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Red Army
In the heart of a European forest, a young private dreams of home and rock 'n roll. At command headquarters, a four-star general pursues a family tradition of military honor that reaches back centuries. They could be any two soldiers in the world. It could be any army - but it's not. The place is the East German border. The time is tomorrow - and the Soviet Army is about to attack. . .
While western leaders debate the use of nuclear weapons, the Soviet Army and its Warsaw Pact Allies crash across West Germany, exploiting the NATO armies' deadly lack of preperation. In a matter of days, refugees clog the roads and the cities are in shambles. The Soviet Army wages a brutal battle for Europe - even as the hidden rivalries and divided loyalties within its ranks begon to emerge.
In this extraordinary. controversial novel, author Ralph Peters a U.S. Army intelligence officer specializing in the Soviet military - takes us inside an army of dozens of languages and ethnic backgrounds, into the belly of an armored personnel carrier, the cockpit of a MIG, and onto the bloody battlefield where sophisticated tanks duel like ancient, flame-spewing dragons.
From Chief of Staff Chibisov, fighting his ethnic heritage, to the daring tank commander Bezarin, locked in an unforgettable duel of wits with a British division, from bitter veterans of Afghanistan to raw recruits, a host of vivid characters are swept up in the chaos and drama. Some will be heroes. Some will die, and others will have their souls scarred forever.
As the HATO armies make their last, desparate stands - divided by Soviet maneuvers and their own political squabbling - Red Army thunders to a truly frightening climax.
Told entirely from a Russian point of view, Red Army is a riveting tour de force. More than a portrait of high-tech modern warfare, it is a fascingating novel of human strengths and weaknesses - a chilling look at the one army in the world that may have the power to defeat us.
403 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1989
About the author
Ralph Peters
73 books222 followersRalph Peters is a novelist, an essayist, a former career soldier, and an adventurer in the 19th-century sense. He is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed novels, two influential works on strategy, "Beyond Terror" and "Fighting for the Future".
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 12, 2019
Well, I must say I am impressed. Ralph Peters is a former Army Intelligence analyst who specialized in Soviet tactical doctrine. It shows in his writing. Red Army is a story about the Soviets invading Germany. But, Peters made a wonderful story but not focusing on techno-jargon and milspeak, a' la Tom Clany, and focuses on telling the story from the viewpoint of the soldiers.
It has a surprise ending (well for civilians, many Intel guys aren't so sure about the combat ability of many NATO forces) that makes sense in light on the time when this was written (1989). As this Invasion is a northern one (across the North German plain) and primarily has the Soviets fighting the British and the West German forces (the American forces are in the south). But the key is to show a modern war from the standpoint of the soldiers. While these are Communist troops, the average soldier is no frothing at the mouth revolutionary (not including the obvious political officers of KGB/GRU types). They are soldiers who grew up under communist rule and have the deficiencies endemic to such a toxic culture, but much like the Wehrmacht (again excluding the SS units) for the most part, the enlisted and younger officers really couldn't tell you jack shit about the "dialectic".
It is a good look at an enemy's view of fighting NATO forces. Peters knows his stuff and the tactical and strategic moves make perfect sense and are good examples of Soviet doctrine. From powerful armor formation backed by massive amounts of artillery, it is an accurate description of their tactics. However the problems with the Soviet style of warfare is lack of decentralized control, a slow moving heirarchy of senior officers and equipment that doesn't work as advertised. Still, this steel juggernaut is not to be discounted, as the British and West German forces find out much to their chagrin.
Want a very realistic and interesting look at the Soviet way of war, told from the viewpoints of the soldiers and officers? Then you will enjoy this book. If you dislike techno-jargon, then you will also appreciate this book.
It has a surprise ending (well for civilians, many Intel guys aren't so sure about the combat ability of many NATO forces) that makes sense in light on the time when this was written (1989). As this Invasion is a northern one (across the North German plain) and primarily has the Soviets fighting the British and the West German forces (the American forces are in the south). But the key is to show a modern war from the standpoint of the soldiers. While these are Communist troops, the average soldier is no frothing at the mouth revolutionary (not including the obvious political officers of KGB/GRU types). They are soldiers who grew up under communist rule and have the deficiencies endemic to such a toxic culture, but much like the Wehrmacht (again excluding the SS units) for the most part, the enlisted and younger officers really couldn't tell you jack shit about the "dialectic".
It is a good look at an enemy's view of fighting NATO forces. Peters knows his stuff and the tactical and strategic moves make perfect sense and are good examples of Soviet doctrine. From powerful armor formation backed by massive amounts of artillery, it is an accurate description of their tactics. However the problems with the Soviet style of warfare is lack of decentralized control, a slow moving heirarchy of senior officers and equipment that doesn't work as advertised. Still, this steel juggernaut is not to be discounted, as the British and West German forces find out much to their chagrin.
Want a very realistic and interesting look at the Soviet way of war, told from the viewpoints of the soldiers and officers? Then you will enjoy this book. If you dislike techno-jargon, then you will also appreciate this book.
January 16, 2013
I loved this book from the first time I picked it up. In my teen years I read a lot of Tom Clancy so I was pretty well up to speed on 1980's weapon systems, and since I'd already ground through Red Storm Rising I thought I knew what I was in for here.
I was mistaken.
Red Army is not Red Storm Rising. In fact it's almost the anti-techno thriller, never getting bogged down in technology porn because sometimes a tank is just a tank. The focus is squarely, emphatically, on the characters, every one of whom is a real, relatable person who we want to see come out of this hellish experience alive. The story is driven by the impact of World War III on the minds and bodies of real people, and that's a very different kind of storytelling.
Being told from the Soviet point of view, it is also mercifully free of flag-waving Americans and their corny "Helluva thing, Mike" dialogue that infest most novels of this type. Instead we get the carefully chosen words of our officer-and-a-gentleman General Malinsky, the man charged with planning a full-scale invasion of West Germany. We get the hopefulness of Bezarin, whose ruthless capability and naivete make him feel like someone we could actually meet in the real world. We also get more repulsive creatures like Starukhin, the bully with the command tent, whose personal hatred for the Jewish staff officer Chibisov corrupts everything they achieve together.
It's a product of its time, having been written at the same time Rumsfeld was giving his infamous "They've been busy" speeches about the largely imagined power of the Soviet military. It was also unfortunate to be released in 1989, just as the Soviet Union was beginning its great breakup (although I think we're all glad it was never vindicated by history). And ultimately its blitzkrieg-on-steroids portrayal of Deep Operations was proven flawed by Desert Storm, where it turned out Clancy was right about the power and flexibility of modern defenses. But still... it's a vividly real picture of war in the (almost) modern era, contrasting the burning tanks and attrition of the fast-moving front with the traffic control disasters being faced by the high command, and at the climax, a chillingly sensible discussion of what to do if the battlefield goes nuclear.
So if you're after another techno-thriller, this ain't it. But if you're after a moving, tragic story of the human cost of war, or maybe a slice of alternate history, Red Army is brilliant.
I was mistaken.
Red Army is not Red Storm Rising. In fact it's almost the anti-techno thriller, never getting bogged down in technology porn because sometimes a tank is just a tank. The focus is squarely, emphatically, on the characters, every one of whom is a real, relatable person who we want to see come out of this hellish experience alive. The story is driven by the impact of World War III on the minds and bodies of real people, and that's a very different kind of storytelling.
Being told from the Soviet point of view, it is also mercifully free of flag-waving Americans and their corny "Helluva thing, Mike" dialogue that infest most novels of this type. Instead we get the carefully chosen words of our officer-and-a-gentleman General Malinsky, the man charged with planning a full-scale invasion of West Germany. We get the hopefulness of Bezarin, whose ruthless capability and naivete make him feel like someone we could actually meet in the real world. We also get more repulsive creatures like Starukhin, the bully with the command tent, whose personal hatred for the Jewish staff officer Chibisov corrupts everything they achieve together.
It's a product of its time, having been written at the same time Rumsfeld was giving his infamous "They've been busy" speeches about the largely imagined power of the Soviet military. It was also unfortunate to be released in 1989, just as the Soviet Union was beginning its great breakup (although I think we're all glad it was never vindicated by history). And ultimately its blitzkrieg-on-steroids portrayal of Deep Operations was proven flawed by Desert Storm, where it turned out Clancy was right about the power and flexibility of modern defenses. But still... it's a vividly real picture of war in the (almost) modern era, contrasting the burning tanks and attrition of the fast-moving front with the traffic control disasters being faced by the high command, and at the climax, a chillingly sensible discussion of what to do if the battlefield goes nuclear.
So if you're after another techno-thriller, this ain't it. But if you're after a moving, tragic story of the human cost of war, or maybe a slice of alternate history, Red Army is brilliant.
December 4, 2019
As fine a techno-thriller as any I could ask for, unburdened by excessive technical exposition and mercifully brief compared to most other treatises on a NATO-WarPac conflict. Most of his cast are sufficiently memorable to carry them through their respective arcs (as the genre dictates, this is more often than not to be casually killed off at an unexpected moment) but few of them could be described as well developed or rounded. The narrative exists mostly to act as a vehicle to talk about what Peters is really interested in: Soviet front level strategy, the logistics of a modern conventional war, and the weaknesses of NATO’s political organization. We are both fortunate that these are interests that we share and thus this is an excellent book for me.
January 8, 2015
A gritty, yet enjoyable anti-war war novel. The story is told from the perspective of Soviet soldiers, from front commanders to artillerymen, tankers and infantrymen, and focuses on the logistical, psychological and moral struggles of in hypothetical war between USSR and NATO forces in Germany. While there are many passages describing front line fighting, the author also incorporates military organization, logistics and strategy in the book. Although the book was published in 1989, it wasn't too dated - the intricacies of post-WW2 warfare aren't really explored in contemporary war movies/games.
July 16, 2020
I've always had a fascination with the war that never was, a.k.a. a World War Three devolving out of the Cold War. There's just something indelibly interesting about the mighty conflict between the two main competing philosophies of the twentieth century...and something equally disappointing and anti-climactic that it just fizzled away. I'm not stating that I wanted World War Three...but as a student of history, it seemed like the conflict was inevitable. I also must admit to myself that my own personal political philosophy plays a large part in my interest.
And thus, we arrive at this novel. It's the late 1980s and the Soviet Union/the Warsaw Pact goes to war with NATO. There is not much preamble; the novel starts with the war, and ends with the war. Near the end of the story, we get a hint at the reason for the war, which is pretty standard fare for the time (spoiler: it was "inevitable" based on economics).
The characters in this novel are all soldiers of various ranks, are all Soviets, and are all involved in the war. There is no time spent "back home"...no time with the leaders on either side...no time with the other side (NATO). With a laser-like focus we meet our characters and never stray far from them. And, spoiler, almost all of them are killed...it is a war after all. Details on equipment are kept purposely vague, I suspect. There is no mention of vehicle designations, weapons used, or technical minutia. It may be that the author was attempting to keep this story timeless, so that it could be read at any time and seem time-appropriate - suspecting that the author, like so many others, did not envision the collapse of the Soviet Union shortly after this book was published.
I did find many of the characters to be somewhat one-dimensional, which could have been intentional to keep the focus on the events of the story...but, since the battles are so lacking in technical details, and we are never really given the "god's eye" strategic view of what's going on worldwide due to the aforementioned laser focus upon our cast, it seems to be only natural that we should have been given more insight into them. I would have enjoyed learning more about them, other than a single character trait, so that when they (spoiler) reached their demise, I actually cared.
I will say, however, that what sets this story apart from nearly every other one I've read in this niche genre is that (spoiler) the Soviets win. Not wanting to see their nation turned into a nuclear wasteland, the West Germans capitulate. I was so utterly taken aback by this outcome that I feel it must be mentioned. Every other novel, game, show, movie, etc., that I have experienced in this genre has seen the Soviet Union lose generally due to internal strife, conflict, and/or resource depletion. Here, however, they pull out a victory. I was impressed that the author went that route...and am sure that the possible popularity of this book suffered as a result.
If you share my love of hypothetical Third World War scenarios, and consider yourself something of a Russophile/Soviet-o-phile (?), I would definitely recommend it.
And thus, we arrive at this novel. It's the late 1980s and the Soviet Union/the Warsaw Pact goes to war with NATO. There is not much preamble; the novel starts with the war, and ends with the war. Near the end of the story, we get a hint at the reason for the war, which is pretty standard fare for the time (spoiler: it was "inevitable" based on economics).
The characters in this novel are all soldiers of various ranks, are all Soviets, and are all involved in the war. There is no time spent "back home"...no time with the leaders on either side...no time with the other side (NATO). With a laser-like focus we meet our characters and never stray far from them. And, spoiler, almost all of them are killed...it is a war after all. Details on equipment are kept purposely vague, I suspect. There is no mention of vehicle designations, weapons used, or technical minutia. It may be that the author was attempting to keep this story timeless, so that it could be read at any time and seem time-appropriate - suspecting that the author, like so many others, did not envision the collapse of the Soviet Union shortly after this book was published.
I did find many of the characters to be somewhat one-dimensional, which could have been intentional to keep the focus on the events of the story...but, since the battles are so lacking in technical details, and we are never really given the "god's eye" strategic view of what's going on worldwide due to the aforementioned laser focus upon our cast, it seems to be only natural that we should have been given more insight into them. I would have enjoyed learning more about them, other than a single character trait, so that when they (spoiler) reached their demise, I actually cared.
I will say, however, that what sets this story apart from nearly every other one I've read in this niche genre is that (spoiler) the Soviets win. Not wanting to see their nation turned into a nuclear wasteland, the West Germans capitulate. I was so utterly taken aback by this outcome that I feel it must be mentioned. Every other novel, game, show, movie, etc., that I have experienced in this genre has seen the Soviet Union lose generally due to internal strife, conflict, and/or resource depletion. Here, however, they pull out a victory. I was impressed that the author went that route...and am sure that the possible popularity of this book suffered as a result.
If you share my love of hypothetical Third World War scenarios, and consider yourself something of a Russophile/Soviet-o-phile (?), I would definitely recommend it.
October 29, 2014
One of the best books I've read. I've never seen a military novel with such excellence.
The movement of the forces, logistics and strategic - even tactical - details are astonishing and very realistic. Characters are also very well developed.
The movement of the forces, logistics and strategic - even tactical - details are astonishing and very realistic. Characters are also very well developed.
June 6, 2014
When I first read this, the idea of the cold war turning hot and the Warsaw Pact invading western Europe was still a possibility. Now, of course, it's more alternative history than a possible future.
It's very different reading it now, but it's still a good book, and still worth reading. As the author says, the book is "not about the hardware or even the mission, but about the men". That makes it unusual within the genre. I only once saw a piece of equipment named (an F-16), every other time they are given generic names or descriptions.
This focus on men over machines, and particularly the author's decision to only tell the story from the Soviet point of view, make the book a very interesting read. It's interesting to see things from a Soviet point of view, and Peters has some intriguing ideas about how the Soviets would have done things.
It's very different reading it now, but it's still a good book, and still worth reading. As the author says, the book is "not about the hardware or even the mission, but about the men". That makes it unusual within the genre. I only once saw a piece of equipment named (an F-16), every other time they are given generic names or descriptions.
This focus on men over machines, and particularly the author's decision to only tell the story from the Soviet point of view, make the book a very interesting read. It's interesting to see things from a Soviet point of view, and Peters has some intriguing ideas about how the Soviets would have done things.
January 1, 2011
The story is very well-written; however, the author's prejudices against the non-American NATO allies is blatant. Having said that, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the "Cold-War-Turned-Hot" genre of the 1980s.
April 28, 2011
Ever wonder what WWIII would have been like from the Red Hordes perspective? I enjoyed this book and I think you will too.
April 7, 2019
I keep coming back to this book for some reason- when this was published in 1989, Ralph Peters was a serving officer of the U.S. Army, an Intelligence officer like my father and my 8th grade 'Language Exploration' teacher, Mr. Smith. The latter two were both graduates of the U.S. Army Language School at Monterey, California; my father was a Chinese linguist, and Mr. Smith was a Russian linguist & area specialist as was Mr. Peters. I am somewhat leery of Mr. Peters' current political outlook & activities, but when he wrote this book he was just developing into a promising young writer on military affairs.
Many people, including myself, have often said that fiction sometimes gives one a better understanding of historical events than can history itself. In terms of understanding the officers & men who served in the armed forces of the Soviet Union during the 1970s & 1980s, I would recommend reading both 'Red Army' and also 'Feast Of Bones' by Daniel P. Bolger (another U.S. Army officer, a rough contemporary of Mr. Peters, who stayed in the service and got his second star last May). I myself have only a passing interest in Russia and Eastern Europe, but I feel that in order to understand 20th century military history one must have at least a passing familiarity with the structure and outlook of all major politico-military actors of those times. Fortunately, both this book and General Bolger's book referenced above are well written and engrossing stories in their own right, and would possibly make enjoyable reading even for someone with little or no interest in military affairs.
Many people, including myself, have often said that fiction sometimes gives one a better understanding of historical events than can history itself. In terms of understanding the officers & men who served in the armed forces of the Soviet Union during the 1970s & 1980s, I would recommend reading both 'Red Army' and also 'Feast Of Bones' by Daniel P. Bolger (another U.S. Army officer, a rough contemporary of Mr. Peters, who stayed in the service and got his second star last May). I myself have only a passing interest in Russia and Eastern Europe, but I feel that in order to understand 20th century military history one must have at least a passing familiarity with the structure and outlook of all major politico-military actors of those times. Fortunately, both this book and General Bolger's book referenced above are well written and engrossing stories in their own right, and would possibly make enjoyable reading even for someone with little or no interest in military affairs.
August 20, 2008
I read this book while stationed in Schweinfurt Germany.
Interesting way to see how the Russians would attack.
WWIII.
Armor in Battle.
Interesting way to see how the Russians would attack.
WWIII.
Armor in Battle.
December 29, 2018
Fun and fast, even touching at parts, though also fairly cliché. Does a good job balancing the technical war and the human factor.
January 2, 2024
Bullets with faces and dreams
May 30, 2015
A worthwhile read!
An excellent in-depth account of the war that never happened from the point-of-view of the Red Army. Ralph Peters takes the reader through a range of personal accounts of the war presenting both military-technical as well as cultural-personal aspects of a Warsaw Pact invasion on the European central front. Peters eloquently portraits the moral, mental, and physical aspects from the point-of-view of the front commander down to the individual motor-rifleman tagging along in his BMP. At the same time Ralph Peters drives home an excellent point about NATO cohesion and doctrinal challenges - which are as relevant today as back then.
At the macro level the book demonstrates easily digestible insights into Soviet military-science and the execution of deep battle as envisioned by Tukhachevsky. For a deeper insight into the execution of maneuver warfare the reader is suggested to consult: Leonhard, Robert R. The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Airland Battle. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1994. In addition, a brief google search will reveal a range of excellent cold-war documents on both Soviet deep battle and the situation on the European central front in the 1980's.
An excellent in-depth account of the war that never happened from the point-of-view of the Red Army. Ralph Peters takes the reader through a range of personal accounts of the war presenting both military-technical as well as cultural-personal aspects of a Warsaw Pact invasion on the European central front. Peters eloquently portraits the moral, mental, and physical aspects from the point-of-view of the front commander down to the individual motor-rifleman tagging along in his BMP. At the same time Ralph Peters drives home an excellent point about NATO cohesion and doctrinal challenges - which are as relevant today as back then.
At the macro level the book demonstrates easily digestible insights into Soviet military-science and the execution of deep battle as envisioned by Tukhachevsky. For a deeper insight into the execution of maneuver warfare the reader is suggested to consult: Leonhard, Robert R. The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Airland Battle. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1994. In addition, a brief google search will reveal a range of excellent cold-war documents on both Soviet deep battle and the situation on the European central front in the 1980's.
July 20, 2016
The Soviets invade West Germany in a lightning stroke. Brutal fighting ensues as the front gives way... The Soviets prove to be very successful in what is, after all, a conventional land war. In just three days the Rhine is in sight, can anything stop the Red Army? "War was only about winning. Killing the other one before he killed you."says one of the main characters of the book, and indeed it is about killing, putting pressure on your opponents, driving forward. It is also about ordinary soldiers fighting, thinking about their families back home and about staying alive. Death walks among them, indiscriminate and brutal.
This is an interesting read but it also raises many questions. Why, for example, have the Soviets decided to attack anyway, what has driven them to this? Why are the allies, NATO, so ill-prepared? Surely there was a period of tension leading up to the event? The answer lies in the fact that the American author doesn't have much faith in NATO and feels that America is really a bit misguided to be committed to it. The American forces turn out to be the only real counter to the Soviet attack, efficient and destructive whilst their other allies prove to be slow, poorly-coordinated, and stereotyped.
This is an interesting read but it also raises many questions. Why, for example, have the Soviets decided to attack anyway, what has driven them to this? Why are the allies, NATO, so ill-prepared? Surely there was a period of tension leading up to the event? The answer lies in the fact that the American author doesn't have much faith in NATO and feels that America is really a bit misguided to be committed to it. The American forces turn out to be the only real counter to the Soviet attack, efficient and destructive whilst their other allies prove to be slow, poorly-coordinated, and stereotyped.
January 11, 2018
One of my first true "all-English" books I read. I got it in my high school library (gee ... how come they stocked it?) ... must have been rare weirdo that actually read it back then ...
It was amazing ... first immersion into the world of "what if" and alternate history. Interesting story and viewpoints of random "small people" soviet military personnel. Although I didn't quite liked that scene of wardrobe fitting ;)
And yeah .... ending is of course US favorable ... with omnipresence of ghostly "all mighty" US Abrams tanks and troops. But still .... interesting insight. All in all a great read.
It was amazing ... first immersion into the world of "what if" and alternate history. Interesting story and viewpoints of random "small people" soviet military personnel. Although I didn't quite liked that scene of wardrobe fitting ;)
And yeah .... ending is of course US favorable ... with omnipresence of ghostly "all mighty" US Abrams tanks and troops. But still .... interesting insight. All in all a great read.
May 24, 2019
This is a very strange book. The story, purely told from the Red Army perspective, certainly does not help. The storyline is a random collection of episodes. And then it suddenly stops. Practically mid sentence. All this military fiction stuff is no Nobel Prize material anyway, but in hindsight I really hate the book. Random, boring, one sided, shallow and ultimately unfinished. Sure it is finished but more in a way of "Well, let's wrap this up, I am off to a holiday tomorrow." The plot reminds me of Clancy's Red Storm Rising, which I enjoyed a lot more and which features an ending to the story as well. If you have not read either, go for Clancy, forget Peters.
July 21, 2017
This book follows the lives of a few Soviet soldiers as they wage war across West Germany. It is written entirely from their point of view as they race across northern West Germany to meet their objectives.
I found the book interesting and at times riveting as the various soldiers reacted to the realities of war. The writing style of Ralph Peters tends to be a narrative rather than actual dialog between characters, whcih at times is very dry. IMOHO, if there was more dialog between the characters, it would have made for a more exciting read.
I found the book interesting and at times riveting as the various soldiers reacted to the realities of war. The writing style of Ralph Peters tends to be a narrative rather than actual dialog between characters, whcih at times is very dry. IMOHO, if there was more dialog between the characters, it would have made for a more exciting read.
March 15, 2014
I read this in high school, probably after I discovered Tom Clancy and was really into military thrillers. I still remember this book years later because it wasn't just cut-and-dry battle plans or over-the-top descriptions of planes, tanks, and bombs. The book focuses on a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany through the eyes of some memorable characters (mostly on the Soviet side from what I remember), like the inexperienced commander suffering from some illness (cowardice?). The book in the end was fairly anti-war, unlike most of the genre. Worth a second look.
October 24, 2018
Ralph Peters writes this thrilling tale of war in the late 20th century. This is a war that was never fought,and will never be fought. The book provides an account of life in the Soviet Red Army which is believable and brutally honest, he contrasts the vast diversity of the Soviet Union and the Communist Bloc with the overwhelming theme of survival by any means. The vast quantities of character Peters provides shares the view of many soldiers with varying backgrounds. The book is a never ending cycle of exciting tales that change every chapter.
October 31, 2016
This is a great novel. It brings together the action of a Third World War novel with the detailed account of personal stories. I read this book slowly and thought a lot and really savored it. Books like this really bring out the truth and horrible nature of war on an individual level. War is not great. I greatly appreciate the talents of the author to bring all the great aspects of this book into one great moving force.
July 20, 2018
Good read. Having read various novels about a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, most of them told almost exclusively from the Western perspective, it was refreshing to read one from the Russian viewpoint. It's essentially a book about people - lots of character development, little stifling details about weapons and vehicles. It also contains thoughts about communist systems vs capitalism. A good read.
July 26, 2017
Col. Ralph Peters was the only man on this planet with balls enough to portray a WWIII where Sovetski soyuz wins. Hats off to the most visible American foreign and military policy commentator.
The tank battles in his prose , deep in west germany would always echo in my head.
"LOAD SABOT, AIM, FIRE".
The tank battles in his prose , deep in west germany would always echo in my head.
"LOAD SABOT, AIM, FIRE".
April 20, 2024
Red Army is unique among military fiction published in the US during the 1980s, as it presented the material exclusively from the perspective of officers and men in the Soviet Army.
This book is top class, especially when you consider the era it is written.
Not writing about your own Army has its advantages. You don't feel so compelled to portray them like saints. Maybe Ralph would not have fallen prey to this fallacy even if he wrote about the US Army, but this factor couldn't have hurt him in portraying a wide variety of characters, good and bad. I don't know whether he managed to portray Russians or just more "3D" versions of Western-stereotypes, but he definitely portrayed them as MEN, and that rises this book into a level Red Storm Rising (RSR) and most technothrillers (certainly all in my experience) could not match. If Ralph's 1st Western Front faced off Clancy's RSR NATO, the 1st Western Front would have won by sheer virtue of the characters being men instead of cardboard cutouts - the characterization is THAT different.
Ralph decides not to mention technical matters too explicitly so as to showcase the men. That's a nice strategy when the book was written, but it also means the book ages better. Even if the Cold War continued, technical perceptions change. By blurring it, the macroaccuracy (often determinable early on) will rule over the microinaccuracies (which takes years to ferret out with spies).
Some people object to the story on the grounds of American-forces doing well against Soviet-forces in the past. What is closer is that generally, at least one side is only vaguely relevant to the patron. Example: the Iraqi army is only superficially similar to the Soviet Army. T-55s are the majority. Even the T-72s are early export versions and armed with ancient, export use steel-cored sabot rounds. The maneuver war was preceded by an unrealistic (in Cold War context), multiple month fire preparation with planes. Of course, perhaps the Americans will still have gone through everything like a knife through butter anyway, but not necessarily.
Some people criticize the book for not explaining the cause of the war. However, I'd say the cause of the war is out of scope for the characters involved. Even Malinksy shouldn't have to care about why the war occurred, just to win it. Besides, the book is has too much to say as it is, and war triggers in technothrillers tend to be on the thin side. Best to leave it to the reader's random imagination.
The overall operational strategy is handled very well. With the short briefing by Front Chief of Staff Chibisov at the beginning, and a few maps (truly pictures worth a thousand words), the flow of the battle and geographical positions of all the major Soviet units are easily grasped.
Some people groan about the ending, but it is the best possible. The apparent success of the Americans suggests that NATO could have won (or at least done better) had it got its act together, which I think was a point Peters was trying to make. It also no doubt appeases the American readership. Yet, the success, beyond blowing out the foremost Soviet OMG brigade, is deliberately left vague.
Storywise, the cease fire route was the only way to go - never mind he's running out of pages, two general alternatives are plausible given the setup but they are impalatable. The Americans were apparently doing well, so he could arrange for them to win the battle for NATO (with a little help from the rest) like some reviewers suggest. That would likely lead to nuclear war on the part of the Soviets, and if that didn't happen kind of makes the whole book rather meaningless by not giving NATO the "punishment" Ralph thinks their lack of coordination and other weaknesses deserves.
Alternatively, the map shows that 7th Tank Army is about to enter the battlefield, and it is positioned to hit the American counterattack's flank or rear, depending on how far the US manages to penetrate into 3rd Shock Army's zone. So at least an equally likely scenario is that the Americans get crushed. Which will also mean nuclear war, and the whole American counterattack becomes almost as strategically (and storywise) meaningless than the local counterattacks on the Russians during Day 1 of the war.
With nuclear war being a high probability and with the warheads due to fall on their own territory (assuming the tactical nuke war does not go strategic), it is very likely that West Germany would choose a cease-fire. In fact, arguably the most unrealistic part of NATO's nuclear defense is that the Germans will let it happen.
And once the Germans decide to quit, there's really little choice for the others as far the battle in Germany is concerned. With twelve divisions, and one of the largest airforces in NATO going out, their line would utterly shatter, leaving the rest of NATO like islands waiting to be surrounded. There was really nothing to it but retreat.
Even with the rest of the Reforger divisions arriving, they would face the fresh Soviet 2nd echelon and the reorganized 1st echelon - not a particularly good correlation. In the longer run, the Soviet economy is strengthened by the acquisition of West German technology, while the Western economy is badly dented by the loss of a major trading partner. Conventional war, in the short or middle run, simply isn't the way to go.
This book is top class, especially when you consider the era it is written.
Not writing about your own Army has its advantages. You don't feel so compelled to portray them like saints. Maybe Ralph would not have fallen prey to this fallacy even if he wrote about the US Army, but this factor couldn't have hurt him in portraying a wide variety of characters, good and bad. I don't know whether he managed to portray Russians or just more "3D" versions of Western-stereotypes, but he definitely portrayed them as MEN, and that rises this book into a level Red Storm Rising (RSR) and most technothrillers (certainly all in my experience) could not match. If Ralph's 1st Western Front faced off Clancy's RSR NATO, the 1st Western Front would have won by sheer virtue of the characters being men instead of cardboard cutouts - the characterization is THAT different.
Ralph decides not to mention technical matters too explicitly so as to showcase the men. That's a nice strategy when the book was written, but it also means the book ages better. Even if the Cold War continued, technical perceptions change. By blurring it, the macroaccuracy (often determinable early on) will rule over the microinaccuracies (which takes years to ferret out with spies).
Some people object to the story on the grounds of American-forces doing well against Soviet-forces in the past. What is closer is that generally, at least one side is only vaguely relevant to the patron. Example: the Iraqi army is only superficially similar to the Soviet Army. T-55s are the majority. Even the T-72s are early export versions and armed with ancient, export use steel-cored sabot rounds. The maneuver war was preceded by an unrealistic (in Cold War context), multiple month fire preparation with planes. Of course, perhaps the Americans will still have gone through everything like a knife through butter anyway, but not necessarily.
Some people criticize the book for not explaining the cause of the war. However, I'd say the cause of the war is out of scope for the characters involved. Even Malinksy shouldn't have to care about why the war occurred, just to win it. Besides, the book is has too much to say as it is, and war triggers in technothrillers tend to be on the thin side. Best to leave it to the reader's random imagination.
The overall operational strategy is handled very well. With the short briefing by Front Chief of Staff Chibisov at the beginning, and a few maps (truly pictures worth a thousand words), the flow of the battle and geographical positions of all the major Soviet units are easily grasped.
Some people groan about the ending, but it is the best possible. The apparent success of the Americans suggests that NATO could have won (or at least done better) had it got its act together, which I think was a point Peters was trying to make. It also no doubt appeases the American readership. Yet, the success, beyond blowing out the foremost Soviet OMG brigade, is deliberately left vague.
Storywise, the cease fire route was the only way to go - never mind he's running out of pages, two general alternatives are plausible given the setup but they are impalatable. The Americans were apparently doing well, so he could arrange for them to win the battle for NATO (with a little help from the rest) like some reviewers suggest. That would likely lead to nuclear war on the part of the Soviets, and if that didn't happen kind of makes the whole book rather meaningless by not giving NATO the "punishment" Ralph thinks their lack of coordination and other weaknesses deserves.
Alternatively, the map shows that 7th Tank Army is about to enter the battlefield, and it is positioned to hit the American counterattack's flank or rear, depending on how far the US manages to penetrate into 3rd Shock Army's zone. So at least an equally likely scenario is that the Americans get crushed. Which will also mean nuclear war, and the whole American counterattack becomes almost as strategically (and storywise) meaningless than the local counterattacks on the Russians during Day 1 of the war.
With nuclear war being a high probability and with the warheads due to fall on their own territory (assuming the tactical nuke war does not go strategic), it is very likely that West Germany would choose a cease-fire. In fact, arguably the most unrealistic part of NATO's nuclear defense is that the Germans will let it happen.
And once the Germans decide to quit, there's really little choice for the others as far the battle in Germany is concerned. With twelve divisions, and one of the largest airforces in NATO going out, their line would utterly shatter, leaving the rest of NATO like islands waiting to be surrounded. There was really nothing to it but retreat.
Even with the rest of the Reforger divisions arriving, they would face the fresh Soviet 2nd echelon and the reorganized 1st echelon - not a particularly good correlation. In the longer run, the Soviet economy is strengthened by the acquisition of West German technology, while the Western economy is badly dented by the loss of a major trading partner. Conventional war, in the short or middle run, simply isn't the way to go.
January 5, 2018
Possibly my favourite WWIII alt-history, because it's written from the side of the Soviets and doesn't rely on massive coincidences and chance in favour of NATO (both are very common, and quite annoying.)
April 24, 2009
Excellent book and one of the few in the genre that doesn't dehumanize the Soviets. The end was interesting and seemed plausible.
August 19, 2015
Now an obsolete Cold War era thriller. But it scared the heck out of me as an Army private in 1990!
August 9, 2016
One of Peters earlier works and one of his best.
December 3, 2022
Ralph Peters has impressed me in a way that few military fiction writers nowadays can. He somehow was able to channel the raw thoughts and feelings of Soviet land warfare combatants into an exciting and engaging war narrative while basically sidestepping every "cliche" of the genre. In the author's note at the end, Peters emphasizes his work in U.S. Army intelligence and his frustration at how he could never find reliable narratives on the people behind the Soviet war machine, flaws and all. So, it appears, he wrote one himself.
This is a book not about the tank and tank tactics, but about the tanker and his fears as he must obey orders to further extend his vehicle in to enemy territory. It's not about the the raw logistics and strategy of command, but of the commanders and logistics officers and their struggle to adapt to war at lightning pace with primitive technology and perhaps even more primitive philosophies. It's not about small squad tactics, it's about the man in the squad who gets turned around in a chaotic urban combat zone who just wants to go home. You will not read about the details of the caliber of the gun or top speed of a T-72 as it charges through West Germany. In fact, you will not read a single equipment detail in the book. There is no T-72, there is just a tank. There is no AK-74u, there is just a rifle. There are no technical details of Soviet guns, artillery, armor, or vehicles. The closest this comes is to the names of the units involved: Third Shock Army for example.
That is because this book is not supposed to be an all encompassing view of how war is prosecuted strategically and tactically. It is about people. How does a lone conscript react to being thrust onto the front lines? How does the commander of an armored formation react to being pushed to the breaking point? How does the general in charge of the whole operation deal with the pace and scale of modern warfare? How does a logistics officer comprehend moving tens of thousands of men and material across a few highways and bridges? How does exposing soldiers to the ruins of a new but clearly wealthier society make them question their own views? How can the philosophies, biases, and temperaments of two different officers cause tension between them and affect the fighting unit as a whole?
Those are the questions this book asks. It is not M1 Abrams vs T-72 or M-16 vs AK-74. It is man vs war. Remarkably, Red Army even skirts around my usual requirement for military fiction: does the conflict have a compelling economic reason for its start? The reason for the Soviet invasion into the West is never given, and yet I don't care.
I find it remarkable that Peters wrote this as an American intelligence officer entirely from the perspective of Soviet soldiers and published this in 1986. This, I believe, is exactly the type of empathy we need today. Take the current Russian-Ukraine war. It is no secret that Russian society will not tolerate failures in Ukraine much longer, or that Russian soldiers are and functionally have been reluctant to go into front line fighting since the beginning of the conflict, or that many changes in the command structure have led to disjointed strategic and tactical thinking. What if you knew which commanders you needed to demoralize to make a whole front collapse? What if you knew how to entice desertions and betrayals in Russian ranks?
With some proper intelligence work, this could be possible, and may already be working. Understanding that the enemy is human definitely does not mean you should or need to admire them. Peters understands how useful knowing your adversary can be, and he writes his characters as humans that at the very least seem remarkably real if a little one dimensional at times. It's not "what would I do if I were in their position". It is "what would they do if they were in that position" which is a much trickier question to answer. The characters, not the war, are the focus of this story. Your task as the reader is to empathize with them. Empathy is a superpower. We should not be afraid to use it.
A recommend that could not be any higher. One of the best military fiction books I've ever read.
This is a book not about the tank and tank tactics, but about the tanker and his fears as he must obey orders to further extend his vehicle in to enemy territory. It's not about the the raw logistics and strategy of command, but of the commanders and logistics officers and their struggle to adapt to war at lightning pace with primitive technology and perhaps even more primitive philosophies. It's not about small squad tactics, it's about the man in the squad who gets turned around in a chaotic urban combat zone who just wants to go home. You will not read about the details of the caliber of the gun or top speed of a T-72 as it charges through West Germany. In fact, you will not read a single equipment detail in the book. There is no T-72, there is just a tank. There is no AK-74u, there is just a rifle. There are no technical details of Soviet guns, artillery, armor, or vehicles. The closest this comes is to the names of the units involved: Third Shock Army for example.
That is because this book is not supposed to be an all encompassing view of how war is prosecuted strategically and tactically. It is about people. How does a lone conscript react to being thrust onto the front lines? How does the commander of an armored formation react to being pushed to the breaking point? How does the general in charge of the whole operation deal with the pace and scale of modern warfare? How does a logistics officer comprehend moving tens of thousands of men and material across a few highways and bridges? How does exposing soldiers to the ruins of a new but clearly wealthier society make them question their own views? How can the philosophies, biases, and temperaments of two different officers cause tension between them and affect the fighting unit as a whole?
Those are the questions this book asks. It is not M1 Abrams vs T-72 or M-16 vs AK-74. It is man vs war. Remarkably, Red Army even skirts around my usual requirement for military fiction: does the conflict have a compelling economic reason for its start? The reason for the Soviet invasion into the West is never given, and yet I don't care.
I find it remarkable that Peters wrote this as an American intelligence officer entirely from the perspective of Soviet soldiers and published this in 1986. This, I believe, is exactly the type of empathy we need today. Take the current Russian-Ukraine war. It is no secret that Russian society will not tolerate failures in Ukraine much longer, or that Russian soldiers are and functionally have been reluctant to go into front line fighting since the beginning of the conflict, or that many changes in the command structure have led to disjointed strategic and tactical thinking. What if you knew which commanders you needed to demoralize to make a whole front collapse? What if you knew how to entice desertions and betrayals in Russian ranks?
With some proper intelligence work, this could be possible, and may already be working. Understanding that the enemy is human definitely does not mean you should or need to admire them. Peters understands how useful knowing your adversary can be, and he writes his characters as humans that at the very least seem remarkably real if a little one dimensional at times. It's not "what would I do if I were in their position". It is "what would they do if they were in that position" which is a much trickier question to answer. The characters, not the war, are the focus of this story. Your task as the reader is to empathize with them. Empathy is a superpower. We should not be afraid to use it.
A recommend that could not be any higher. One of the best military fiction books I've ever read.
November 26, 2022
An interesting book written in 1989 whose premise fell to pieces later that year with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Warsaw Pact, an event I witnessed as a Captain with the 3rd Brigade/1st Infantry Division (forward) in West Germany. As the west gained access to Soviet war plans, it became apparent that their plans were to go immediately nuclear. All the hand-wringing we supposed was being done concerning nukes was a deep miscalculation of the offensive intent of a USSR whose philosophy was honed in the crucible of WWII, their experience being exponentially more visceral than any western power. One enters upon offensive war with the goal to seize the initiative, dominating entirely, dictating pace, action, and outcome.
That being said, discarding the flawed assumptions of war plans upon which the book is built - the assumption of a conventional war contained to the conventional - this book is worthwhile for the genre. It is an unusual perspective for a western author, that of the GSFG (Group of Soviet Forces Germany) the Russian units forming the core of their offensive ground strength. Ignoring what we know now, their serious deficiencies in support services, lack of leadership, stunted initiative, and corruption throughout their services of supply and combat arms casting doubt upon their ability to even deploy out of their peacetime cantonments, the book is actually engaging.
If for no other reason than the story could apply to any army in this fictional war that my generation misjudged this book has value. In the end all soldiers in war find more in common with the enemy than with those who dispatched them in harms way, once they see through the haze of tribal nationalism and the dehumanization of the enemy necessary to turn them into murderers. Therein lies the path to peace, the recognition of every person’s inherent humanity. The book does not go this far, but touches the edges.
That being said, discarding the flawed assumptions of war plans upon which the book is built - the assumption of a conventional war contained to the conventional - this book is worthwhile for the genre. It is an unusual perspective for a western author, that of the GSFG (Group of Soviet Forces Germany) the Russian units forming the core of their offensive ground strength. Ignoring what we know now, their serious deficiencies in support services, lack of leadership, stunted initiative, and corruption throughout their services of supply and combat arms casting doubt upon their ability to even deploy out of their peacetime cantonments, the book is actually engaging.
If for no other reason than the story could apply to any army in this fictional war that my generation misjudged this book has value. In the end all soldiers in war find more in common with the enemy than with those who dispatched them in harms way, once they see through the haze of tribal nationalism and the dehumanization of the enemy necessary to turn them into murderers. Therein lies the path to peace, the recognition of every person’s inherent humanity. The book does not go this far, but touches the edges.
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