CLOSE COMBAT [THE CORPS , BOOK VI (Corps)

Book Description

An epic novel of World War II--and the brave men and women who lived through it.

Customer Reviews:

Continuing the story of the World War II Marine Corps........2007-01-09

I for one am truly enjoying these books set during the Second World War. Most of the battle action is set in the Pacific, and this book is set during the latter part of 1942 when the Americans were facing some real problems on Guadalcanal. Although there weren't as many battle scenes in this book as in others, it does advance us further into the war, and we really get to know the main characters. There are some surprises here. for example a very young corporal who acts very bravely on "Bloody Ridge". These books, I think, display a real pride in the United States Marine Corps. Griffin handles this tribute to a great Corps very well. And he writes wonderful stories!

Close Combat .......2006-02-21

Griffen is one of my favorite authors, and this novel didn't change my opinion. The book is well balanced, in that it concentrates more on the interaction of military people, their foibles as well as their strengths, and not just the violent battles. It, like all his others, is hard to put down. He makes his characters so real that a person with a military bent will certainly recognize many of his peers, and superiors. It is the kind of book that the Berkeley crowd would enjoy burning.

A Waste of Time.......2003-01-14

I picked up these books hoping to gain some insight into the actions of the Marine Corps in the Pacific during World War II. What I found instead was a sort of soap opera that rambles on for hundreds of pages without getting around to much actual fighting. For example, The Marines don't even get to Guadalcanal (their first major offensive) until the end of book III, some 1200 pages into the story. Those 1200 intervening pages are mostly conversations (ad nauseam) between stateside Marine Corps officers as they sit around headquarters, or go out on the town chasing skirts.

The small portion of the books that is devoted to actual battles is done in such a cursory fashion that you're left with the impression that the author either finds this aspect of the Marines' mission distasteful, or doesn't understand it well enough to write about it. Mr. Griffin could have deleted about 80% of his material, and would have ended up with better books, albeit still not good ones.

If you're the sort of person who likes to watch daytime soap operas, then you may enjoy these books. If, on the other hand, you're interested in military history, the banality of these books will leave you screaming in frustration.

Great balance of fear, romance and historical fiction.......2003-01-09

Griffin pulls off what so many writers get close to but never quite seem to manage -- an authentic, if slightly romantic, portrait of the US military during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. True, many of the protagonists are wealthy, but many are not. For example, Ken Mccoy is dirt poor until he marries up. There are a lot of promotions to keep things moving, but there's also a number of guys who stay enlisted. What is captured accurately is the look and feel of serving in the pre-Vietnam US military. The Brotherhood of War and The Corps both remind me of Bernard Cornwell's series about Richard Sharpe, tracing his advancement from a Redcoat private and then sergeant in 1799 India to his elevation to Lt. of the 95th Rifles at the Battle of Assaye, and then through the Napoleonic Wars in Portugal, Spain, Denmark and ultimately Waterloo. He retires a Lt. Col., which was almost unheard of for someone raised from the ranks of the British Army, but the chronology is plausible, particularly given the wartime death rate. all in all, I go through the Griffin novels like Doritos and beer -- you can't read just one of them. He is indeed the poet laureate of the American military. Read the Sharpe books too -- you will really enjoy his ability to put you in the action of a 19th century battlefield. They also were made into a first-class series of fourteen 2-hour movies by the BBC, starring Sean Bean as a very convincing Richard Sharpe.

Do the guys always get the girl and the good scotch?.......2002-08-01

I really like this series as well as "The Brotherhood of War" series. The stories are great, the characters are very likeable and the little bit of history you can get from the books are nice. I have read each of Griffin's series at least twice. I like them that much.

However, I AM REALLY GETTING TIRED OF THE SAME OL' THING. Follow me here. Have you noticed:

1- The guy always gets the girl
2- The girl is always "so ... beutiful"
3- It is nearly almost always love at first sight.
4- The main characters generally start out young and enlisted
within a few chapters they are being gererously promoted.
Most are promoted to officers, some right out of boot-
camp or basic training. It appears promotions are handed
out like meals.
5- The girls are all easy, but they are still "nice girls".
6- None of the main characters die or become handicaped.
7- They all drink scotch (famous grouse)
8- Most of the main characters are rich and of course from
Philly or near there.
9- They all make wonderful and reluctant heroes.
10- etc... etc...

All-in-all, I would recommend Griffins series to anyone who is male. I don't think women would much like them.

Average customer rating:

Awesome Book!

A 'Must Have' for all WMA students... Eventualy

A Worthwhile Challenge

Medieval Martial Arts

Astounding insight into Medieval martial arts!

Medieval Combat: A Fifteenth-Century Illustrated Manual of Swordfighting and Close-Quarter Combat (Greenhill Military Paperbacks)
Hans Talhoffer
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Codex Wallerstein: A Medieval Fighting Book from the Fifteenth Century on the Longsword, Falchion, Dagger, and Wrestling

Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques

The Swordman's Companion: A Manual for Training With the Medieval Longsword

Fighting with the German Longsword

Renaissance Swordsmanship: The Illustrated Book Of Rapiers And Cut And Thrust Swords And Their Use

ASIN: 1853675822

Book Description

This brilliant and attractive book makes one of the most influential and lavishly-drawn fencing manuals of the Middle Ages available in English for the first time. The authentic fifteenth-century techniques of master of arms Hans Talhoffer are illustrated in detail, presenting not only a unique historic record but also a visual guide for modern practitioners. Talhoffer's professional fencing manual of 1467 illustrates the intricacies of the medieval art of fighting, covering both the 'judicial duel' (an officially sanctioned fight to resolve a legal dispute) and personal combat. Combatants in the Middle Ages used footwork, avoidance, and the ability to judge and manipulate timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities. These skills were supplemented with techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking and throwing the opponent, as well as disarming him by seizing his weapon. Every attack contained a defense and every defense a counter-attack. Talhoffer reveals the techniques for wrestling, unarmored fighting with the long sword, pole-axe, dagger, sword and buckler, and mounted combat. This unparalleled guide to medieval combat, illustrated with 268 contemporary images, provides a glimpse of real people fighting with skill, sophistication and ruthlessness.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Book!.......2007-06-09

Much of what I feel has already been said...and better stated...by others here.

...nevertheless, I will throw in my two cents worth.

I bought this book little over two years ago. It was the first Fechtbuch I ever saw, and I was simply amazed at what it contained: A first hand look of what Medieval combat really looked like.

I have been a fan of Knights and swordplay since I was a kid, so to see a book that contained actual techniques that Knights used in battle was quite a shock. I had no idea that such a thing could be found in your local Borders bookstore (sorry Amazon). Nor was I aware that Knightly combat was so dirty! (I couldn't help but admire it all the same:)

After spending an hour imitating the movements IN THE STORE (That's right), I decided to purchase the book. It was one of the best purchases I have ever made.

Immediately after this, I did a google search on the word "Fechtbuch", and the wider world of Western Martial Arts came alive. I have since discovered the works of Fiore dei Liberi, Filipo Vadi, Joachim Meyer, and of course, many...MANY others too numerous to list here.

Even though, as a stand alone book, only a certain number of techniques can be easily learned (i.e. Murder Stroke, etc.) without a companion text, it is still an excellent tool for learning WMA, and no practicioner should be without this primary source. It is, to say the very least, a big eye-opener.

I would suggest buying The Art of Combat by Joachim Meyer (Jeffrey Forgeng translation) as a companion to this. You might want to wait till Amazon has it on sale (I bought it recently for $41 here), as it retails for $65.

I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in WMA, Fight Choreography (which I do as well, and have used some of Talhoffers moves in), and Medievel/Renaissance military history.

A 'Must Have' for all WMA students... Eventualy.......2007-05-31

This book is what got me started learning WMA. I found it at a book store and was initially captivated by the artful illustrations of genuine medieval sword combat. It was like nothing I had ever seen depicted in Hollywood or elsewhere. I was especially baffled by all of the images of fighters holding the sword blade in their bare hands. I took it home to study, with very little success. Even though I poured through the whole book every night for a week, the only technique I was able to 'unlock' was an arm trapping move illustrated in the Messer plates, and that was because the technique had a before and after plate that I could follow. So I put the book down, found myself an actual instructor, and started learning the basics.

I recently opened up 'Medieval Combat' again after roughly six months of training. Now the Longsword techniques illustrated inside are jumping off the pages at me! It's a very exciting feeling.

That being said, only 1/3 of this book actually addresses Longsword combat. The rest of the book deals with a multitude of other medieval combat methods; many of which could be very useful to today's re-enactor, medievalist, WMA practitioner or fight choreographer. Unfortunately, some of the other documented combat methods are so specialized that their use may have truly been lost to antiquity.

There are 270 illustrated plates. 71 of the plates are dedicated to Longsword. Of that, there are only 36 plates that do not include either gripping an opponent's blade, Half-Swording or the `Murder Stroke' technique. (Holding the sword upside down with the blade in both hands so the heavy crossguard acts as a hammer. The technique is meant to crush the opponent's head or catch their sword and disarm them.)

There are 6 plates concerning a Knightly Duel. They illustrate the display of the Knights' banners, equipment and coffins. There are a few interesting illustrations about deflecting a thrown spear with a sword, and finally a re-hashed Murder Stroke technique that was also shown in the Longsword section.

Then there are 23 illustrations for Pole-Axe. Anyone who participates in mass medieval combat re-enactments (SCA etc...) would probably find this section very helpful.

Then we come to the `interesting' part of the book. Talhoffer dedicates 64 plates to the lost medieval practice of Trial by Combat with Dueling Shield. To quote the book...`It is a slightly concave oblong, approximately six-and-a-half feet tall, with a rectangular coffered boss along the longitudinal axis allowing room for the hand to grip a central pole, which is sharply spiked at both ends.' The illustrations are extremely fascinating to look at but very difficult to gain any useful technique from. I imagine that even back in Talhoffer's time most people would not be used to this type of equipment. Trial by Combat did not occur ever day. These plates were meant to help a person stay alive during a very unfamiliar combat situation. It would take a lot of work and study for someone to unlock the skills in these plates.

After the Dueling Shield there are 19 plates concerning technique with the Rondel Dagger; a tapered spike, almost a foot long, which was held with an Ice Pick grip. Although the figures are in plain clothes, the techniques would most likely be used in an armored combat situation.

31 plates are dedicated to Wrestling. I haven't had much experience with Wrestling, but the moves look very similar to the Greco Roman style. I'm willing to bet that a trained modern Wrestler could examine these moves and decipher them with no problem. They may even pick up a few new tricks!

8 illustrations are devoted to the Messer. The Messer was a long knife that nearly all commoners carried with them. It was used as an every day tool but could also function as a formidable weapon. The modern equivalent of a Messer can be found in the Machete.

Next, there are 11 pages concerning Sword and Buckler. There are even a few pages on facing multiple opponents. In these images the person is holding the buckler as well as a dagger in one fist. Un-inspired Hollywood fight choreographers take note!

Talhoffer takes 9 pages of his book to address the bizarre ritual of Trial by Combat between a Man and Woman. To even the playing field the man is equipped with a wooden cudgel and placed in a pit up to his waist. The Woman places a heavy rock in a cloth sash to strangle the man or crush his head. She must either kill her opponent or pull him out of the pit, at which point the man would be executed. Likewise, the man must either dispatch the woman or drag her down into the pit and doom her to execution. If my description of this event sounds absurd, just imagine what the illustrations must look like! It is quite easy to find amusement in this scenario, but the truth is that it was a dead-serious affair. Imagine what it would have been like if a woman was raped and had no male family member who was willing to stand up and defend her honor. It would be her word against her assailant. She would most likely be forced to confront her rapist in a trial to the death. Considering the fact that women were sub-class citizens in Medieval Europe, I find it fascinating that half of Talhoffer's illustrations on this subject show techniques a woman could use to win the fight. Did Talhoffer ever offer his services to prepare a woman for her Trial by Combat?

Finally we have 20 pages devoted to combat while mounted on a horse. Most of the images show two men sword fighting next to each other, although there are a few fascinating plates devoted to how a man on horseback should hold a crossbow to fire back at someone pursuing him and how to prepare for a charging lance attack. It's a pretty sweet technique that includes discharging the crossbow bolt into the charging adversary, deflecting the lance with the arms of the crossbow and then grappling the enemy to the ground as his horse passes by. Again... why hasn't Hollywood borrowed any of these awesome, historically accurate combat techniques to use in their productions?

As I alluded to in the title of this review, I feel that `Medieval Combat' is a book that every WMA enthusiast should eventually get. The reason for my exhaustive explanation of each section was to help a potential customer understand what they are really getting with their purchase. For example, if you are only interested in Longsword combat, you may want to look at some other books first. Since most WMA and SCA organizations outlaw use of the `Mordhau' and have strict limits concerning when and how Half-Swording is allowed in a sparring situation, the amount of immediately applicable Longsword techniques in `Medieval Combat' is actually quite slim. Even so, I would still recommend Medieval Combat as a smart purchase to help expand your WMA library.

A Worthwhile Challenge.......2007-01-11

This reproduction of Hans Talhoffer's Close-Quarter Combat manual is an exquisite addition to a martial arts practitioner's collection or historian's library. It is composed mainly of black and white reproductions of the original fifteenth century coloured illustrations depicting several armed and unarmed fighting techniques; each of which is accompanied by a translation of the original succinct commentary on the technique by the author. By its very nature, it is not a self explanatory guide, and is not a manual for a novice, self taught practitioner of medieval martial arts. Even so, it illustrates specific instances of combat quite vividly, and can be decrypted by a more experienced martial artist to yield priceless information useful in perfecting one's technique. It should not be your first book on the subject, but it will likely be among the best. Truly a worthwhile challenge.

Medieval Martial Arts.......2006-12-17

Medieval scholars, martial artists, and historians will find this book to be very interesting. Usually, we associate martial arts with eastern cultures. Sometimes, we forget that the world only became orderly and civilized quite recently. Some may argue that parts of the world are still lawless today. But the important concept to remember is that during times when the rule of law is weak, or non-existent, people had to be able to defend themselves and their property. It would then make sense that part of one's education is to learn how to fight. Granted that formal training in the fighting arts were reserved for those classes of people who were selected to uphold the law and maintain peace, as well as those in the military. This book was written by a medieval military instructor, Hans Talhoffer. It reads almost like a manual, despite the lack of explanations and clarifications.

The book illustrates attacks, defenses, and counters. After reading the book, you will realize what should have been obvious: European states had a very developed martial arts during the medieval times. After all, they had a class of people who were devoted to fighting. The knights were not simple men in armor who simply hacked and slashed.

The book is a fighting manual. Therefore, a modern-day couch potato such as myself would have some difficulty understanding a lot of the concepts. Talhoffer intended his book to be read by fighting men, after all. He never could have anticipated that his book would survive hundreds of years later, to be read by people who have never had to engage in combat. The book must be evaluated with respects to the time, and the audience, for whom it was written.

This book should be a part of a medieval historian's collection. I also recommend this to anyone who is interested in the martial arts. Reading this book reminded me of the fictional character from Highlander, Connor McLeod. Surely, some of the Highlander's moves must have come from Talhoffer!

Astounding insight into Medieval martial arts!.......2006-08-18

For years, I have searched for a book like this. In my studies, I had read that Medieval combat guilds recorded their knowledge in manuals. Finally, someone has published a translation! I have studied Japanese and Korean martial-arts since I was young, and through my various readings on the subject of martial-arts in general, I became aware that Europe also had a complex and varied heritage of combat arts. Sadly, these went into neglect with the changes in warfare and society, but were never completely forgotten.
Inside you will see graphic demonstrations of fighting skills, both basic and advanced, for a variety of common Medieval weapons. You will see some truly unconventional uses of the sword, such as using a hand to grip the blade in order to wield it like a spear, gripping the blade with both hands to wield it like a warhammer, the quillions and pommel being used as the hammer. I am certain that heavy gloves or gauntlets were worn when utilizing a sword in this manner. There is also an extensive section on grappling, many of the techniques portrayed are identical to throws and joint-locks you will learn in Jujutsu or Judo.
One of the most interesting sections features skills for fighting judicial-duels, a concept that should be revived! Certainly this would dissuade a vast majority of insolent litigious knaves from making a mockery of our modern courts!Some of these formalized duels utilized weapons unique to the event, such as duelling shields. There is a section on judicial duels between man and woman, that must have been quite hilarious to see, that is, if no one were actually a fatality. Within this book, you will also find a section on skills for mounted combat.
In general, this book is more evidence that Medieval people were far more complex than our vapid pop-culture would have you believe. I hope and pray more Medieval and Renaissance texts like this will be translated and made available for our study. Much glory to the translator!

Close Combat: Inside Moves (EU-Inside Moves)

Average customer rating:

Close Combat: Inside Moves (EU-Inside Moves)
William R. Trotter , and Robert Lock
Manufacturer: Microsoft Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1572313080

Amazon.com

Close Combat's ability to model the psychology of individual soldiers and make them act accordingly raises this Battle of Normandy simulation above other war games. Trotter guides you through the decisions you'll face and their likely effect on your army's psychological as well as tactical situation. Besides being a first-rate playing guide, the book makes the invasion palpable as it draws from history to provide insights into the simulation. Sections could almost be lessons in real combat leadership. A big plus is the interview with Dr. Steven Silver, the combat-related trauma specialist who helped design the psychological assessment engine.

CQB (Close Quarters Battle): A Guide to Unarmed Combat and Close Quarter Shooting (Close Quarters Battle)

Average customer rating:

good book but seen better
The Best Open souce CQB book on the market
Review of CQB
Unrealistic and vague
Need supplement

CQB (Close Quarters Battle): A Guide to Unarmed Combat and Close Quarter Shooting (Close Quarters Battle)
Mark V. Lonsdale
Manufacturer: Specialized Tactical Training Unit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 093923503X

Customer Reviews:

good book but seen better.......2006-04-16

It explains the basic of close quarter battles but is lacking on details

The Best Open souce CQB book on the market.......2006-03-23

Mr. Lonsdale has compiled some of the best CQB techniques being used on the street today. Many techniques are still in the classified realm. This book is a fine text book to use with any local police, or sheriffs. Lonsdale has compiled some of the best CQB techniques being used on the street today. Many techniques are still in the classified realm. This book is a fine text book to use with any local police, or sheriffs department in order to use as a class book for ramping up a special applications team.

He uses step by step pictures to help the reader in understanding some of the more difficult department in order to use as a class book for ramping up a special applications team.

He uses step by step pictures to help the reader in understanding some of the more complicated techniques. The book is written from an operator's point of view. Mr. Lonsdale's years of experience shine through in all of his writings.

Review of CQB.......2006-03-04

I found the book to be an accurate outline of the basic theory of CQB. It touches on all the major considerations without going into any one subject in-depth. If you are looking for a point of reference to get a serious study underway, then this is a good place to start.

It seems to be a book written in such a fashion as to promote the other books in the series, which sort of turned me off because there wasn't as much "meat on the bones" as there could have been. The book continually refers to other titles by the same author which cover the topics at greater length.

If you have a good knowledge base in CQB, I would recommend skipping this title and moving directly to the more focused titles from this author.

Unrealistic and vague.......2003-12-10

The best thing in this book is the paper it is printed on; it's semi-glossy and heavy, giving some expectation of quality. The second best thing is that there is surprisingly little text, because some 1/3 of the pages are filled with photos. The fact that this is good news, tells something about the quality of the text.

To start with, the entire idea of presenting the "fighting secrets" of special operations forces in a 200-page book is somewhat absurd, especially considering that the author assumes that the reader does not know virtually nothing about the subject. The techniques presented here are unrealistic in the real world, to a large extent. And finally, the author speaks way too vaguely of the issues he presents, so that you really don't have a chance to learn anything.

The main part of the book concentrates on close combat. Significant amount of these pages is devoted to series of photographs. The photos are supposed to present several unarmed and armed close combat techniques, but they are so small and unclear that you are hard-pressed to figure out what they are depicting. But that's good, because you don't want to learn these techniques, anyway. One amusing thing caught my eye: The author stresses that it is imperative to train in full gear, and carry all the equipment you would be carrying in a real situatoin (that is true, but it is also self-evident). But in about half of the pictures, the guys are wearing karate uniforms!

The reason I bought this book was that I expected to find something on close-quarters shooting. Granted, about the last third of the book is devoted to the subject, but there really is not anything, exept for a total beginner. And for a beginner, there are far better books around.

One thing that especially annoyed me was that the author uses military jargon, apparently to get some credibility. That is the only justification for most of the jargon, as the book is filled with examples like "Any operation in the continental United States (CONUS), that ends in a shooting...", that being the only use of term CONUS in the text. The reason people use abbrevations is to save time and space with frequently used terms, which is not the case with examples like these.

I would recommend this book to a pre-adolescent boy, who wants to impress his pals by how much he knows about guns and real-life combat. If that description does not fit you, stay away from this book.

Need supplement.......2001-11-17

In depth study of individual CQB skills. Good info and training on firearms, but not detailed enough on CQB movements and searching skills .Best to be read with another STTU books in hand.

Average customer rating:

Close Combat and Hand to Hand Fighting

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HXIR1Y

The Close-Combat Files of Colonel Rex Applegate

Average customer rating:

a must have
Excellent souce of WWII vintage information
Great Historic Information on Close Combat
Hand-to-hand combat in the postmodern world
Bait and Switch

The Close-Combat Files of Colonel Rex Applegate
Rex Applegate , Chuck Melson , Col. Rex Applegate , and Maj. Chuck Melson
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0873649982

Book Description

This is the remarkable story of how Col. Rex Applegate, William Fairbairn, Eric Sykes and Wild Bill Donovan trained and employed OSS and MID commandos during WWII. Includes the facts behind the development of point shooting, knife fighting, hand-to-hand combat and a staggering number of other fighting skills as taught by the top instructors of the era. Contains rare archival photos and the Colonel's graphic original lesson plans.

Customer Reviews:

a must have.......2007-09-14

this book is a a must have for anyone wanting to survive a violent encounter.anything by rex applegate or william fairbairn is the BEST of its kind ever put on paper.these two great great men and true combat masters
easily deserve the respect and adulation given to the eastern martial arts masters by so many people....buy this book!!!

Excellent souce of WWII vintage information.......2005-10-24

An excellent book overall and a welcome addition to any library featuring special operations and espionage during World War II and/or the works of Col. Applegate. I found the vintage photographs of training in Maryland to be especially interesting. Overall, I would reccommend this book to anyone with interest in these areas.

Great Historic Information on Close Combat.......2002-05-14

This book provides a great history of the development of close combat by Applegate and his contemporaries. It is a wonderful combination of original "lesson plans" with well-documented historical details and photographs about the people and events that lead to the ideas contained in those lesson plans. There is also some good follow-up on what happened to these concepts after WWII.

This is a great historic document, however I think that the author could have done several relatively small things that would have added a great deal to making the book more "user friendly". First, a glossary would have been nice. There are many acronyms; I would have liked a central place to look them up and also read a few basic details about the related organizations (and people) that were not provided in the main text. Second, a time-line would have been awesome because it could have summarized the information in the book and could also have offered additional (brief) details on Applegate's life and/or the lives of his contemporaries. Finally, some minor editing could have removed some redundant material and left room for my previous suggestions.

Hand-to-hand combat in the postmodern world.......2002-03-11

Chuck Melson's book on the late Col. Rex Applegate should be read and absorbed by those in our military who are enamoured with the Asian martial arts and are trying to hoist them on our soldiers. Unfortuanately, these imports are based on fine motor skills, which are lost under the stress of combat, and will get our people killed. Instead, as the book demonstrates, we have a successful system developed by Col. Applegate whic is simple, effective and easy to learn. Applegate developed this system for our OSS and Melson's book not only documents the developmental process, but lays out Applegate's training syllabus as well. Instead of spending millions to develop "new" hand-to-hand combat sysytems, our military could save money, and provide valuable training by simply purchasing this book.

Bait and Switch.......2001-11-22

This is not a book for the novice to learn basic self defense techniques. There are only two pictures on self defense. The rest is written. You have to already know the techniques to know what he is talking about, in which case you don't need this book. It is mostly a book about Applegate's days in the O.S.S. and how they trained. What I really don't like is the way it was falsly advertised as a book to learn the few basic techniques needed for self defense, when this is not the case at all. It is way over priced for the content.

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Close Combat and Hand to Hand Fighting
U.S. Marine Corps
Manufacturer: Pentagon Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

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ASIN: 1601700008

Product Description

Fleet Marine Forces Manual provides the methodology & techniques of the Marine Corps system of Close Combat (MCSOCC). The MCSOCC uses a specific system to teach Marines the skills required to defeat an opponent in close combat. This manual addresses close combat fundamentals, the linear in-fighting neural-overide engagement (line) program, bayonet fighting and weapons opportunity.

A Guide to Unarmed Combat and Close Quarter Shooting

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A Guide to Unarmed Combat and Close Quarter Shooting

Manufacturer: CQB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739402439

Product Description

6th Printing

Close-Quarter Combat: A Soldier's Guide To Hand-To-Hand Fighting

Average customer rating:

Don't Believe the Hype
Superb - A wide variety of essential techniques.
Outstanding Book!
Fantastic
CQC

Close-Quarter Combat: A Soldier's Guide To Hand-To-Hand Fighting
Leonard Holifield
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0873649249

Book Description

This shocking manual takes you through the army's close-quarter combat system as taught by its master instructor. Find out how to break a man's arm after disarming him, do a bad guy with a bayonet or entrenching tool and many more battlefield techniques. For academic study only.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Believe the Hype.......2006-10-05

While this book is a good general overview of unarmed combat techniques, it lacks specificity and the illustrated techniques can be learned in any credible martial arts dojo. The author's credibility is also questionable, as the U.S. Army Combatives School at Fort Benning, Georgia does not teach any of what he espouses here. Also,his claims of having been the chief instructor for the U.S. Army and for the 2d Infantry Division and 8th Army in the ROK and other areas is not what I remember nor do any of my service compatriots. What is in the book is not what Special Operators or infantrymen are taught. While Mr. Holifield may be an accomplished fighter by his own account,the book raises many doubts as to the usefulness of its content.I would recommend it to beginners only as a reference.

Superb - A wide variety of essential techniques........2006-01-13

I've studied several martial arts for a little over six years. Not too long compared to most, but enough to get a pretty decent standing in the world of martial arts. This book takes very simple techniques, and breaks them down so simply that a beginner could almost pick them up immediately.

This book covers knife defenses, handgun defenses, defense using objects you'll find around your camp/in your rucksack, as well as offensive and defensive tactics using your M-16 as well as the M-16 with a bayonet. This is perfect for all military personnel looking for combat effective techniques that you can pickup quickly, and do not rely on strength, nor require loose clothing to execute them. (Full combat gear, BDU's, kevlar, LBE's will work fine with nearly all of them)

It also talks about philosophies on various aspects of combat, relating the military and martial arts as almost a single unit. I'd recommend this book to ANYONE looking for direct, useful material.

Outstanding Book!.......2005-03-10

I just came off a 9 month tour in Iraq and decided to look into some training material on hand to hand combat to share with my men when I return to Iraq. Holifield's name had come up in previous discussions regarding close combat training so I decided to purchase his book and videos upon my return. For those of you who may be unsure about purchasing this book due to some negative reviews, don't be swayed! From my point of view, the book was written as a basic guide to close quarter combat, and targeted for the average foot soldier (not so much spec ops). In that regard the book is perfect! It breaks down each move and is laid out in a easy to understand format. His video series on the other hand is unreal! He is a dangerous man and knows what the hell he's talking about. If you go to war and meet the enemy face-to-face, you want Holifield with you for sure!!! Buy the book for the basics and the video to finish the job!

Fantastic.......2005-02-25

Believe it or not, this book is all you need. It's helped me out in many situations including aprehending suspects, hostage situations, and much more actually. I wasn't expecting something this good. The pictures add to the easiness of understanding it and applying it to real life. This book was definitely WELL worth the buy.

CQC.......2005-02-15

I think it is important to point out that while gnerally speaking most special forces soldiers and others of the like who have been trained in cqc utilize these techniques with knives, bayonets etc, very rarely does one need to use hands exclusively, even sentry stalking is done with a knife.

Overall I have to agree with the seemingly uneducated and poorly spelled reviews here. From the perspective of someone who trains hand to hanb combat exclusively, this book will appear quite remedial, remember this is written for soldiers who are not in special forces and do not have acess to a cqc course, general army is not taught hand to hand, except for basic rifle bayonet drills and knife drills. If you want to get skilled as a fighter I suggest you read Rex applegates books on knife fighting and shooting, and for purely hand to hand read Jack Dempsey's how to fight tough, look Professor Hollifield may be known throughout the army but in my experience it is usually the most famous guy who sucks the most, remember Jack Dempsey was once the world heavyweight champion he is the man mike tyson based his fighting style on, you telling me this Professor hollifield could take jack dempsey, me thinks not.

Up Close And Personal: The Reality of Close-quarter Fighting in World War II

Average customer rating:

Collection of first-hand accounts
Mostly British recounts of WWII
A Major Contribution to the Field!

Up Close And Personal: The Reality of Close-quarter Fighting in World War II
David Lee
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 159114907X

Book Description

All major theaters are covered and each action is analyzed in this detailed look at what it was really like to fight at the sharp end during World War II. While some authorities maintain that only twenty-five percent of all combat soldiers fired their weapons at the enemy because of the innate human reluctance to take another's life, and others take the view that soldiers enjoy killing, the author of this book argues that combat is far more complex than either of these statements imply.

David Lee contends that a unit's success in battle is the result of the type of training it received. His analysis includes a careful examination of the weapons and tactics of each action. He describes what happened, for example, when a battalion of ordinary British soldiers trained in the traditional manner came up against the Waffen SS, whose training was formidable and bore close resemblance to the Commandos. Then he looks at how a rifle battalion held the sniper position against overwhelming odds in the desert war but was nearly wiped out when it went to Italy. Finally, using material gathered by General Marshall and his team of combat historians, he tells the story of a U.S. infantry regiment on D-Day. This revealing and absorbing account of the terror and excitement of close-quarter combat takes the reader directly into the heat of battle.

Customer Reviews:

Collection of first-hand accounts.......2006-12-08

When you get down to it, this book is only a collection of first-hand combat accounts. The author tries to tie them together by relating them to training and combat conditioning, but it is merely a very thin veneer to dress up a simple oral history collection. Viewed as such, the book isn't bad, but also nothing particularly special and certainly nothing new.

Mostly British recounts of WWII.......2006-09-04

Lee's book compiles firsthand accounts of (mostly British) front line soldiers' experiences in WWII.

Basing the book on a loose premise that training and operant conditioning may be key to an infantry force's effectiveness, Lee chronicles Fairbairn Sykes style commando training and its results, as well as examples of less "elite" infantry forces and the conditions that enabled them to fail or succeed (such as the quality of their leadership).

Excellent book for conveying soldiers' firsthand experiences; however, it subsumes the thesis of operant conditioning's role in combat, focusing more on material taken from soldiers' journals and interviews than on psychological theories.

Choice of Waffen SS soldiers on the book cover may have been less appropriate than a photo of British commandos, as the Allied to German ratio of material is much higher.

A Major Contribution to the Field!.......2006-06-04

"Up Close and Personal: The Reality of Close-Quarter Fighting in World War II" by David Lee is one of the best, and most informative books I have read in a very long time.

For students of close combat, and combat training, this book is absolutely vital. For fans of WWII it is the most important book this year. For those who value personal combat narratives, this is an jam-packed gem of a book.

The author's key contribution is to demonstrate (with powerful first person narratives) the various firing rates of units in WWII, and to demonstrate the advantage of the kind of training (ie, modern style conditioning) that British Commando and American Ranger units recieved.

A must have for the library of any student of combat, any law enforcement trainer, or anyone in the military today.

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