Zenith Press

M2/M3 Bradley at War

by  Michael Green and James D Brown

Reviewed By  Jim Pearsall, IPMS# 2209

MSRP: $19.95 ISBN: 0760325235 Review copy courtesy of Zenith Press (www.zenithpress.com). Format: Softbound; Pages: 128; Length: 8.25 w x 10.63 h Zenith Publishing has a series of books styled "At War". Currently there are titles covering the M-1 Abrams and the HMMWV (There are too many M numbers to mention them all!) and now the M2/M3 Bradley. If you're expecting a short evening of light reading and looking at the pictures, you're underestimating the depth of coverage this book provides. The writing is moderately technical, as befits a serious study of a modern vehicle. The pictures are gems, with good captioning to explain what's being shown. So prepare to do some serious reading. Then look at all those gorgeous, well lit, nicely composed, detail oriented, and interesting pictures. Chapter 1 covers the background thoroughly; why the Army needed a replacement for the M113, the development of a couple of "great ideas that won't work" vehicles, and then the development of the Bradley concept, from drawing board to casting aluminum armor. The authors are familiar with a lot of the "back story" on the M2/M3, so there's a section on what was tried and didn't work, the problems, and the ultimate workarounds and solutions. This chapter goes a long way to explain why the Bradley is currently different from the prototypes, and how it has evolved due to combat experience. Chapter 2 is a system-by-system description of the Bradley. Included are gorgeous color cutaways showing where the various black boxes, controls and crew are stuffed into the hull. It also shows the engine compartment and transmission very nicely, in case you want to open up that big hatch in the front and do some really AMS satisfying detailing. Or perhaps those torsion bars, like those found on the Porsche turret Tiger. Chapter 3 is all about the gun. Well, guns. And the TOW missile, which makes the Bradley's survival in tank country more likely. The 25mm chain gun is a fearsome weapon, and there are "there I was" stories included from Iraq which detail how well the gun works, and how effective it is in close combat. Quoting from Staff Sergeant Dillard Johnson's excerpt, which is much more complete in the book: "I then fired four rounds of 25mm HE into the truck. This caused the truck to break in half and burst into flames." Chapter 4, Protection, Derivatives, and Variants covers the threats the Bradley has encountered (RPG 7s; Spigot and Spandrel ATGMs and BTR 60s lead the list) and how the armor has evolved to counter threats. The ERA (External Reactive Armor) has been applied to most Bradleys, which are exposed to RPG 7s in Iraq. There's enough technical stuff in there, with pictures, to qualify you as a RPG operator, if you're so inclined. I didn't realize that the MLRS system is built on a Bradley chassis. OK, I was Air Guard, and sometimes these things slip past me. Overall Assessment This is a useful book which taught me a lot about the Bradley and its' deployment in Iraq. It's not one you pick up and leaf through, it has to be read. The data is in there, you have to dig it out. But once you've read it once, you'll find a wealth of information which you can use on your Bradley model. One useful detail I picked up is the Urban Survivability Kit, which includes two loops of non-conducting rod over the turret. These are to prevent drooping overhead power lines from coming in contact with the crew or vehicle. A personal note. My daughter works for FMC Corporation. When she started with the company, they were just fielding the Bradley. Since then, the company has sold off the AFV portion of the company to BAE, which used to be British Aerospace. Since my daughter is a chemist, she still works for FMC, but they're out of the AFV business. Highly Recommended. No AMS sufferer, or modern armor enthusiast, who is contemplating the construction of a Bradley should pass this book up. It's reasonably priced, and you get a lot of gee-whiz background and historical perspective that you probably won't find in the picture books.

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