Customer Reviews

The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Men-at-Arms)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Zaloga's contribution to Osprey's series is extremely well-done. And though this work is just under 50 pages, it packs in enough details for World War II scale modelers, computer game players, and novices of modern military history to get the answers to many basic and advanced questions about the Soviet military of the Second World War. Since this 1989 release, there have been many other works in this "reference books for modelers and hobbyists" niche that have zeroed-in on smaller chunks of the Red Army '41-'45, but for many individuals, this book can be enough. Ron Volstad's artwork, always excellant, is of unusually high quality in this book, and the photographs are studies in and of themselves. More books by Osprey and Osprey's competitors could benefit from the approach that Zaloga has taken in this work.

-- Clay Eaton

Since this primer came out in 1989, the fall of the USSR has led to much more knowledge of the details of the Red Army and its organization. As with any work in this series it is not intended as a definitive study, but an introduction. As such, it still is useful. As it was done before the end of the Cold War, much source material, even though published in prior years, has become available, and such publications as the now defunct English edition of Militaria and the still active French edition of Militaria have given us much more detail than is possible herein but that requires a large investment for the merely curious.
So, start here and then go on to the photo studies and reenactments with living models so prevalent in recent years.

Not sure what extra sources Carter Rila feels would have been buried in Soviet archives with respect to this book. This primer covers uniform insignia, basic organization of the Red Army, and a brief history of the Army as a social institution in the context of the Second World War. Good sidebar illustrations on both the old and new rank systems, and some very good photographs. Would love to see the Red Army get the same current MAA treatment - ie a multivolume set dealing with insignia and specialists in greater detail - but this volume stands the test of time. Great artwork by Volstad, as always and in particular he has capture the ethnicity of the subjects very well, something Stephen Andrew has not been able to achieve in the newer titles. Good lips and cheekbones on these Slavic looking characters! A very nice introduction to a little written about subject in the English world.

Would benefit in a future series by a look at decorations, the wound badges, and perhaps a finer breakdown of sample infantry battalions, armoured battalions etc. and finally perhaps a look at training and recruitment in the Red Army.

This book is a good purchase for someone with basically zero knowledge on the red army in WW 2, it gives you a simple introduction, and overall description of the state of the different service branches just before Operation Barbarossa, a description of weapons, uniforms and overall doctrine and tactics. nothing you cannot find in far more detailed in other books and the Web, but for the price is nice. The color plates are very nice and detailed. A good one for the beginner.

Good historical text on the story of the red army not just blah blah about the uniforms.