Red Phoenix (and It's Kraken, Gromit!)

Back in the Eighties I was an avid reader of multi-book fantasy series and techno-thrillers, a bit of a strange mix to be sure. The latter included the likes of Tom Clancy, Harold Coyle and Larry Bond. Bond, as you may know, is also a wargamer and the author of the modern naval wargame Harpoon. 

After writing Red Storm Rising with Tom Clancy, he started writing his own novels kicking off with Red Phoenix set during a modern day Korean War with the North launching a winter invasion. I recently downloaded a cheap Kindle edition of the book I read some twenty-five odd years ago and found that it had not dated too badly and provided an entertaining enough literary diversion. It was certainly engrossing enough that I didn't realise that it was gone one in the morning when I finished it! 

From a wargaming point of view the background and battles in the book are inspiring enough for my brain to start pondering more 6mm projects beyond the Arab-Israeli War. 

Having finished Red Phoenix I immediately checked out what other Bond books were available on Kindle and downloaded his second novel Votrex which is set in South Africa for just 77p (I might find a use for the nineteen Rooikat 105's I found the other day!)

On a related note I de-based a pile of Heroics modern 6mm infantry to see what can be used for Egyptians, Syrians etc. They include Soviet infantry, old style (pre Fritz) US infantry, modern German infantry and some excellent Soviet paratroops which can be converted into infantry with a blob of Liquid Green Stuff for helmets if needed. Tomorrow I will sit and sort them out into units, I just need to see if the Germans will pass muster as Israelis to whether I need to pick up a specific pack.

Gromit of the Day:

It's Kraken, Gromit!