War was the struggle that led to the formation of the Soviet Union. Following the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government on 7 November 1917, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets met and handed over power to the Soviet Council of People's Commissars. Immediately forces began to assemble in opposition to the Bolshevik regime, and these became known as the Whites. This title examines the armour that they had at their disposal throughout the course of the war. It was a varied collection including British and French vehicles and, perhaps most famously, the armoured trains that enabled the Whites to dominate much of Siberia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Seminal study
For the first time, a team of international researchers (one American and two Russians) brings together the story of the armored units of the White Russians in each battle theater. These are the first color depictions of White armored trains world wide. Tanks and armored cars are also examined as well as their impact on the Russian Civil War. Even here, the authors and artist break fresh ground, providing the first examples of tanks and armored cars not seen before, carefully constructed from period photographs and contemporary descriptions. Amazingly, not one of these armored pieces remains inside Russia today in pristine, or indeed, other form. Dr. Bullock has devoted years of collection toward this topic. Mr. Deryabin, son of a famous Soviet general, is literally the founder of studies involving the White Armies. Mr. Aksenov is Russia's most renowned illustrator of armored subjects. Highly recommended. Superb collection and resell value should this edition ever go out of print. Collectors' item!

A great work
There are just too few books on the Russian Civil War for my tastes. This book addresses armored forces in the service of the Whites (and if there are few books on the Civil War there are far fewer on the White cause) and the Allies. French and British models shipped in to Russia before Brest-Litovsk and used to fight the Bolsheviks and their bloody cause.

Though small this book is packed with information and uses lots of rare photos. ... Read more

Product Description
During 1970-1971, tactical exercises of air defense large units began to be conducted within the air defense forces of the Warsaw Pact allies with field firings by surface-to-air missile units and fighter aviation. This was occasioned by the need to comprehensively train such major large units as air defense divisions and corps to conduct combat actions under
the complex conditions of a modern war. The probable enemy possesses large forces for aerospace attack consisting primarily of modern types of missiles and aircraft, which are kept at a high level of combat readiness, as well as various means for conducting radioelectronic warfare. ... Read more

Product Description
This title covers the élite forces of the Soviet Union in the mid-80s - undoubtedly the largest in the world at that time. Indeed, the Soviet élite formations alone had a total strength comparable to that of the entire British armed forces. These élite forces differed from their Western counterparts in a number of respects. Besides the conventional military élite formations such as airborne and marine forces, most Warsaw Pact armies possessed special, 'political' élite which were used for internal security. Steven J. Zaloga and James Loop uncover the history, organisation and equipment of the Soviet élite forces of the time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good primer for the price and subject matter.
For the time period and information available when it was written, the book was very well carried off. My only real complaint is the subject of some of the color plates. I know the market may not quite be there, but a redo with the information that is now available would be invaluable. ... Read more

Product Description
A study of the development of strategic concepts in Stalin's Navy, in the context of his foreign/defence policy, using original archival documents translated from the Russian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Stalin's ocean going fleet.
I have never been as elated and disappointed in a book at the same time.This book does apear to have all the missing data and answer the questions for the years 1935-53. There are some very good ship tables and even better ship information lists.In that respect it is above average.
For me, for the price (even for a second hand book)I expected a lot more. There were some ship profiles and they do seem to be detailed. The problem is there were all very small. The photo's are limited, typical and some in poor quality.
If I had seen this book before buying it, I would not have bought it. As much as it is a good book it is not worth the price. ... Read more

Product Description
From the Arctic circle to the shores of Japan, Russia's most famous naval scout describes his deadly missions in the Soviet Navy's World War II version of the U.S. Navy's SEALs.Whether raiding, capturing German officers or vectoring air strikes, the scouts exhibited the daring that made the Russian commandos' exploits legendary.

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Customer Reviews (4)

A rare Russian retrospective!
Russian accounts of the world wars seem to be rare, this book is a unique treasure. Not only does it describe World War II from a Russian point of view, the narrator was a naval commando, and one of the greatest war heros of the Soviet Union. Mr. Leonov begins the story with how he volunteered for commando training when he was a machinist at a submarine base. He served mainly in the arctic region of Scandinavia and northwest Russia, and eventually Japan's northern islands at war's end.
The Soviet naval commandos were probably the major fore-runner of what would become the various Spetznaz units in later decades. Most of Russia's special-operations concepts seem to have originated with the navy, with the army greatly contributing to the institution as the war progressed.
Much must be said in praise of the Russian fighting-men (and women) in World War II. In 1941, the Soviet military was inept, obsolete, andpoorly equipped, with most of its officers long-since executed in concentration camps at Stalin's orders. It was Russian patriotism, not communist ideology, that saved them. At the end of the war, the long-suffering Soviet troops had developed new weapons, tactics, and strategy. They learned from their enemy, and some of the most significant developments were in special-operations.

Without a doubt my favorite memoirs of WWII
What these men did simply defy reality.I took this book out from the library years ago and read it within two days, I simply could not put it down.Later on I was able to find a copy of it here on amazon and every now and then go back to skim through my favorite parts.The stories in it are incredible, what these men had to endure and what they were able to accomplish are feats that not even the greatest writer can put into words.The author reveals them through the simplest language, that of a soldier, and yet I couldn't help but to read and reread some of the scenes over and over again.As an example: stuck in a cave trying to hide from the Germans, one of the soldiers a marine recon platoon, chewed on his hand rather than scream out from the pain he was under as a result of the wounds he had received.Never in my life could I have imagined such courage and selfrestraint.This is one of the more memorable stories but by no means the most interesting or the 'best', although I'm sure my opinion will differ from yours as to which story the best.If you can find a copy I promise you won't be disappointed.I've read hundreds of books on the war, fiction and non-fiction, to date this is still the greatest and most interesting of them all.

Heroic Exploits
This book tells of the experiences of Viktor Leonov and his fellow Naval Scouts during World War II. They were sent behind enemy lines near Murmansk, Finland, and Norway to battle German forces and report on military activity. This book was written in the early 1950s but delayed for publication until 1990. The translation is by James F. Gebhardt, a retired US Army major now employed by a defense contractor in Kansas. Viktor Leonov's exploits are comparable to Sergeant York or Audie Murphy.

Leonov joined the Red Navy in 1937 and worked as a submarine mechanic and then in a repair facility. When war started in July 1941 Leonov joined the Naval Scouts (comparable to the US Navy SEALS). Most of this book tells about the operations west of Murmansk, the only Russian port that is ice-free the year around. Leonov's descriptions have a classic restraint that avoids dramatic stories (but you can read between the lines). There is little about personal lives and thoughts. Combat at Cape Krestovy resulted in decorations for all, and a "Hero of the Soviet Union" (comparable to the Congressional Medal of Honor) for Leonov and two others. The victory in Europe on May 9, 1945 saw the Naval Scouts transferred to the Pacific.

In early August the Soviet Union renounced its Peace Treaty with Japan and attacked the Japanese aggressors (p.180). Their big battle was at Seisin. While Japan surrendered on August 17, fighting still went on at Wonsan. Leonov and nine other scouts went to meet the Japanese garrison commander. The book describes the psychological negotiations with the colonel (pp.197-208). Finally the Japanese colonel ordered all his troops to lay down their arms and surrender. This gave rise to the legend that ten Naval Scouts surrounded 3,000 Japanese troops to get their surrender! Leonov won a second "Hero of the Soviet Union" award for this action.

This is a book that won't appeal to the general reader but offers interesting insights about the First Front of World War II and a force that may have served as a model for the Navy SEALs. [This is the paperback version.]

Deserving of more recognition
It is little known to Americans that, during WW2, an elite commando detachment of the Soviet Northern Fleet was formed to conduct raids on enemy bases in Finland and Norway.Their mission was largely to providesupport for Allied convoys along the most perilous passage of the NorthAtlantic route to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.This book contains thetranslated memoir of Viktor Leonov, twice-decorated recipient of thehighest military honor, Hero of the Soviet Union.In his own words, hetells of his team's specialized training and the daring strikes theyconducted, greatly outnumbered, against the enemy.The action andadventure is fast-paced and reminiscent of that in Marcinko's "RogueWarrior" series, but its presentation is delivered with morerestraint.Like all Soviet war-memoirs, Leonov's account isstraight-forward and tends to emphasize the strong camaraderie andpatriotism of his unit.More attention is paid to the deeds of hiscomrades than to his own heroism, so that the reader feels personallyacquainted with each man.Eight pages of wartime photos are included. Accompanying the story are hundreds of footnotes.Some of these provideadditional personal information and anecdote.Others cross-referencepreviously unobtainable Soviet military sources with German records. Besides verifying the accuracy of Leonov's memoir, these provide historicalbackground data of great value.So numerous and fascinating are thefootnotes, that I had to read the book with one finger marking place in theAppendix.This proved quite distracting to the flow of the narrative, soupon completion I reread it.I recommend this book to anyone who has aninterest in World War 2, Soviet military operations, or special-warfare. ... Read more

Product Description
A rare glimpse into how Soviet Spetsnaz and KGB units protected and defended their country from perceived enemies - inside and outside its borders. Includes special sections for Alpha Teams on assassination, sabotage and kidnapping. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

I bought it as a gift for a friend, and He is very happy for having it,because His hobby is to read this kinde of books.
I bought it as a gift for a friend, and He is very happy for having it,because His hobby is to read those kind of books.After He had read it,was very glad that He had this book in His hands.

Gibberish
A load of juvenile nonsense, collected from magazines, assembled by a fantasist who knows virtually nothing about the subject.If you want to read a work of fiction, feel free to enjoy the experience.

KGB ALPHA TEAM TRAINING MANUAL:
It lets the reader know why the soviets were dominant militarily for a long time in Eastern Europe. They were brutal and trained to be efficient in that subject. This book is an eye openner in all that it shows technique wise and the little history lesson the author gives. International Bodyguard Association president wrote this book.

A manual about what not to do while you're on a mission
I was laughting loudly while reading this book.
I've newer red a such BS about former Soviet special forces.
If you want to be busted in no time then read this "manual" and try to follow it.
It may be a "good guidance" for stupid Hollywood screen writers
to produce another amusing movie for ignorant general public.
Author or a "translator" is a real dumbass. He/She couldn't even properly translate the original insignia on the KGB sign shown on the front cover of this book. This sign has been issued only as a memorabilia to the veterans and other KGB personnel in connection with round (jubilee) dates in KGB history since its creation. In original form it shall be red "(number of years) of VChK - KGB". The real KGB sign of honor has a totally different design and insignia on it.
The most important skills you learn in special forces is how to be invisible. The main principle is that "You're invincible until you're invisible". I wouldn't give this book even one star but unfortunatelly it's not an option.

KGB alpha
I was dissapointed by this book, trully it is telling you how to run ove stuff, how to go prone, how to stab someone (duhhhh, could it be just push the knife in someones chest). I thik if you really want good fighting stuff there are better things around. Check out Master of the Blade, excellent book. Also check out some other stuff by that author, a really smart guy, not a fighter not a writer. ... Read more

Product Description
Elijah Dorsey and Fletcher Howard raised their right hands, swore to defend the Constitution, and officially became members of the 7th Regiment, US Colored Infantry. Augusts Alexander, with the rank of Major, came from Canada to fight on behalf of the Union.
From April 1865, these three Fighting Men took part in skirmishes in Maryland and Florida as well as important battles at Petersburg and Fort Fisher. One of them won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery, and another was present at Appomattox when Robert E. Lee surrendered. During those 22 months of active duty tours, whether the problems were equal pay or the insubordination of white junior officers, Dorsey, Fletcher and Alexander discovered that racism in their own army was as stubborn an enemy as the Confederates themselves.
... Read more