Counter-Factual Fiction Books - NATO vs. Russia/WW3

[JohnSmith]

Yes, a slightly different topic here!

Obviously we all share an interest in naval and military history/simulations, so I thought why not also share our book interests within this topic.

Ever since reading Red Storm Rising (which I'm sure everybody here has read, if not get it!), I've been an avid fan of the techno-thriller genre, and more specifically 'counter-factual history'/current events.

So can anybody recommend any books on a 'WW3' or USSR/Russia vs NATO type conflict in the modern day/and or cold war era? Would love to hear opinions!

[deepdive]

Apart from Tom Clancy`s Red Storm and Hunt for Red October i recomend;

"Hostile Waters" by Peter Huchthausen, Igor Kurdin and Alan White.

"Typhoon" by Robin White.

"Submarine" by John Wingate.

"Blind mans bluff" by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew.

"Raise the Red Dawn" by Bart Davis, This last one really boiled my blood.

Bjørn

[blh42]

"DEFCON 1" by Joe Weber

[Sardaukar]

More land warfare-oriented:

Harold Coyle: Team Yankee

http://www.amazon.com/Team-Yankee-Harol ... 0425110427

Ralph Peters: Red Army

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Army-Ralph-Pe ... 260&sr=1-1

[jdkbph]

Aside from those already mentioned....

General Sir John Hackett's The Third World War is interesting. A somewhat dry read but (supposedly) very accurate technically.

I also mentioned The Sixth Battle by Barrett Tillman in another thread.

And one I haven't read but would like to if I can find it in some sort of e-book format is The War that Never Was by Michael A. Palmer.

JD

[JohnSmith]

ORIGINAL: jdkbph

Aside from those already mentioned....

General Sir John Hackett's The Third World War is interesting. A somewhat dry read but (supposedly) very accurate technically.

I also mentioned The Sixth Battle by Barrett Tillman in another thread.

And one I haven't read but would like to if I can find it in some sort of e-book format is The War that Never Was by Michael A. Palmer.

JD

The Sixth Battle sounds like an interesting read! I'll definitely be sure to check it out! Cheers!

[GBOATZ]

Warhead by Robert F. Baker (Jun 1981) -
Day of the Cheetah is a 1989 -Dale Brown
Flight of the Old Dog Dale Brown 1987 (I also have the Megafortress game that was created from the book)

[NakedWeasel]

I've never read it, as it is a bit difficult to find, but I have heard more 'pooner's and grognards of our ilk suggest the Sixth Battle even more than Clancy, and Bond.

[Gunner98]

Larry Bond has quite a few, have read some of his older stuff, Red Phoenix, Cauldron etc. He wrote the naval battle scenes in Red Storm Rising. He also invented or was instrumental in the original Harpoon board game - yes cardboard miniatures, rulers etc, can you imagine! He apparently used Harpoon to model many of the battle scenes he describes in his books.

Here is the web page, he has quite a few new ones which I haven't read, but the older ones are well worth your time. http://www.larry-bond.com/books.htm

B

[NakedWeasel]

Yeah, back in the late 90's, a bunch of us Harpooner's appealed to both Bond and Clancy for their input, and their blessing in allowing us to recreate their stories as Harpoon scenarios. As I remember it, Bond did not respond to our request, and Tom Clancy replied with a rather terse, "No. Develop your own content." I was rather put out with Clancy over this.

[NickD]

Arc Light by Eric L. Harry covers a limited nuclear war between the US and post-Soviet Russia which is followed by a full-scale NATO invasion of Russia. It's pretty good read if you can swallow the storyline (which gets rather silly once NATO forces cross the Russian border), though there isn't much on naval combat from memory. The coverage of the nuclear war is rather chilling.

While not a work of fiction, Peter Hennessy's book The Secret State provides some fascinating - and terrifying - accounts of the British government's plans for fighting a nuclear war with the USSR in the period between the 1950s and 1970s.

[DeltaIV]

All the books I'v read and consider important were already mentioned. There's also a bunch of Russian authors that wrote books on this topic (and were also translated to English), i will post the names after i find them in the attic.

Also note that the classic "Red Storm Rising" was co-authored by the Larry Bond and i think that these epic air/naval combats were actually his product/design. I've read some other Clancy's books and didn't consider them that much interesting. Red Storm is actually only one that i've kept.

[GBOATZ]

I've mentioned this title before and believe it would be perfect for a scenario for Command:

"Warhead by Robert F. Baker (Jun 1981)"

Premise: Navy Boomer is en route home from a patrol when their families aboard a plane are hi-jacked to a soviet sponsored middle eastern client who demands the release of certain political prisoners and lands the plane near a Soviet military base. Soviets seem to drag their feet at either offering assistance or allowing American Delta force to land a rescue contingent on soviet soil. Frustrated and fed up when the terrorist start killing airline passengers to show their resolve, the Captain of the Boomer, who's wife and kids are among the hostages tells the Soviets, either allow American Delta Force to land or they will target a Soviet city for annihilation. The American President, U.S. military leadership, US Ambassador and even most of the boomers crew as well as the Soviets are appalled at this reaction! Despite the protests from all directions, the Boomer captain and most of his tactical crew are adamant and willing to suffer the consequences to save their families. Some negotiation is begun but a number of Russian hard liners suddenly see in this situation a way to test their ability to defeat an American Boomer as they have determined the boomers approximate location from their broadcasts and has sent a task force to intercept it! The American President warns the Soviets that it would be a mistake as the boomer is very able to protect itself and people will be hurt! The Soviets ignore his warning and bear down on the boomer with their task force! What happens next? Who wins the naval battle? And what of the hostages? [:-] [:-] Gotta read the book to find out! [:D]

[tommo8993]

The cold war trilogy by Harvey Black.

The Red effect, The Black effect and The Blue effect.

Focused on a war gone hot in 1984, mainly focuses on the British army, very detailed, very descriptive and a real page turner.

[Werewolf13]

ORIGINAL: NakedWeasel

I've never read it, as it is a bit difficult to find, but I have heard more 'pooner's and grognards of our ilk suggest the Sixth Battle even more than Clancy, and Bond.

You can find it here: But it WILL cost you - selling at a premium it seems.

The Sixth Battle

[chrisol]

Just thinking, I'm sure I didn't pay much for The Sixth Battle when I picked it up recently...

...oh, I see

[:)]

Chris

[SSN754planker]

Ive read every book mentioned in this thread and "The War That Never Was" still tops them all. It is just that good.

[hawkeye_de]

Has somebody already read the 'Fourth Crisis', The battle for Taiwan? http://www.amazon.de/Fourth-Crisis-The-Battle-Taiwan-ebook/dp/B00B1MR7P2/ref=pd_sim_kinc_8?ie=UTF8&refRID=1S3B8PBJQ4A6VJDNN3M2

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: Werewolf1326

ORIGINAL: NakedWeasel

I've never read it, as it is a bit difficult to find, but I have heard more 'pooner's and grognards of our ilk suggest the Sixth Battle even more than Clancy, and Bond.

You can find it here: But it WILL cost you - selling at a premium it seems.

The Sixth Battle

One of the books I have read several times. Well written.

[chesmart]

Can recommend both the sixth battle and the war that never was. The latter is particularly addictive to harpoon players and is brill