Customer Reviews

Blue on Blue: A History of Friendly Fire

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British historian, Geoffrey Regan, offers an insightful account of what is know as `Friendly Fire' or `blue-on-blue engagements'. Basically, soldiers are killed and maimed by their own side. Regan attempts to trace the history of these incidents from the time of Alexander the Great to the Gulf War. He does so quite well and the reader comes away wondering how in the hell these things could happen.

Through the Ancient and Medieval period, through the Napoleonic and US Civil War to WW1 and WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, the Falklands, and the Gulf War. Some incidents I had heard of like the American bombing fiasco during Operation Cobra in 1944 but others I never knew had occurred. The author attempts to explain how and why these friendly fire incidents occurred and the affects of friendly fire on the soldiers. Most of the stories seem to involve the British Commonwealth forces and the Americans. Very little from the Japanese, Russian and German sides but then again maybe the sources were not available.

Overall this is a very interesting account of a little know military subject and maybe our Military Commanders and Politicians should read the book. Anyone interested in military history should read this book. And as Norman Schwarzkopf said "no fire is friendly".

This book is an excellent reference for military buffs, something a bit out of the ordinary of military literature. The subject is very interesting, and each incident comes with some background material to explain the cause and confusion behind it.

This book should be read by all men and women who wish the military as a career.