kipanderson Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Hi, For those who may be interested I thought I would just post up a short reading list for CMSF. Hopefully others will add to it. Arabs at War by Kenneth Pollock. Long and quite dry, but very high quality account of the combat effectiveness of Arab armies over the last 40 odd years. If you want to know how good or how bad their performance in various wars was this is the book for you. Certain Victory by Robert Scales. Best of the bunch if it is a serious military history of the 1st Gulf War that you are after. The Iraq War by Anthony Cordesman. Not so much a narrative military history as a 500 page “after action report” on the 2nd Gulf War. If you really wish to know what worked and what did not then this is the book to go for. Useful links on contemporary military equipment Defense-Update. An Israeli site of outstanding quality. It is free but very close in quality to Jane’s which you will pay many hundreds of pounds for a year. http://www.defense-update.com/ Army Technology. Good site for quick overview of today’s toys. http://www.army-technology.com/ Just a short list to get things started. All the best, Kip. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 I was also thinking about starting a reading list, so I'll just bump this one instead. By the way that Anthony Cordesman looks like the David Glantz of modern middle east conflict. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 If you get a chance read: FM 3-21.9 SBCT Infantry Rifle Plt and Squad FM 3-21.11 SBCT Infantry Rifle Company FM 3-21.21 SBCT Infantry Bn FM 3-21.31 SBCT FM 3-21.94 SBCT Infantry Bn Recon Plt FM 3-34.221 SBCT Engineer Operations. You should be able to fine them on the Internet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellfish Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzel, who was in the first Stryker brigade deployed to Iraq. He had a popular and semi-famous blog while he was there. FM 90-10: Military Operations in Urban Terrain FM 3-21.9: Stryker Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad FM 3-21.11: Stryker Infantry Company FM 3-22.37: Javelin Medium Antiarmor Weapon System FM 7-8: Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad (the Army Bible) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Go here and you can dl all of the FMs mention. https://134.11.61.26/CD5/Publications/DA/FM/ByPub.htm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Chapuis Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Storm over the Horizon by David Morris is a book about the battle of Khafji on the eve of GWI. The first half of the book is about an attacking Iraqi tank formation that comes in contact with a LAV company. I think it also answers the question of, "How can the game be balanced with US airpower?" In this book you see instances where the CAS took a couple hours to arrive, attacked the wrong people, or wouldnt engage because of proximity of friendly forces. Definitely gives the impression that 30 min to 1 hour engagements without CAS are normal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillweed Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by fytinghellfish: My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzel, who was in the first Stryker brigade deployed to Iraq. He had a popular and semi-famous blog while he was there. FM 90-10: Military Operations in Urban Terrain FM 3-21.9: Stryker Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad FM 3-21.11: Stryker Infantry Company FM 3-22.37: Javelin Medium Antiarmor Weapon System FM 7-8: Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad (the Army Bible) Ahh, old FM 7-8. The pictures/diagrams bring back a flood of nostalgia. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junk2drive Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Bump til we get this stickied 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pandur Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Go here and you can dl all of the FMs mention holly ****! it took some serious amount of clicking, copying and pasting, but now i got all of them! damn sweet!!! no, perfect! now i got a big amount interesting stuff for reading, and i fear it will kill my brain. it gona be tough for an not native english speaker... anyways many thx for this link!!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomm Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Pimp my BMP: The Syrian Army in Numbers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarkus Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Keep it coming guys. Any more ideas for a straight, concise, overall approach to the CM:SF contextual and tactical setting ? I ask because I know I will have to go through a lot of info to get a decent understanding of the capabilities and ropes of this type of warfare. Exciting, but still, I have less time then previously (and far less knowledge than on WWII) to devote to a good, thorough preparation for this game. So thanks for contributing to my education in MOUT, RMA and other SBCT. As a side note, maybe BFC also got plans for some pubications of their own to complement all this and "educate" their fans ? I would be interested in some home made FM. Just an idea. Cheers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Efraim Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Ok, for what's worth, here is the best and more useful book (imho) in order to understand what's happening in (Israel|Syria|Iraq|Egypt... add your middle east place): David Fromkin A peace to end all peaces The fall of the ottoman empire and the creation of the modern middle east Phoenix 1989 and later. No kidding, incerdibly accurate: There's no way to understand middle east developments unless you understand what the allies did after the first world war, and this refreshing book throws some CLEAR light on those matters This said, again, for me CM:SF means nothing else that "Combat mission science fiction", alas. (No PBEM? They must be joking) This said I wish battlefront all the best. As a personal advice, for what it is worth (prolly not much) I would add that Steve deserves MUCH MORE well-intentioned critics and -frankly- doesn't deserve at all the many useless postings from useless fanboys, trying unsuccessfully to stop the negative general appreciation. After all if we like someone, we usually tell the truth. Lies have very short legs :-( 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipanderson Posted October 13, 2005 Author Share Posted October 13, 2005 Hi, Runyan99 posted, “By the way that Anthony Cordesman looks like the David Glantz of modern middle east conflict.” A very good way of putting it… . All the best, Kip. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellfish Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Cordesman gave a lecture at my college and, though I was the only non-protesting undergrad to attend, it was a very informative talk. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bboyle Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Originally posted by fytinghellfish: Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Cordesman gave a lecture at my college and, though I was the only non-protesting undergrad to attend, it was a very informative talk. This one may be helpful: Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 I'd add the following photo-journals, both by Concord: Journal of Armored Assault & Heliborne Warfare, & Special Ops. Journal of the Elite Forces & Swat Units. In particular, pick up Special Ops No 30, which provides an article on the Intirim Stryker Brigade. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zitadelle Posted October 15, 2005 Share Posted October 15, 2005 Here will be a surprise, but in the US Military and the IC writings on Lawrence of Arabia are now considered a very important study for understanding insurgent conflict and relations between combatants and organizations with strong tribal and family influences (read into that: common traits in Arabic cultures). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadir_E Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Here are some additional suggestions without specific reference to the Syrian angle - this is simply a modern warfare & small unit tactics oriented list: *= highly recommended Military Theory ========== *Coram, Robert, _Boyd_ (it's John Boyd's biography, but by reading it you'll become familiar with Boyd's work) Lind, William, _The Maneuver Warfare Handbook_ *Leonhard, Robert, _The Art of Maneuver_ Small Unit Tactics: ============= Antal, John F. _Infantry Combat: The Rifle Platoon_ Antal, John F. _Armor Attacks: The Tank Platoon_ Bolger, Daniel, _The Battle for Hunger Hill_ (JRTC AAR) McDonough, James R., _The Defense of Hill 781_ (NTC AAR) Schmitt, John, _Mastering Tactics: Tactical Decision Games_ "Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain" (MOUT) aka "Fighting in Built-Up Areas" (FIBUA), aka "Fighting in Someone's House" (FISH) ======================= *Recent US Army & USMC Field manuals. The old US Army FM was 90-10 as noted above and 90-10-1 (Infantryman's Guide to Urban Combat) - I believe both of these have since been renumbered and re-issued. The current USMC edition is "Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP) 3-35.3 Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain" Relevant Military History ================= *Ahmad, Ali & Grau, Lester, _Afghan Guerrilla Tactics_ Bolger, Daniel _Death Ground: Today's American Infantry in Battle_ *West, Bing, _No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah_ Koopman, John, _McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad_ *Naylor, Sean, _Not a Good Day to Die_ [Afghanistan] Antal, John & Gericke, Bradley Ed.'s, _City Fights: Selected Histories of Urban Combat_ Any history of the battle of Hue, RVN. 4th Generation Warfare ================ *Hammes, Thomas X. _The Sling and the Stone_ a Fun Read ======= Christie, William, _The Blood We Shed_ - a novel about Marines and some hypothetical action in the Arabian Penninsula shortly after 9/11. YMMV, -Nadir [ October 16, 2005, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Nadir_E ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Ooooo, Linkies. Background reading Armor Magazine TsO&E and armour protection levels How modern armour works BBC guide to urban warfare RUSI Journals USMC unit tactics guide US army documents and FMs in the Reimer digital library Defence News pages Defense Industry Daily National Defense Magazine Defense aerospace 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipanderson Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 flamingknives, Thanks for the links… great stuff . All the best, Kip. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKhaosProject Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 The Sling and the Stone by Thomas Hammes is a really good read. Also, I think it gives an interesting look at how OPFOR could act in building scenarios and campaigns. Another good read, which goes along with The Sling and the Stone is Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods by John Poole and Ray Smith. It is sitting in front of me and I haven't had a chance to read it quite yet. But from what I have read about the book it is really good. Tactics of the Cresent Moon The Khaos Project 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 Special Operations must read, October 12, 2005 Reviewer: M. Sexton (USA) - See all my reviews Having read the book and been impressed with how author John Poole has distilled into a readable and understandable format, the tactics techniques and ideology of muslim fighters, I have gained a perspective on their tactical methods that I did not have or could not have learned by a generalized study. Gunny Poole has done the hard work of research for the grunt and special operations soldier. It is a book that gives a TACTICAL perspective explaining the subtleties of the eastern (south west asia in this case) tactical mindset. As a current Special Forces soldier who has been to both Afghanistan and Iraq I RECCOMEND THIS BOOK. I am also humbled by the experience and knowledge of those here and elsewhere who have reviewed and reccommended Gunny Poole's books and only offer my perspective from a sergeant's and operators viewpoint. This book is not meant to give a big picture theorist a perspective on middle eastern culture and geo politics. And rightly so. It is a thought provoking and pertinent study for the soldier on the ground. Fighting the militants (insurgent). No military study is currently availble that gives the tactical mindset and explains it as Mr Poole has. The only other that comes close is Afghan Guerilla war, a series of vignettes in the words of the Afghan mujahideen, which the soldier then has to try to figure out their tactical method within the given context. Gunny Poole's Book Tactics of the Crescent Moon is better way for soldiers to learn the enemy. If you want a book about US failures and how our real strategy is land and resource aquisition as one reviewer here lamented about, look elesewhere. This book is for the guy on the ground who will be doing the fighting and the men that will plan and lead those operations.The reviews sound great This book could turn the tide in the war on terror, November 19, 2004 Reviewer: Joseph P. Bernard "jbernard29" (US State Department) - See all my reviews This book is truly remarkable. In Tactics of the Crescent Moon, John Poole provides an incredibly insightful analysis of the Middle Eastern problem and our role in trying to resolve it. He explains extremely complicated issues with remarkable clarity, examining them from historical, political, cultural, military and moral perspectives. Despite the immense scope of the book, his key insights never get lost in the complexity of his subject matter. At the most fundamental level, John Poole provides detailed tactical descriptions of exactly how our Middle Eastern adversaries fight. To illuminate the big picture, he clearly shows how these tactical examples relate to the larger cultural and political issues. He goes on to propose solutions that can help American privates survive, help commanders make better decisions, help generals develop better strategies and even help politicians make better military policies. Most importantly, the book's profound morality offers insight on how to win what might be the most important battle of all, the battle for the moral high ground. We will not win this war on terrorism if we lose touch, even for a moment, with the great and noble values that make us who we are. John Poole reminds us that when Americans go to war we bring with us our honor, our compassion, our love of freedom, and our belief in the equality of all people. Our morality is our ultimate weapon. quotes from the link in the above post about this book are reviews from amazon.com I wonder if Steve and the scenario designers for CMx2 at BFC will find time to read this book?? :confused: -tom w 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akd Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 I would very highly recommend this site: http://www.smallwarsjournal.com/ Here's a list of topics in just their library area alone: Small Wars: Issues - Ideas - Background // Professional Military Education - Training // Doctrine - TTP - Planning - Concepts Threat: Adversaries - Insurgents - Terrorists // Counterinsurgency - Insurgency Urban Operations // Transition - Post-Conflict - End-State - Exit Strategy // Interagency Operations Coalition - Combined Operations // Cultural Intelligence // Security - Stability - Humanitarian Operations United Nations Peacekeeping Operations // Special Operations // Information - Influence Operations // News Media Iraq: Iraqi Freedom - Telic - Falconer - Catalyst // Afghanistan: Enduring Freedom - Veritas - Slipper - Athena Afghanistan: Soviet Union // Balkans // Haiti // Chechnya // Somalia // Liberia // Panama // Lebanon: U.S. - Israel Colombia // Vietnam War: US - Allies // Vietnam War: France // Middle EastEach topic has a wealth of resources. Or how about their massive reading list? Handy for this thread, to say the least. Here are a few selections: Maneuver Warfare Handbook - William Lind. "Maneuver warfare, often controversial and requiring operational and tactical innovation, poses perhaps the most important doctrinal questions currently facing the conventional military forces of the U.S. Its purpose is to defeat the enemy by disrupting the opponent's ability to react, rather than by physical destruction of forces. This book develops and explains the theory of maneuver warfare and offers specific tactical, operational, and organizational recommendations for improving ground combat forces. The authors translate concepts-too often vaguely stated by maneuver warfare advocates-into concrete doctrine. Although the book uses the Marine Corps as a model, the concepts, tactics, and doctrine discussed apply to any ground combat force." The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation - S. L. Marshall. "This book has been required reading by Marines for over 20 years, if not longer. Contrary to some comments in today's media, the Marines have learned the lesson posed by SLA Marshall. Crossing into Iraq from Kuwait in March 2003, the Marine Commander Major General James Mattis stripped down his force to only the bare essentials. The Marines were light, fast, and needed little logistics pause causing some issues between Marines and Army commanders. Marshall was right, this book is the essential primer to mobility at the foundation level, and is completely applicable today as it was in 1950." (L. Harris) Tactics of the Crescent Moon - H. John Poole and Ray Smith (foreword). "Tactics of the Crescent Moon comes none too soon for deployed U.S. service personnel. Little, if any, of their battlefield intelligence has been tactically interpreted. U.S. analysts are generally more interested in the enemy’s strategic or technological capabilities. Even if those analysts did want to tactically assess the information, most lack the infantry and historical background to do so. This book fills that void. It reveals—for the first time in any detail—the most common small-unit maneuvers of the Iraqi and Afghan resistance fighters. Its author is a retired infantryman and recognized authority on guerrilla warfare. He has traveled the world extensively and still trains active-duty U.S. units. Tactics of the Crescent Moon could save many lives (if not turn the tide of war) in the Middle East. It is a heavily researched, well-illustrated, and spell-binding account of how Muslim militants fight. While the book delves mainly into their tactical method, it also uncovers their cultural orientation. This nail-biting nonfiction covers events as recent as 15 September 2004." I would also highly recommend The March Up by Bing West and Ray Smith and No True Glory by same Mr. West. I would not highly recommend Robert Kaplan's Imperial Grunts. [ November 08, 2005, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: akd ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomastmcc Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 hi guys been away for a while dont forget there is the Yahoo TO&Es group also .. check it out as its free to join .. thomas (owner TO&Es groups ) http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/TOandEs/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Originally posted by JohnO: Go here and you can dl all of the FMs mention. https://134.11.61.26/CD5/Publications/DA/FM/ByPub.htm John, I can't get that link to work... any tips? Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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