The Rocket Propelled Grenade

Osprey Weapons #2

by Gordon L. Rottman, Ramiro Bujeiro (Illustrator), Tony Bryan (Illustrator)

Osprey's new Weapon series provides a highly-detailed yet affordable overview of the development, use, and impact of small arms throughout history - from the sword to the machine gun.

Learn the surprising truths behind one of modern warfare's most popular and controversial firearms. Developed immediately after World War II (1939-1945), the RPG-series have proved to be simple, flexible, and powerful devices, which have had an impact far beyond original expectations. Track its development and deployment firsthand, from the Vietnam hills to the streets of modern Baghdad.

Gordon Rottman provides a detailed analysis of perhaps one of the most important weapons to be developed in the 20th century. He has been at the receiving end of the RPG-2 and RPG-7 as well as firing them himself, providing personal testament to the effectiveness with which they accomplished their missions. This in-depth coverage is well-accompanied by Ramiro Bujeiro's battlescene artwork and Tony Bryan's cutaway illustrations.

Genres: Military History, Military Fiction, History

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2006

About the author

Gordon L Rottman served for 26 years in the US Army in Special Forces, airborne infantry, long-range reconnaissance patrol, and military intelligence assignments in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. He has worked as a Special Operations Forces scenario writer for 14 years at the Army' s Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk , Louisiana where he developed training exercises for Special Forces.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey.He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a well known weapon of war. But most people probably don't know much more than that. This book provides, in the brief Osprey Publishing format, an introduction to this weapon. Lightweight and easy to use, this has become a widely adopted weapon by insurgents.

A useful volume to learn more about this weapon. . . .

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being seriously impressed by first entry in Osprey's series called 'Weapons' (that would be the one about Thompson sub-machinegun), I couldn't help myself and grabbed this volume just a couple weeks later. I just had to see if volume about Thompson was a lucky one-off or if this new book cycle from Osprey should be something deserving serious attention.

Well... the RPG isn't exactly the same type of 'animal' Thompson is and for that simple reason the content of this booklet is also significantly different. In many respects it conforms more with what I expected those 'Weapon' booklets to be - very technical, focused on development, variations, technical capabilities and so on. But RPG IS a legendary weapon system almost as famous as Thompson and author uses its history to make this volume into a fascinating read. And if you ask me, just the fact that it puts the final nail into the coffin of the seemingly never-ending discussion about association between RPG and Panzerfaust is in itself worth the price of this booklet.

Overall, highly recommended for anyone interested in topic of weapon technology and history. Let's hope Osprey can keep up the good work!

[Mehmet Kır · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a detailed story of one of the world's most widely used weapon, which known as the RPG.
As you know, RPG is the brother of an AK-47 and this book is like a story of them.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entry into Ospreys 'Weapons series for me was a little too technical. I enjoyed the previous entry, (The Thompson), but this not so much.