Book review: The Village

This week, I read this book for my Vietnam War elective:


In Black Hawk Down, the fight went on for a day. In We Were Soldiers Once & Young, the fighting lasted three days. In The Village, one Marine squad fought for 495 days—half of them died.



Few American battles have been so extended, savage and personal. A handful of Americans volunteered to live among six thousand Vietnamese, training farmers to defend their village. Such "Combined Action Platoons" (CAPs) are now a lost footnote about how the war could have been fought; only the villagers remain to bear witness. This is the story of fifteen resolute young Americans matched against two hundred Viet Cong; how a CAP lived, fought and died. And why the villagers remember them to this day



It is an amazing book - a USMC squad operating with a small local militia and the realities of living in a village amongst a people whose loyalties are divided. If you are into Vietnam Skirmish level gaming this book is a goldmine of scenarios and a 5 star must read.



The author served as a USMC Captain in Vietnam from 1966-68, later worked for RAND and became the Assistance Secretary for Defense in the Reagan administration. He is a prolific writer and has toured Iraq and Afghanistan several times over the past decade. I had the honour of meeting him this week when he spent a few hours with my small class discussing anything and everything, after which he signed my copy of the Village. An inspiring individual.

500 followers! Thanks indeed!

After many months (actually around a year) sitting around the 470-80 mark, we recently started creeping up again and jumped to 502 followers this week!

Not sure what that means in these days of Google followers and Google+1 ing things instead, but its humbling to thin so many people have dropped into our corner of the blogosphere and enjoyed it.  Thanks indeed :-)

Submarine Museum and WW2 Memorial

Recently I had the opportunity to tour the US Navy's Submarine Museum and the WW2 Memorial, both of which are in Groton, Connecticut.  The museum, is a great selection of everything from the first submersible boats all the way up to nuclear attack sub and ballistic missile submarines.  The pride of the collection is the USS NAUTILUS, the first nuclear powered submarine in the world and the first submarine to transit under the north pole.  Just as good in my mind were all the battle flags and memorabilia for the WW2 Submarines whip waged such effective economic warfare against Japan (and many of which operated out of Australia).  If you get a chance to visit I highly recommend it!

And of course its great motivation for playing The Hunters and the upcoming US Pacific Version Silent Victory!

The Nautilus in all her glory!

Book Review: CSS Appomattox

CSS Appomattox
by Chris Stoesen

Amidst the slaughter of the American Civil War, recognition of the South by both France and Great Britain sees a negotiated settlement and the formal succession of the Confederacy.  An uneasy Cold War ensues with each side seeking European Allies to bolster their economies and access world trade markets.  The Union finds itself a friend in Germany, a growing power seeking overseas possessions and resources to fuel its industries.  The Confederacy finds its own ally in Spain, and when Germany tries to seize Spanish holdings in the Caribbean, the Confederacy finds itself toeing a diplomatic tightrope of supporting its ally while not triggering another general war with the North.

Enter Captain Thomas Devareaux of the Confederate Navy and Captain of the dirigible CSS Appomattox.  Let loose upon the expeditionary fleet of the German Navy operating in and around the Eastern seaboard, he leads his crew on raids and strikes to harass the enemy and solidify the South's alliance with Spain.  Along the way there is international and domestic intrigue, glimpses of a shadow war with the North and a cast of characters with a divers range of backgrounds.

I really quite liked Chris's alternative history world and the way in which he describes a team of men trying to harness new technologies to do their duty in tough situations.  Yes it is a self published with a few  hiccups and no it is not a Bernard Cornwell novel.  But it is a fun and easy read which I really enjoyed - I am looking forward to the next instalment in the adventures of Thomas Devareaux.

CSS Appomattox is available electronically here for less than a price of a beer.  If alt history and riding zeppelins appeals to you then do yourself a favour and give it a go.