New Osprey USMC Force Recon Uniforms and Equipment book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1472806786?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

It just released several days ago. Is it worth getting? Comments and opinions welcome. Thanks.

I ordered it "blind" so we'll see.

My book came yesterday. Overall impressions, it's very good information for the price.

All the photos are dated so one knows what uniforms and gear the photos are showing in case the figure modeler wants to build a figure from the book's photo.

Most of the photos are direct from the USMC (the author took his own photos of the tactical body armor vests) and most of the photos show the Marine from the waist up (the torso) as the book mainly focuses on the load bearing equipment (LBE) and vests. The selection of USMC photos are great as all are in focus and shows the item, equipment, or uniform the author is talking about.

The painted watercolor illustration pages are particularly nice, showing the LBE from 2000 to 2015. (The pouches, harness, vests, gloves, kneepads, helmet, and other gear are laid out in the illustration according to that time period). These pages should help modelers, painters, and sculptors with visual references.

The book also briefly covers the latest USMC weapons, including the M4 SOPMOD, Carl Gustav, new sniper rifles, pistols, and light machine guns. Also covered are the latest communication radios, weapon scopes, backpacks, tactical vests, gear, kit, and uniforms. The text describes when equipment first became fielded by the Marines, allowing the modeler to craft his figure with equipment set to a particular date in time.

Highly recommended.