Darkest Hour
Bruce Gamble
Zenith Press
304 pages, $39.95
Volume 11, No. 55, November 02, 2006

Darkest Hour is the true story of 1400 Australian soldiers who were overrun by 20,000 Japanese marines in the city of Rabaul, during World War Two. The members of the Australian Lark Force were tasked to fortify and defend Rabaul and had settled into the routine of garrison duties when on January 23, 1942 they were invaded by a huge Japanese force. The book was put together with the assistance of survivors. Easy to read and hard to put down.

– Cpl Andrew Hetherington

THIS book is an academic look at the significant contribution the 1st Polish Armoured Division made to WWII. It is well illustrated with photos and maps, but the text layout is poor, making it difficult to digest for some readers.

Author Evan McGilvray first heard of the Polish Armoured Division from neighbour Antoni Polozynski and has translated Polish sources to give an authentic flavour to the book.

The campaign diary of Polish reconnaissance regiment 10th Mounted Rifles was used extensively and McGilvray has cross-referenced some aspects with Western sources.

The Black Devil’s March (so named by the Germans after the black coat worn by Gen Maczek) is thorough and insightful, providing military history enthusiasts with a different view of WWII.
– Cpl Mike McSweeney

FILM producer, writer, historian and former US Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar claims he is only providing a glimpse into Ranger history in his 300+ page book. Nevertheless, he dedicates more than 50 pages to pre-1974 Ranger history, before focusing on the period after this date. Shadow Warriors hits the mark by providing enough information without getting bogged down in detail. The Ranger Regiment is described in the book as the US Army’s premier infantry unit.

Bahmanyar makes good use of first-hand accounts from other Rangers in the book to illustrate aspects of history.

Shadow Warriors is packed with information but is an honest, interesting and easy read. The book is well laid out, illustrated, and contains extensive annexes detailing honour rolls and unit structures. Break-out boxes are also used well to provide extra information, such as the Rangers’ creed. Shadow Warriors. A history of the US Army Rangers is well worth the read for any soldier or military enthusiast.

– Cpl Mike McSweeney

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