Ian Jones, MBE. Malice aforethought: a history of booby traps from World War One to Vietnam.Ian Jones, MBE MBE (in Britain) Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE n abbr (BRIT) (= Member of the Order of the British Empire) → tÃtulo ceremonial MBE n abbr (Brit) (= . Malice aforethought A predetermination to commit an act without legal justification or excuse. A malicious design to injure. An intent, at the time of a killing, willfully to take the life of a human being, or an intent willfully to act in callous and wanton disregard of the consequences to : A history of booby traps from World War One to Vietnam, Greenhill Books, London and Stackpole Books, Pennsylvania, 2004, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 1-85367-613-6, hard cover with dust jacket, 270 pp, 60-plus b & w photos and drawings, 16 x 24 cm, UK 18.99 [pounds sterling]. The subject is topical, the author's credentials are impeccable and the text thoroughly engrossing engrossing, in English law, practice of acquiring a monopoly of goods in order to sell them at an inflated price. The offense was ordinarily limited to monopolies of foods. Related practices were forestalling, i.e. for students of military history. Note that this is a military history book and not an insurgent's or terrorist's how-to manual. The author, Major Ian Jones, MBE, deliberately concludes this history with the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. on account of the sensitivity of information relating to later events. As a bomb disposal expert bomb disposal expert n → artificiero/a with the British Army and the Metropolitan Police, he brings the perspective of the practicalities to the historical side of things, for which he has done extensive and admirable research. The story begins with the First World War wherein the Germans rapidly gained the ascendancy in the manufacture and deployment of mines, delay action fuses and booby traps. This aided them immeasurably in static trench warfare and when they made strategic withdrawals in the later stages of the war. One reason why the Allies could not take advantage of surrendered ground quickly or easily was the ever-present menace of mines and booby traps. The sterling work of the Royal Engineers and others in combating this menace is documented and praised as it should be. Part Two of the story again emphasises the early superiority of the Germans in this game a generation later, and discusses the state of play in North Africa and Italy, the anti-German campaigns by guerrillas and the measures employed by and against Japan. All of this makes for fascinating reading. Part Three deals with the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. , "police actions" and the Vietnam War in which the use of mines and booby traps figured significantly. Once again, fascinating reading. In short, this book offers an enlightening insight into an important but little publicised aspect of modem war that deserves careful consideration by those who desire not to repeat these horrors that impact hapless civilians as well as combatants. |
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