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Armed Professions: A Writer's Guide
A must have resource for writers who have a great idea for a tale of soldiers, spies or policemen, but have no experience as such. Written by a man who has spent his life wearing a uniform and carrying a gun in numerous capacities. This book gives you a clear understanding of what it's like in the world of armed professions.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 4, 2017
A good look at the armed professions
This book is a great resource for writers. The author has worked in a number of the armed services, and his knowledge of the other services shows.
While the author admits that this book doesn’t attempt to cover every aspect of the military, law enforcement, or the various government agencies, it does cover a lot of ground. I marked a number of passages for later reference, because I know they’re going to be useful later.
The author also provides some recommendations for further reading, which I’ll be sure to look into.
This book is a great resource for writers. The author has worked in a number of the armed services, and his knowledge of the other services shows.
While the author admits that this book doesn’t attempt to cover every aspect of the military, law enforcement, or the various government agencies, it does cover a lot of ground. I marked a number of passages for later reference, because I know they’re going to be useful later.
The author also provides some recommendations for further reading, which I’ll be sure to look into.
June 26, 2017
A primer on military, law enforcement, and intelligence organizations. It's a good start but the author makes some mistakes in some of his assumptions about the United States Marines based on his Army background, Some references are given but be wary of movies as sources of information as they are created for drama not fact. Overall a fair introduction for writer's. A better source would be talk to veterans, go to the VFW or American Legion post, or to a military recruiter.
March 30, 2020
Great info on here
Written by a writer whose work does visit armed professions, as well as someone who has served in some of these capacities, this book is a straight forward reference guide to help writers get some of the basics. It's a quick and easy read that offers suggestions for other books or movies that will offer more depth. It also gives a view of each profession, at least in the West, over time.
Written by a writer whose work does visit armed professions, as well as someone who has served in some of these capacities, this book is a straight forward reference guide to help writers get some of the basics. It's a quick and easy read that offers suggestions for other books or movies that will offer more depth. It also gives a view of each profession, at least in the West, over time.
October 9, 2018
Great book.
I enjoyed your book, it was very informative and gave me a quite a few new ideas for further research. I know a few police officers , so I'll try to interview them first.
I enjoyed your book, it was very informative and gave me a quite a few new ideas for further research. I know a few police officers , so I'll try to interview them first.
March 2, 2019
Very informative
I found this book helpful for basic information. The author has experience as a professional in the armed forces. I would have liked more about foreign countries but I thought this book was a great starting point.
I found this book helpful for basic information. The author has experience as a professional in the armed forces. I would have liked more about foreign countries but I thought this book was a great starting point.
July 17, 2017
Repetitive and simplistic.
August 2, 2016
You won't come across many books as packed with useful information to a writer as this one. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I was offered a free copy in exchange for an honest review, but the wealth of detail here is, frankly, brilliant.
Clayton Callahan is a former US Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, and he provides a meticulous walkthrough of the various military and law enforcement bodies that exist - chiefly in the US, but with an eye to the rest of the world too.
From lists of the various rank structures in different military bodies through to small unit tactics and radio jargon, you'll find a vast amount of useful material if you're a writer creating work that involves such organisations.
Now, that in itself sounds quite dry, but Callahan bolsters that with asides from his own experience that really brings the material to life. He even extends current practices forward and back in time, giving examples from legionnaires of Rome through to possible structures of a far future military.
Throw in the copious references he provides to other source material, and you have what is an essential book for those writing about the military or law enforcement.
If I had any criticism, it's that it could do with one more pass through a proofreader, but frankly the raw knowledge and inspiration you'll glean from this book far outweighs any negative. Brilliant work, Mr Callahan!
Clayton Callahan is a former US Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, and he provides a meticulous walkthrough of the various military and law enforcement bodies that exist - chiefly in the US, but with an eye to the rest of the world too.
From lists of the various rank structures in different military bodies through to small unit tactics and radio jargon, you'll find a vast amount of useful material if you're a writer creating work that involves such organisations.
Now, that in itself sounds quite dry, but Callahan bolsters that with asides from his own experience that really brings the material to life. He even extends current practices forward and back in time, giving examples from legionnaires of Rome through to possible structures of a far future military.
Throw in the copious references he provides to other source material, and you have what is an essential book for those writing about the military or law enforcement.
If I had any criticism, it's that it could do with one more pass through a proofreader, but frankly the raw knowledge and inspiration you'll glean from this book far outweighs any negative. Brilliant work, Mr Callahan!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews