French Foreign Legion: Infantry and Cavalry Since 1945 (Osprey Military Men-at-Arms, No 300)

Rating:
Summary: Very Competent Overview of the Period
Review: Having followed the activities of the Foreign Legion ground troop for many years in the press and especially during my working years concerned with Africa I am very familiar with these men and their activities.
This book briefly covers the First Vietnam War, the Algerian War, and the various interventions and campaigns in Africa and even covers Bosnia and the UN forces there.
Because for political reasons, the French conscripts could not be used to fight in foreign lands and today the use of the Legion as a highly trained Force d'Intervention requires highly trained long service volunteers, the Legion has always been stretched thin.
This book details the many different service and field orders of clothing from the days when they were equipped with surplus British and U.S. clothing and equipment, through the gradual introduction of French national clothing patterns and the use of French, U.S. and British small arms well into the fifties.
There was no standard order of clothing and equipment in the first twenty some years after the war but what was worn and used depended on where you were.
This should be read along with the volume on the Foreign Legion paras and those on the metropolitan army of France as well as the volume on the Algerian War.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference of the Post War Foreign Legion
Review: Martin Windrow is one of the Osprey Military Publishing Editor but also one of the few authority on the post-war French army with this on mind we can find that he try to gave us all the information he can on the Legion, in this small book we follow the French Foreign Legion in 1945 after WWII,their organization in Indochina as part of the Famous French Far East Expeditionary Corps(or CEFEO in French),description of the Major campaign where the Legion saw action,"HOA BINH",PHU TOMG HOA were Legionnaires Fought hand to hand to recapture some blockhouses,the Famous siege of Dien Bien Phu(with a small but clear map)and a Regimental Service in IndoChina,the end of the French Protectorate over Morocco,Algeria War the Unhappiest period in the Legion's History and then their Active Service all around the World, Africa,Beirut,The First Gulf War and Bosnia.

The book is a Excellent QUICK reference to the Modern history of this Elite Unit of the French Army, with many Photos(b&w)and 8 color plates of the evolution of the uniforms, the book is extended by a further 16 pages which is not normal in the Men-At-Arms series(total 64pg), regimetal (...) and beret Badges with some insignias worn on the right shoulders.

This is the First of 4 books dedicated to the French Army, The Algerian War 1954-62(Men-at-Arms 312)The French Indochina War 1946-54(Men-at-Arms 322)and The French Foreign Legion 1914-45(Men-at-Arms 325)and French Foreign Legion Paratroops(Elite 6)from other publisher we can find many titles but for a Complete History see "The French Foreign Legion" by Douglas Porch (784 pages) for the Legion today "French Foreign Legion Operations 1990-2000"(Europa Military Special #15) by Yves Debay the books by Bernard B. Fall also show the role of the Legion in the French post-WWII Wars(or cold war period)

Rating:
Summary: French Foreign Legion in the post war period
Review: This title is good supplement to the companion Elite title on French Foreign Legion paratroopers. Indeed, The French Foreign Legion since 1945 is unique because it's a Men at Arms title with the same number of pages as an Elite booklet. Nevertheless, I was also disappointed. This book has a lot of redundacy for its 64 pages if the reader buys its companion volumes: The French IndoChina War and the War in Algeria. Indeed, the authour uses identical maps in all 3 books. Further, he takes up unnecessary space on regimental services in Indochina and in Algeria. I would preferred that he discuss how the légionnaires transformed themselves from heavy infantry 'cannon fodder' for colonial missions to a highly specialized intervention and rapid deployment force that constitutes France's 'sharp end'. Indeed, he should have devoted the bulk of the book on the Legion's participation in the Gulf War to underscore its transformation as well as the Legion's response to the revolution in military affairs (RMA).
The colour plates are, as always, fantastic; it's always a pleasure to admire Mike Chappell's artwork. As a modeler, I carefully scrutinize the plates as well as the accompanying textual description to help me build and paint accurate soldiers.
I recommend this book though not as highly due to the redundancy of materials that the aforementioned companion volumes already cover.