Customer Reviews

Battle Rattle: The Stuff a Soldier Carries (Battle Gear)

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

 

 

From canteens to ammo clips and uniforms, 'battle rattle' is the stuff a soldier carriers to survive the day, and is here thoroughly explored in a book which examines changes in military clothing, packs and equipment. BATTLE RATTLE is more than an analysis of modern equipment: it also covers items soldiers purchase from civilian companies to supplement government issue and focuses on approach loads, equipment issues, and technological achievement alike, blending all together with vivid color photos throughout. Perfect for the military library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Ever wonder what all that stuff a soldier is wearing while watching news clips from Iraq and Afghanistan? It's all answered here in Battle Rattle. For one with no military experience, I was enthusiastic to learn about a soldier's gear and weaponry, how it's packed and minipulated in the field, and what goes vs. what stays. The book is tall with large color photographs so the reader can easily understand the function of each piece of equipment. As well, the book contains several informative combat stories as told by war vets. A great read!

Every soldier who's every humped a ruck is going to love this book. Hans Halberstadt, along with fine contributions by Graves, Hilliard and others, has finally come out with a definitive work on the current evolutions of personal military equipment. Halberstadt's world class photography covers everything from boots to buckles and rucks to rifles, complimented by gear critiques from operators fresh from combat. Once a soldier, always a gear junky, and this book's a keeper.

Maybe good for kids and schools but not much else. I was looking for more specific info on load bearing kits, EDC gear choice and personal IFAK kind of info- Tactical stuff probably best gotten from experienced word of mouth, I believe this was a good start at the time, but has slipped out of relevance with time.

One-of-a-kind book which looks at the gear carried by Soldiers in current operations. Well-illustrated with photographs but it doesn't feature any sort of diagrams which shows how some of this gear looks when it is stripped down or how items are connected to each other. A drawing of a Soldier showing where some items are located in the LBV (a typical set-up, say) would have been helpful. However, the chapter on what items a Soldier should carry with them into Iraq or Afghanistan is potentially VERY useful and could save someone some grief. An interesting addition to the military library.

If you like modern military gear, or are a collector, then this is your book. It has color photos on nearly every page. It covers all aspects of war fighting equipment. The only downside of this book is the date of 2007 being the latest year anything is covered in this book. A lot of changes have been made since 2007.

Very well written book on modern military equipment worn by our warriors. It was accurate and detailed. From my personal military experience in the US Marine Corps and now as a collector of personal military equipment, I have found this book invaluable as a reference guide. Hopefully the author is working on an updated volume. The book was easy to read and the photographs are excellent. I only wish that the book were larger. Thank you for your time. Semper Fi!

As a guide to the gear modern warfighters carry into battle, this book provides a good overview. The author obviously knows his stuff and speaks intelligently and with authority about a subject most laymen, I am sure, take for granted and give little thought to. Mr. Halberstadt has an excellent grasp of the subtleties involved, and he makes it easy for the rest of us to understand.

A lof of good info on private purchase miltiary gear. Troops today seem to have a lot more freedom in that area than we did back in the 60's.

This book is decent, but really nothing new. I really looked forward to this book coming out, but alot of it was just recycled from previous books. I guess it's worth a look if you see it at a bookstore. Be the judge for yourself, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you don't have any other books from the same author. I'm a sucker for these books, but was let down.