Customer Reviews

Mercs: True Stories of Mercenaries in Action

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"Mercs" is a series of tiny anecdotes (usually anywhere from 3-10 pages) about various mercenaries throughout history, with a special emphasis on the twentieth century, except for the final section, which is a long long piece on mercenaries sent to start a coup in Ghana. Most of the stories range from lame to fascinating, depending on what happens. My favorite anecdotes were the ones about Sir John de Hawkwood, English condotierre in Renaissance Italy. The anecdotes that didn't hold too much of an interest to me are the ones from the mid-20th century, especially the ones in Vietnam (they just kinda blend together to me). I also thought it might have been a bit better if they included a bit more of the post-Cold War mercenaries. But all in all I would say it's a decent book.

There are many causes worth fighting for, but some just go without mention thanks to lack of media coverage (Biafra comes to mind). Some mercenaries do not fit the Hollywood mold of a ruthless, senseless warmonger with a thirst for blood and the next big paycheck. Some mercs are angels of mercy, sacrificing themselves for those whom it may not be "politically suitable" for other large nations (read: USA) to aid.

"Mercs" covers some of these individuals with interesting non-fiction short stories. Of particular interest to this reader were the accounts of Count Carl Gustav von Rosen, who led five modified light aircraft armed with small rocket pods on morning raids against the Nigerian Air Force (mostly MiGs), and the stories concerning the history of the French Foreign Legion.

This is a highly interesting collection of stories. It covers the history of merenaries from the Greeks in Persia to the modern day drug wars. This book has a definite intellectual edge to it, as the writers clearly have a decent education. If you are used to reading military stories written by veterans with little or no education (not to say the stories are not interesting) this is a refreshing, clearly written book. I enjoyed it thouroughly, and learned many things that I found both surprising and entertaining.

This book contains short stories on mercenary actions around the globe. Most of them are condensed versions of books on the subject. There is no connection between the chapters and no overview from the editor.
Nice to browse thru, but I recommend the real deal instead:
Mike Hoare, The road to Kalamata
Anthony Mockler, The new mercenaries