ME Ranger related, but OT or other genre materials

[Beornmann]

A few weeks ago at the beach, I read Robert E. Howard’s Conan story, “Beyond the Black River” and just finished “Wolves Across the Border.” I know it’s OT for this genre, but I like the feel of the frontier-wilderness fighting. I could not help but think how similar it’s to ME Ranger tales.

Besides, the defense at Sarn Ford, I do not know of other writings of ME Ranger operations or missions. Which leads me to ask, what other material, fiction or non-fiction, would be worth reading? Many I believe are on too large of scale for ME Ranger ops, but are still a good background.

My List:
Vietnam: The Five Fingers by Gayle Rivers (fiction)
WWII: Chindits, Merrill's Marauders, or Brit LR desert ops ???
WWI: T.E. Lawrence
ACW: Cavalry Raiders like Morgan, Grierson, or Price.
F&R War: Battle On Snowshoes by Bob Bearor
Other Fiction:
R.E. Howard, Beyond the Black River & Wolves Across the Border
George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels: The Watch’s expedition beyond the wall & Battle at the Fist of First Men
Movies:
The Deserter, starring Bekim Fehmiu
Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day Lewis
The Patriot, starring Gibson

[Peter Remling]

Try some of James Fenimore Cooper's novels: The Last of the Mohicans, Leatherstocking and others. Aside from the tales themselves, they are footnoted with a slue of information gleaned from early census reports. It will bring a lot more life to the tales and to your knowledge of the timeperiod.

Another classic author to read, Robert Lewis Steveson: Treasure Island, The Black Arrow and Kidnapped.

[Peter Remling]

Almost forgot one of my favorites, much later in the time period but equally enjoyable, anything by Jack London; The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Seawolves.

[Peter Remling]

The above arn't about fighting so much but more survival under harsh conditions stories.

[Gareth]

...

[Beornmann]

I tried reading Fenimore, but found it very dry and slow paced. I'll dig it up and try again.
I remember reading the Black Arrow back in HS, but I'm not much into the pirate tales.
I've never read London, so will put that in the queue also.
Sterling has been recommended to me, b/c of the SCA part, but I hear it's a hokey premise & storyline.

Another random thought:

Was Tolkien inspired to base the Dúnedain or Rangers of the North on any specific historical model?

[Gareth]

...

[Beornmann]

A $25 Barnes & Nobles Gift card went to good use yesterday.
~Ranger’s Apprentice. Couldn’t find it in the SF, asked the book seller where it was, she started to walk into the juvenile section. Ages 7 & up. Huh, ….got it anyway. The kids can read it when I’m done. Hope it’s not too far over my head.
~Dies the Fire. Yeah, you talked me into it.
~Children of Hurin – HARDBACK – for $8.00 in the bargain section. Check your local stores.
Paid 52 cents.

Also, checked out the Tom Brown books. Very unimpressive.
Felt the SAS Survival Handbook packed a lot more info & illustrations making it easier to read, digest, & apply.

[Peter Remling]

I recently picked up 3 of Tom Brown's books and I think they're quite educational. Much of it's not usable in a strictly Ranger persona but good knowledge to have. He does have a tendency to preach a little and I think to the wrong crowd, as the people interested in these works are not the type to knowingly abuse nature.

I have many military manuals on cd but not the SAS one. I'll have to pick up a paper copy.

[Panday]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" series. Most of the action taking place in those novels is scaled down to small unit- reconnaissance, ambushes, skirmishes. The South Essex also wears green uniforms to blend in with the enviornment and uses sharpshooters.

Richard Sharpe is the bastard son of an unknown father and a prostitute. Yet with his natural soldiering abilities and bearing one could almost imagine him as the descendant of a sundered Dunedain ancestry in which the ancient bloodline reawakens briefly.

[Beornmann]

So, here's my book review:
A. Children of Hurin. GET IT NOW! This isn’t the Hobbit’s children story or the trilogy epic, but I felt like I was engulfed in a Wagner/ Nibelung opera, TV mini-series, and Greek tragedy. Definitely on the re-read list. I also thought it had a different feel to the flow of the story than the Professor’s other works.
B. Ranger’s Apprentice. Great tale for the little Rangers. Little bits of woodcraft, archery, and other instructional tid-bits, but focuses on adolescent’s insecurities and finding your niche in the world. Nice quick read. Daughter picked it up and like it, too. Just got the four next books in the series.
C. Dies the Fire. Serious misgivings about this, but once I got past analyzing The Change and the Wiccan culture, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions and character development. Some aspect of the premise is plausible, but taken with a whimsical, irrational attitude, it’s a decent read. I will probably try to pick up the rest of the series.

[david lewis smith]

I have almost every thing Robert E Howard wrote, along with the Friends of Howard completing the Conan books. Any of those are marvelous, though he goes down a dark path some times. That dark path appeals to my Celtic blood though.

Some others along that line:
Wizard of Earthsea
The Lost Wold (Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle)
almost anything by Steven Lawhead, esp the Celtic Crusade and Byzantium

There are lots of good Field Manuals in the US Army system that would apply besides just the Survival manual
FM 5-34 Engineer Field Data. Basically a addhoc guide on how to build things with little or no resources the first chapter is what we would be most interested in tough bridging and roads has some interesting stuff
FM 17-98-1 Scout Leaders Hand book
FM31-21 Guerrilla Warfare and Special Forces Operations
FM 7-8 The Infantry Hand book
FM 22-5 Road Marches, no joke good info in there and small.
The Ranger Hand Book (small unit tactics)
the Army Combatives Field manual, nasty stuff for a different time

Others

A History of Engineering in Classical and Medieval Times, by Donald Hill. How you going to get water out of the river to the village on the hill Rangers?

[Beornmann]

I have saved The Ranger Handbook, SH-21-76, Apr 2000.
Also, have LONG-RANGE SURVEILLANCE UNIT OPERATIONS, FM 7-93, Oct 1995 and FM 23-10, SNIPER TRAINING, especially the fieldcraft chapter.

[hesinraca]

I need to get a sponsor to fund my endevours. Any ideas on where to get some of these army manuals for fairly cheap?

[david lewis smith]

I need to get a sponsor to fund my endevours. Any ideas on where to get some of these army manuals for fairly cheap?

Gun Shows
Survivalist Shops (mind the creepiness)
Surplus stores.

On line
Ranger Hand book; http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/ranger.pdf
Sniper Hand book; http://www.giwera.pl/pliki/st.pdf
and Long Range Surveillance; http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/MILITA ... r_1995.pdf


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