[ME] Book suggestions

[Ryan Pendergast <pender@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just came home from a trip to find two books had arrived in the mail 
which far exceeded my expectations.  The first is "Sniper" by Mark 
Spicer.  This book has apparently been published in the UK but not the US, 
although it is available through militarybookclub.com.  While far from 
being a technical guide to precision marksmanship and fieldcraft, it is 
very well illustrated with lots of color photos and diagrams, and is full 
of good information on how military snipers operate.  This book would be 
ideal for players who don't have a strong knowledge of shooting or the 
military but want to run a sniper character.  Just flipping through it will 
give them the opportunity to learn about range estimating, ghillie suits, 
mil-dots, and ballistics.  Well worth the $25 I spent.

The second book also came from militarybookclub.com and like the first, is 
more geared at armchair commandos than real operators.  It is titled 
"Hostage Rescue Manual" by Leroy Thompson.  Again, it is far too light to 
be a serious guide to CQB operations, but as a complement to the BlackEagle 
Operatives Handbook, it is ideal.  It provides good information on tactics, 
procedures, and entry techniques.  GM's and players alike could add 
considerable realism to their ME campaign by employing the information 
provided in this book.  I believe the price was about $20.  (For those who 
play Rogue Spear, this book is what Covert Ops Essentials should have been 
but never was).

So get thee to a bookstore and breathe some new life into your ME campaign...

Ryan