Product Description

The Scud missile was developed as the centerpiece of Soviet plans to fight nuclear war in the heart of Europe. However, it was never used in its intended role and has instead become a symbol of the changing nature of warfare in the aftermath of the Cold War. Saddam Hussein's Iraqi armed forces were almost helpless in the face of the Coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War; the only weapon that Iraq could use to injure the Coalition forces was its arsenal of Scud missiles. This book explores the development and variants of the missile and its launch systems, its proliferation outside of the West, and its role in conflicts around the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #313393 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-28
• Released on: 2006-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781841769479
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Highly recommended for anyone interested in Soviet or Russian military equipment or in particular, artillery and ballistic missiles." -Jacques Duquette, Armorama (April 2008)

"...Steven Ja Zaloga, an authority on Russian military vehicles, presents a well-rounded history of the Scud." -Military Vehicles

From the Publisher
The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author
Steven J Zaloga was born in 1952, received his BA in history from Union College, and his MA from Columbia University. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in World War II, and he has also written extensively on American armored forces. He lives in Maryland, USA.

Customer Reviews

Good material, but thin
Steven Zaloga is top notch at what he does and a good book on the Scud missile is long overdue, given the fact that it is one of the few powerful weapons that has been used somewhat successfully against American forces, and given that it is operated by so many armies. This is a good basic overview of the Scud. However, I was disappointed that there wasn't more to this book. It seems rather thin even by the standards of this series. I wanted a little more meat.

5-stars for one-of-a-kind material...
While I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Day's analysis (wanting more "meat" to the book), I have to give 5-stars to Zaloga's "Scud" book. It is the only one of its kind out there... while that shouldn't automatically guarantee quality work, Mr. Zaloga's expertise does. Other sources, such as Jane's, may have different approaches to SCUD analysis, this has a good graphical representation to understand its metamorphosis from the battlefield missile of the 1950s, to the terror weapon of the 21st Century.

I think the only better unclassified resource would be to "own" a SCUD system. Wouldn't happen to see one for sale, would you?

An excellent book on Scuds
It's very difficult to find books on this topic, which is really a shame considering the impact these missiles had during Gulf War I and their potential in Gulf War II. Zaloga does a great job with this book.