Book Review of
Riverine Craft of the Vietnam Wars
Author: Roger Branfill-Cook
Seaforth Publishing, Shipcraft Series
ISBN: 978-1-5267-4906-2
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $24.95
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $24.95
THE BOOK:
Seaforth Publishing is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 65 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a model diorama of a PBR Mk. II and a Program 5 CCR in 1/35 scale by Jan Verherstraeten.
This is the latest in a series that aims to provide modelers with all they need to know about a famous class or type of warship and the associated model kits.
There are 57 black and white Vietnam war photos shown in the book and 30 two-view line drawings of different riverine boats.
Kits listed in the book showing either their box arts or the model made up are of:
Lindberg 1/150 scale L.C.I., Revell 1/131 scale Ashville Class Gunboat, DML 1/72nd scale Buffalo, Zvezda 1/76th scale Bofors conversion for the DML kit, Milicast 1/76th scale for conversion to French Monitor, Milicast 1/76th scale for conversion for Vedette Vietnamienne, DML 1/72nd scale LVT-(A)4, Airfix 1/72nd scale LCVP for conversion to French Patrol gunboat, Skytrex 1/76th scale American Program Monitor, Skytrex ATC with bow ramp for conversion to Douche, Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 4 ASPB early and late versions, Skytrex 1/76th scale South Vietnamese RPC Mark 2, Armageddon 1/72nd scale Vietnam Patrol boat PBR 31 Mk. II “Pibber”, Barrage Miniatures 1/72nd scale Yabuta junk, Calibre 1/72nd scale LSSC, Viking Models 1/72nd scale Brown Water Navy Monitor, Barrage Miniatures 1/56th scale LCPL and LCVP and Landing Craft Support Mk. III, Warlord Games 1/56th scale LVT-4 Buffalo.
IN LARGER SCALES:
Monogram 1/48th scale Rag Boat, Revell 1/48th scale PCF Swift Boat Mk.I, Monogram Yabuta Command junk, MA 1/35th scale LCS Mk. III, Italeri 1/35th scale LVT(A)-4 Alligator Close Support Craft, AFV Club 1/35th scale early type LVT-4 + Italeri 40mm Bofors - LVT 40 Alligator, Italeri 1/35t scale converted to French LCVP gunboat, V-Models 1/35th scale conversion set for Italeri LCVP, Tamiya 1/35th scale PBR-31 Mk. II, DML 1/35TH scale Light Seal Support Craft, Semper Fi Miniatures 1/35th scale Medium Seal Support Craft, Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale PCF Swift Boat, their ASP late version, their Program 5 “Zippo” and their Program 5 “Monitor”.
Models that are built up are shown in walk-around color photos showing:
The Italeri 1/35th scale French Armoured LCVP built by the author (8 photos), DML-Milicast 1/72nd scale LVT(A)-5 built by the author (5 photos), Airfix-Milicast 1/72nd scale French Army LCVP built by the author (4 photos), Barrage Miniatures 1/48th scale Motor Patrol junk built by the author (5 photos), Skytrex 1/76th scale River Patrol Craft built by the author (7 photos), Monogram 1/48th scale Rag Boat built by the author (5 photos), Monogram 1/48th scale Swift Boat built by the author (3 photos) shown with a color illustration of the Coastal cloth badge, Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 6 ASPS built by the author (4 photos), Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 4 Monitor built by the author (4 photos), a diorama of a 1/35th scale PBR & CCB by unknown manufacturers, built by Jan Verherstraeten (4 photos including the cover art of the book), Mach 2 1/72nd scale PBR Mk. II built by the author (8 photos), Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale Vietnam diorama built by Jack Carrico (5 photos), Tamiya 1/35th scale PBR Mk. II built by Graeme Mouneux (2 photos), Scratch-built 1/48TH scale ATC Duche built by Factory Direct Models (1 side view), DML LSSC 1/35TH scale built by various modelers (5 photos), Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale Program 5 “Zippo” built by Jack Carrico (3 photos).
The end of the book has SELECTED REFERENCES and color cover arts of 14 other Ship Craft Series books and 29 titles of more of them.
The back cover of the book has 2 wartime color photos of Riverine Craft in Vietnam.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Seaforth books can be viewed on Casemates web address at:
Seaforth Publishing is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 65 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a model diorama of a PBR Mk. II and a Program 5 CCR in 1/35 scale by Jan Verherstraeten.
This is the latest in a series that aims to provide modelers with all they need to know about a famous class or type of warship and the associated model kits.
There are 57 black and white Vietnam war photos shown in the book and 30 two-view line drawings of different riverine boats.
Kits listed in the book showing either their box arts or the model made up are of:
Lindberg 1/150 scale L.C.I., Revell 1/131 scale Ashville Class Gunboat, DML 1/72nd scale Buffalo, Zvezda 1/76th scale Bofors conversion for the DML kit, Milicast 1/76th scale for conversion to French Monitor, Milicast 1/76th scale for conversion for Vedette Vietnamienne, DML 1/72nd scale LVT-(A)4, Airfix 1/72nd scale LCVP for conversion to French Patrol gunboat, Skytrex 1/76th scale American Program Monitor, Skytrex ATC with bow ramp for conversion to Douche, Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 4 ASPB early and late versions, Skytrex 1/76th scale South Vietnamese RPC Mark 2, Armageddon 1/72nd scale Vietnam Patrol boat PBR 31 Mk. II “Pibber”, Barrage Miniatures 1/72nd scale Yabuta junk, Calibre 1/72nd scale LSSC, Viking Models 1/72nd scale Brown Water Navy Monitor, Barrage Miniatures 1/56th scale LCPL and LCVP and Landing Craft Support Mk. III, Warlord Games 1/56th scale LVT-4 Buffalo.
IN LARGER SCALES:
Monogram 1/48th scale Rag Boat, Revell 1/48th scale PCF Swift Boat Mk.I, Monogram Yabuta Command junk, MA 1/35th scale LCS Mk. III, Italeri 1/35th scale LVT(A)-4 Alligator Close Support Craft, AFV Club 1/35th scale early type LVT-4 + Italeri 40mm Bofors - LVT 40 Alligator, Italeri 1/35t scale converted to French LCVP gunboat, V-Models 1/35th scale conversion set for Italeri LCVP, Tamiya 1/35th scale PBR-31 Mk. II, DML 1/35TH scale Light Seal Support Craft, Semper Fi Miniatures 1/35th scale Medium Seal Support Craft, Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale PCF Swift Boat, their ASP late version, their Program 5 “Zippo” and their Program 5 “Monitor”.
Models that are built up are shown in walk-around color photos showing:
The Italeri 1/35th scale French Armoured LCVP built by the author (8 photos), DML-Milicast 1/72nd scale LVT(A)-5 built by the author (5 photos), Airfix-Milicast 1/72nd scale French Army LCVP built by the author (4 photos), Barrage Miniatures 1/48th scale Motor Patrol junk built by the author (5 photos), Skytrex 1/76th scale River Patrol Craft built by the author (7 photos), Monogram 1/48th scale Rag Boat built by the author (5 photos), Monogram 1/48th scale Swift Boat built by the author (3 photos) shown with a color illustration of the Coastal cloth badge, Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 6 ASPS built by the author (4 photos), Skytrex 1/76th scale Program 4 Monitor built by the author (4 photos), a diorama of a 1/35th scale PBR & CCB by unknown manufacturers, built by Jan Verherstraeten (4 photos including the cover art of the book), Mach 2 1/72nd scale PBR Mk. II built by the author (8 photos), Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale Vietnam diorama built by Jack Carrico (5 photos), Tamiya 1/35th scale PBR Mk. II built by Graeme Mouneux (2 photos), Scratch-built 1/48TH scale ATC Duche built by Factory Direct Models (1 side view), DML LSSC 1/35TH scale built by various modelers (5 photos), Masterpiece Models 1/35th scale Program 5 “Zippo” built by Jack Carrico (3 photos).
The end of the book has SELECTED REFERENCES and color cover arts of 14 other Ship Craft Series books and 29 titles of more of them.
The back cover of the book has 2 wartime color photos of Riverine Craft in Vietnam.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Seaforth books can be viewed on Casemates web address at:
Highly recommended.