Zenith Press

Battle Rattle: The Stuff a Soldier Carries

by  Hans Halberstadt

Reviewed By  Robert Morales, IPMS# 31535

MSRP: $24.95 ISBN: 13-978-0-7603-2622-0 128 pages, 167 full color photographs As long as there have been soldiers, there has always been a need for them to carry their weapons and accoutrements with them. Modern American soldiers have mastered the fine art of bringing everything including the kitchen sink to war. Today's warriors have at their disposal an incredible amount of gear and a variety of ways to carry it all. The past few years have seen a major change in not only what service members wear but in how the development and procurement processes have evolved. Battle Dress Uniforms are being replaced by ACUs or MARPATs, Kevlar helmets have evolved into MICH covers, Load Bearing Equipment is evolving into MOLLE gear, personal weapons have advanced optics and improved suppressors … well, you get the idea. This hardcover volume offers a snapshot of American infantry uniforms and equipment of the Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom era. Modern figure modelers will find this book a neat addition to their reference libraries. Items of interest include the crisp, clear images of new uniform patterns, new weapons and gear, including some sourced from the civilian adventure market. Figure modelers who are benefiting from the release of several new OIF/OEF figures on the market from manufacturers and figure sculptors themselves will find this book to be a welcome reference, as will modern armor guys adding crew gear to their bustle racks. Although thousands of pictures are available from the Internet, nothing can beat big, clear photographs from a book. The text, while informative, does not mire the reader in what can be dry information. I highly recommend this book to figure modelers and anyone with an interest in military uniforms and equipment. The variety of images and detailed shots of newer equipment in 8-1/2 x 11 format clearly illustrate these items for the modeler. Thank you to Zenith Press for the review copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will eagerly utilize this reference on my modern G.I. figures. This book is available from various book retailers, or online directly from Zenith Press at www.zenithpress.com.

About the Reviewer: Robert Morales is the treasurer of IPMS/Marietta Scale Modelers in Marietta, GA.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.