Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185775 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780760330630
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Excellent addition to your library!
I received this book 1 months ago. When I knew this book is written by Christopher Larsen, I know that this indeed would be the definitive guide to any airsoft or paintball player. If you don't understand what I mean, Chris Larsen is also the author of the book "Light Infantry Tactics: Small Teams", which already is a reference book for many airsoft players (..and quite possible, for real soldiers too).

Many materials in "Paintball and Airsoft Battle Tactics" are derived from "Light Infantry Tactics...", but adjusted with airsoft & paintball players in mind. Nevertheless, the tactics and the battle-drills are the same regardless of whether you are fighting a real battle or just a wargame. The only difference are: the range of the weapons (and "weapons") and the lethality (and "lethality") involved are of course incomparable.

Some of the materials in the book include: why and how to camouflage, handsignals techniques, leadership skills, infantry movement techniques, and battledrills for offensive, defensive and special operations. The methods explained typically apply to unit size from fireteam to platoon level. What this book differs from "Light Infantry Tactics" is on the emphasis to airsoft & paintball, taking into account the characteristics of both games. It also has a lot more schemes and color photographs which is very helpful in understanding the concepts.

One of the many things I like very much from this book, is that it's written in an easily understood language to explain technical military concepts (if you ever read military references such as US Army Field Manuals etc, they usually tends to be heavily conceptual or technical AND voluminious- which can be quite intimidating to some). However there is some areas in this book that needs an improvement: a discussion about "human factor". I wish it had another chapter which discusses the human factor such as: morale, overcoming hesitation and fear, how to motivate teammates - a very critical element to mission success.

Nonetheless, this book surely enhances our understanding on how to fight and how to fight as a team. Discuss and practice the materials with your teammates, and your team will benefit in battle.

Verdict: an excellent addition to your library.

Good information, but a tad disappointing
I also bought the book, Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams, by the same author. I found his Infantry book to be very good, but I found that this book leaves something to be desired. It's all about the promise and delivery.

The book is supposed to be for paintball and airsoft, yet it seems to do little more than re-package military tactics with a different cover.

No don't get me wrong. It's good information, and can be VERY well used, with some adaptation. But the pictures show regular LCE/LBE harnesses, not paintball vests. No pictures show airsoft or paintball safety masks in use, and a great deal of tactics are not applicable in most scenario paintball or airsoft games. They're simply too complicated for players who don't train week after week. For the players who DO, however, this information can go a LOOOONG way.

If the book had discussed the tactical differences between the military doctrine and paintball/airsoft, I think the book's value could have been tripled, if not more.

For the team leader who can adapt such things without much outside direction, this book goes miles. For those who cannot, this book may not do much without outside help.

Pretty pictures DO make a difference
Larsen's previous full-format, photos-included book (vs. some thick, dense tomes for specific battle staff purposes), Light Infantry Tactics, was intended as a way to bring together all the disparate information already out in various U.S. military publications about the operation of a unit smaller than a company. And for those folks it works great. But for me, without the basic background, it was always still a little lacking, and some topics needed explanation still.

This book, on the other hand, elevates those explanations to a new form. The format of the writing is somewhat improved, with many more actionable tasks, and better organization. But what thrills me are the diagrams, and the "photo diagrams" I guess you'd call them. Photos people in the woods, with arrows and lines explaining what they are doing. Now, it's possible to absorb every tactic and battle drill without too much thinking or wondering.

Most of these are team tactics, so it's useless of you are the only one who understands a specific battle drill. This book is also superior to any other battle tactics reference I have seen in that each subject is laid out almost like a textbook. This works great when trying to teach your team these fundamentals. Unlike some other references, you don't have to learn it yourself then develop a course; you can almost just pick up the book, read a section out loud, show off the graphics to everyone, and then go try it. Everything is that clear and easy.

And these things really work. You can actually get your team together, walk thru something for 20 minutes, then go out in the field and improve your performance immediately.