I loved this book from the first time I picked it up. In my teen years I read a lot of Tom Clancy so I was pretty well up to speed on 1980's weapon systems, and since I'd already ground through Red Storm Rising I thought I knew what I was in for here.I was mistaken.Red Army is not Red Storm Rising. In fact it's almost the anti-techno thriller, never getting bogged down in technology porn because sometimes a tank is just a tank. The focus is squarely, emphatically, on the characters, every one of whom is a real, relatable person who we want to see come out of this hellish experience alive. The story is driven by the impact of World War III on the minds and bodies of real people, and that's a very different kind of storytelling.Being told from the Soviet point of view, it is also mercifully free of flag-waving Americans and their corny "Helluva thing, Mike" dialogue that infest most novels of this type. Instead we get the carefully chosen words of our officer-and-a-gentleman General Malinsky, the man charged with planning a full-scale invasion of West Germany. We get the hopefulness of Bezarin, whose ruthless capability and naivete make him feel like someone we could actually meet in the real world. We also get more repulsive creatures like Starukhin, the bully with the command tent, whose personal hatred for the Jewish staff officer Chibisov corrupts everything they achieve together.It's a product of its time, having been written at the same time Rumsfeld was giving his infamous "They've been busy" speeches about the largely imagined power of the Soviet military. It was also unfortunate to be released in 1989, just as the Soviet Union was beginning its great breakup (although I think we're all glad it was never vindicated by history). And ultimately its blitzkrieg-on-steroids portrayal of Deep Operations was proven flawed by Desert Storm, where it turned out Clancy was right about the power and flexibility of modern defenses. But still... it's a vividly real picture of war in the (almost) modern era, contrasting the burning tanks and attrition of the fast-moving front with the traffic control disasters being faced by the high command, and at the climax, a chillingly sensible discussion of what to do if the battlefield goes nuclear.So if you're after another techno-thriller, this ain't it. But if you're after a moving, tragic story of the human cost of war, or maybe a slice of alternate history, Red Army is brilliant.
Easily one of the best written and researched books of all the World War Three scenarios. Ralph Peters is very clear about the reasons why he is writing his book as a way to bring to life the many things he learned while studying the habits, theories, and lives of Soviet military officers. Furthermore, like many of the other books this too is a call to arms for the countries of NATO, though instead of making the point made by countless others, he seems to express concern at the political weaknes
What do You think about Red Army (1990)?
Elham wrote: "I like to read whatever about Russia! thanks for the review!Added!"Although the book is about the cold war era, it's basically not about Russia. Of course all the characters are Russian. If you like military science, then you'll love this book. This is a technical war novel. Just wanted to warn you about that. :DYou're very welcome. :)
—Saman
A worthwhile read!An excellent in-depth account of the war that never happened from the point-of-view of the Red Army. Ralph Peters takes the reader through a range of personal accounts of the war presenting both military-technical as well as cultural-personal aspects of a Warsaw Pact invasion on the European central front. Peters eloquently portraits the moral, mental, and physical aspects from the point-of-view of the front commander down to the individual motor-rifleman tagging along in his BMP. At the same time Ralph Peters drives home an excellent point about NATO cohesion and doctrinal challenges - which are as relevant today as back then.At the macro level the book demonstrates easily digestible insights into Soviet military-science and the execution of deep battle as envisioned by Tukhachevsky. For a deeper insight into the execution of maneuver warfare the reader is suggested to consult: Leonhard, Robert R. The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Airland Battle. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1994. In addition, a brief google search will reveal a range of excellent cold-war documents on both Soviet deep battle and the situation on the European central front in the 1980's.
—Mikkel
I read this in high school, probably after I discovered Tom Clancy and was really into military thrillers. I still remember this book years later because it wasn't just cut-and-dry battle plans or over-the-top descriptions of planes, tanks, and bombs. The book focuses on a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany through the eyes of some memorable characters (mostly on the Soviet side from what I remember), like the inexperienced commander suffering from some illness (cowardice?). The book in the end was fairly anti-war, unlike most of the genre. Worth a second look.
—Eliot Boden
