I recently received an ARC of "Order of Battle" by David Bruns and J.R. Olson. The book is volume three in the "Command and Control" series published by Severn River Publishing (and I am very grateful for the opportunity to review this text). I should point out that I have read the entire series to date and anxiously await the already announced volume #4. This particular text, takes as its jump off point a thinly fictionalized view of events in the Ukraine since the Russian invasion. It is most valuable for its examination of the peculiar and ultimately morally ambiguous situation the United States and its allies find themselves in as they struggle to appear committed to the independence of the Ukraine without confronting the ultimate consequences of a looming Russian victory. Needless to say, in "Order of Battle," things are allowed to play themselves out in an altogether too familiar way as the Russians feel increasingly that only military expansion can save their position. This all occurs against the backdrop of both Russian disinformation and American willingness to try to manage events on the ground through the exercise of state sponsored agents willing to do what must be done to counter Russian mercenaries also working to shape events in the Ukraine. If this all sounds very familiar, you're getting the idea. As usual. the authors have a good grip on military tactics as well as grand strategy and the limitations of state involvement in events in the Ukraine. The book starts out on a horrific low key focusing on Russian agent provocateurs and then really gets rolling as each side tries to expand the proxy war being fought in the shadows without becoming too overt about it. It is a great way to get some new perspectives on what is happening in the Ukraine and the very real dangers associated with that ongoing example of Russian imperialism. As I said earlier, I cannot wait to read the next volume in this fascinating series.

A really well written book that had a little bit of everything in it. Russia is working their misinformation at a feverish pace and the US doesn't know what to do. This book involved a little less Don Riley than I like but the other characters that were more heavily featured a lot too. I don't want to ruin the plot but this book is a very good read. It doesn't seem that far fetched either and is very relatable to current events. I hope these authors keep writing so I can keep enjoying them.