Red Army (novel)
Encyclopedia
Red Army is a military Cold War
-era novel written by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Ralph Peters
in 1989. The book considered a World War III
scenario involving a Soviet attack on West Germany
across the North German Plain
.
, Harold Coyle
, Dale Brown
, or Sir John Hackett
— presented an opfor
perspective for the entire book or victory at the end of the novel. It was also unique for the genre in that the author did not focus at all on detailed descriptions of the weapons and technology used, and instead concentrated on the characters and their respective stories in the conflict.
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era novel written by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Ralph Peters
Ralph Peters
Ralph Peters is a retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel andauthor. As a novelist he has sometimes written under the pen name Owen Parry.-Personal:...
in 1989. The book considered a World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
scenario involving a Soviet attack on West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
across the North German Plain
North German plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...
.
Plot summary
Red Army was unique among military fiction published in the United States during the 1980s, in that it told its story exclusively from the perspective of officers and men in the Soviet Army. Even more uniquely, the Soviet Union prevailed over NATO forces thanks to a combination of rapid military success and political strategy. No other technothriller by the authors in the genre — such as Tom ClancyTom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
, Harold Coyle
Harold Coyle
For the Irish architect, see Harold Edgar Coyle.Harold Coyle is an American author of historical, speculative fiction and war novels including Team Yankee, a New York Times best-seller. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1974 and spent seventeen years on active duty with the U.S...
, Dale Brown
Dale Brown
Dale Brown is an American author and aviator, most famous for his aviation techno-thriller novels, with thirteen New York Times best sellers to his name.Brown was born in Buffalo, New York...
, or Sir John Hackett
John Winthrop Hackett Junior
General Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia...
— presented an opfor
Opposing force
An opposing force or enemy force is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios...
perspective for the entire book or victory at the end of the novel. It was also unique for the genre in that the author did not focus at all on detailed descriptions of the weapons and technology used, and instead concentrated on the characters and their respective stories in the conflict.