Customer Reviews

U.S. Armed Forces Arsenal: A Guide To Modern Combat Hardware

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I'd hoped to find a decent overview in this small volume. However, Southworth consistently calls a rifle magazine a "clip," isn't clear on the difference between normal payload and emergency maximum payload of a C-130 Hercules, states the maximum range of the Mark 45 naval gun to be 63 miles, which is only true for a hideously expensive prototype round that likely won't be fielded, exaggerates the capabilities of the Browning .50 and classifies Thompsons and M3A1 carbines as "squad weapons" at one point. And I'm not positive from the picture, but his "M249 SAW" looks awfully like an M240B machine gun.

I didn't care for the prose. It was the sort of chat you get from drunken wannabes or recruits about how great certain things are in comparison, without any real-world feedback on how things work.

I'm afraid the enthusiasm was lost in about a minute, and I expect to get rid of this one quickly. It's no use as a reference and not that entertaining.

One wouldn't expect it from a first glance at this compact volume about modern combat hardware, but the prose has a literary quality that is absolutely first-rate. While the subject matter is serious, to say the least, Southworth enlivens this tour of modern weaponry with laugh-out-loud humor, sly turns of phrase, and photograph captions peppered with witticisms that make you look twice. (I actually did laugh out loud numerous times while reading it--which made other subway riders a little nervous when they glanced at the book's cover.) Southworth couples a true aficionado's exuberance for the astounding array of gadgetry, guns, tanks, planes, ships and bombs in America's arsenal with a historian's sober wisdom about what all this stuff really means for our enemies: it ain't pretty, and they's be advised to turn tail and scurry into a nearby cave before messing with us. He has clearly done his homework--the book is rich with facts and details--but it is his thoughtful analysis and commentary that makes this book stand out among others of its kind. Southworth illuminates his subject with a unique and almost poetic sensibility--a rare touch for a subject that if often dry and straightforward. While military technology grows ever-sophisticated, this book will stand the test of time and would be a valuable addition to any military historian's bookshelf. It also fits in the coat pocket quite nicely--a reminder on a lazy afternoon stroll that freedom doesn't come easy, and that the arms and armaments we've developed have been a powerful force in preserving it.