Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Author's comments, April 8, 2001
Modern Military Uniforms was my attempt to create as complete an account as possible of the development of uniform items and technology since 1945. The premise of the book is that uniforms are not incidental items of environmental protection for the soldier, but integral pieces of kit that contribute, or limit, his combat performance. Each uniform listed has a dedicated full-page entry which gives a detailed description of the uniform items, kit, and weaponry pictured and also some historical context to the outfit (uniforms are arranged in chronological order).As most reviews of the book so far have been favourable, I would like briefly to comment on an extremely negative review given by Mr Melih Cam. He believes that the book is historically inaccurate in parts, and illustrates his point by arguing that, contra my entry on a Turkish Army soldier of 1974,Turkey did not invade Cyprus in 1974 but were engaged in a 'peace operation'. To date I cannot find any single authority that contends my use of the word 'invasion'. Even detailed historical reference such as the Library of Congress Country Studies and Encyclopedia Britannica, as well as numerous military sources (including very respected writers such as Dr John Pimlott), refer to the incident as an invasion - the words 'peace operation' are singularly absent. With the overthrow of Makarios and the provisional presidency of EOKA protaganist Nikos Sampson, Turkey's prime minister Bulent Ecevit did indeed attempt to gain international operational approval from the UK and US, but this attempt was declined in both instances. Thus Turkey invaded. Mr Cam seems to have taken an unusual exception to my use of the word 'invasion'. Invasion can cover a multitude of situations, not all pejorative, and it should be noted that in the book I pass no judgement on the politics of the action only the military outcomes. I used the term invasion because: a) Cyprus was at that time a constitutionally independent nation regardless of the coup or the state of partition; b) there was international resistance to the invasion (indeed Joseph Sisco, Under Secretary of State of the US, acted unsuccessfully to stop it); and c) the operation was conducted aggressively using 40,000 troops and 200 tanks and attempted to acquire territory (again I pass no judgement as to the purpose of that acquisition). In summary, I am surprised at the vitriol of the assault here over what seems a fairly uncontentious reading of history, especially as the brevity of my comment allows Mr Cam no room for a detailed critique of my views. Mr Cam seems to be reading too much into the use of a word than is warranted, especially as I am in the company of a large number of reputable military historians who find no difficulty in applying the same term. Furthermore, Mr Cam finishes his review by stating that Turkish and Greek Cypriots have been living in harmony since the invasion. This seems to take no account of the continuing political strife on Cyprus and the violence in the UN buffer zone in 1996 (which left two dead and many injured) on which the US State Department expressed "deep concern over the recent violence on Cyprus.... The tragic events of the past few days underscore once again the urgent need to reach a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus." This review notwithstanding, I hope that many readers enjoy the book. I believe that it stands as a good work of reference for military historians, military modellers, and those interested in the development of uniforms since WWII.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!, November 8, 2001
This is a very good book indeed. The illustrations are superb, being detailed and clear. The narrative accompanying each illustration is fascinating and very informative, describing the whole uniform with its historical significance. This book is presented in chronological order and it is interesting to look at the developments in uniform technology as the years go by.I recommend this book.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A fine book, but somewhat lacking, June 2, 2001
"Modern Military Uniforms" is a fine book, with superb illustrations of soldier's uniforms from 1945 onwards, accompanied by detailed information. But it is by no means perfect. Following are the main things that bothered me about this book:1) I think the USA section of this book is far too small. Uniforms of the US armed forces are depicted on 20 pages, while those of the UK get twice as many pages. It really should have been the other way around. The book also fails to illustrate a desert-camouflaged US soldier of the Gulf War, which is the typical image of the modern US soldier in the public mind. Speaking of the Gulf War, it also would have been nice to see a typical Iraqi soldier from that war, a Repuplican Guardsman for instance. 2) In the Asia section, there isn't a single illustration of a Japanese soldier. I think there should be, with Japan being a major power in Asia. 3) Quite amazingly, a MODERN Chinese soldier is nowhere to be found in this book. In all there are 4 illustrations of Chinese soldiers, the most recent dating from 1951. I also think a Taiwanese soldier should have been included, as Taiwan has one of the most advanced armies in the far east, as well as one most likely to see combat in the near future. Nevertheless, I recommend this book to all military enthusiasts.
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