August Book Vote and July Results

For our August book vote we decided to do something a little different. Rather than drawing our suggestions from the 'book suggestions' database on the website we asked some of our editors to come forward with their own ideas. The only condition was that the suggestions could be made a reality, so nothing too crazy.

So, without further ado, here are our 'Editors Picks'.

CBT: US Mechanized Infantryman vs Soviet Motor Rifleman: Central Europe 1983

During the Cold War both NATO and the Warsaw Pact deployed vast conventional military forces along the Iron Curtain in Europe. As their intended role, equipment and tactics evolved over decades, these forces were never called upon to fight one another – but what would have happened if they had? In this study, which postulates a conventional conflict breaking out in 1983 – a crucial moment in the re-escalating Cold War – the likely combat performance of US and Soviet mechanized infantrymen during three different scenarios is assessed.

MAA: Italian Colonial Troops 1883-1943

The organization and colourful uniforms of the many African units recruited by Italy, from her first colonial adventures until her final defeat in Libya in World War II.

NVG: Superguns 1860-1991

Is bigger really better? Over the last century and a half gun designers have often thought so, and produced one technologically impressive, boundary-pushing giant artillery piece after another – most of which turned out to be fairly useless. This New Vanguard surveys the biggest, wackiest and most extreme artillery of the breechloading era, from Sir William Armstrong’s 111-ton ‘monster gun’ to the Paris gun of World War I, the V-3 of World War II, ‘Atomic Annie’ and the Soviet 2B1 Oka of the Cold War, and Saddam Hussein’s Project Babylon.

DUE: US Submarine vs Soviet Submarine: Cold War 1961-91

In February 1945 HMS Venturer sank U-864 while both vessels were at periscope depth, ushering in the era of the ‘hunter killer’ submarine, capable of sinking other submarines as well as surface vessels. By 1961, both the United States and the Soviet Union had deployed nuclear submarines; armed with ballistic missiles, such vessels could remain submerged for much longer and move far more swiftly than their diesel-electric predecessors. The Cold War witnessed decades of cat-and-mouse games as US and Soviet submarines faced off against each other in the world’s oceans.

ELI: Armies of the Baltic Wars 1919-20

The complex aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution in the new-born Baltic states, which caused fighting between White Russian, Red Army, German, and various local forces.

Head to the homepage to cast your vote!

We also have the results from the July book vote, in which 5 potential Campaign books focussing on World War I battled it out.

Tannenberg 1914 and Caporetto 1917 stormed to early leads, battling each other for the top spot whilst the other three titles were left in their wake.