Bren Gun Carrier. Britain's Universal War Machine. Robert Jackson. Imprint: Pen & Sword Military Series: Land Craft Pages: 64 Illustrations: 200 ISBN: 9781526746436 Published: 7th October 2019 Another in the Land Craft series hits the doormat. Not everyone has Nigel Watson's excellent 3 volume set on Carriers to hand he said, smugly, & they've apparently reached stratospheric second-hand prices, so there should always be a place for more publications on this frankly fascinating machine. I know the series is aimed specifically at modellers, and this one probably hits a mark on that, but it's a bit thin when compared to some others in the Land/Tank Craft series. Mr J seems to be a prolific author, mostly on Aviation stuff. Can't comment on the quality there, but this feels a bit like a jobbing writer being shipped in to make a book, rather than someone with a real appreciation of the subject. The history & variants sections are pretty sketchy (a page of the two pages on development devoted to the Bren Gun), and if it weren't for some very pleasing Computer-generated 3D views the 'In Detail' segment could be dismissed as 'Seven photographs & no real detail'. We've got those weird 'MS Paint' illustrations in the Camo & Markings section, which essentially tells you 'they were mostly green &/or black, though the Germans had more imagination & Caunter is possible'. How you can do a modelling book on Carriers & not have one illustrated anywhere in Malta Stone Wall is really quite puzzling. The 'In Service & In Action' section is more thorough, and quite well-illustrated, though there's nothing in the pictures to interest the dedicated nerd. (Had never seen a shot with a 'Wikipedia Commons' citation in a printed book before. Bit like saying 'Psst. Look on the Internet. There's a lot on this machine.') Where the book does get a chance to shine is in the modelling section. Very high quality of finished kits, and the individual manufacturer reviews are solid. He's either a modeller himself or has grasped the target market & put a lot more effort into this section. I like that international contemporary light machines are given a nod at book's end. All printing & photo reproduction is very high. We seem to be in a good age for physical print quality. I get it. I'm a nerd. And my modelling these days consists largely of getting a kit from the loft - staring at it for a week - then sheepishly putting it back while muttering 'need new glasses' or some other weak excuse. This title's not really aimed directly at me, but... a smidge more effort on the history & development of Carriers beyond this rather thin Wiki-ish soup could have saved the thing. Modellers like camo illustration inspiration too, and this falls short on that important score. It's a very heavily-illustrated magazine. Which might not necessarily disappoint if that's what you're after. For the Technical history crowd: If you have more money than sense, or a time machine - get Nigel Watson's books. If you want a pretty thorough survey of Carriers & such for a more acceptable price, try Chamberlain & Ellis's 'Making Tracks. British Carrier Story 1914-1972'. It's 46 years old, but remains very useful.. Cheers to P&S for the review copy. ~A
Having looked up 'Making Tracks' on Abe... Try not to pay c.£20 for it. Disappointment may ensue at an Osprey-sized (if densely-illustrated & solid) rather ancient book. It does turn up on ebay for more appropriate prices & I've see it on charity & secondhand shelves for a quid or two. Save that £20 for Mr Knight etc. Eg. Starting at c.£4.50. Making Tracks-British Carrier Story 1914-1972 P Chamberlain C Ellis | eBay The market rules, though. Intrigued as to whether it shoots up.