Introduction

It seems every time I see a WWP publication with the author Ralph Zwilling on it, I just say, what’s the point of a review when you just know what to expect. The Guardian is another odd looking vehicle that only its maker can love. This book shows you both the M1117 Guardian and the M1200 Armored Knight variants, with the main theme based on the M1117 Guardian design.

These vehicles have become very popular with U.S. Military Police Units and Convoy Security Units in Iraq. It is more heavily protected and heavily armed alternative to the armored Humvee which was not originally designed to be a protective fighting vehicle. Let’s see what Ralph has in store for us modelers.

Contents

As always, the contents of the book are as follows:

•M1117 History pages 002 - 0013
•M1117 OIF pages 014 - 017
•Technical Data page 018
•M1117 in Action pages 019 - 055
•M1117 Walk Around pages 020 - 031
•M1117 Interior Details pages 032 - 035
•M1117 UGWS Details pages 036 - 041
•M1117 Interior Details pages 042 - 045
•M1200 Walk Around pages 046 - 065
•M1200 Hull Interior pages 066 - 071
•M1200 Cupola Exterior pages 072 – 081
•M1200 Cupola Interior pages 082 – 083
•M1200 Crew pages 084 – 087
•M1200 Scale Drawings pages 088 – 091
•Author page 092

As with the majority of WWP publications, the opening brings you into a very in-depth introduction which is organized in a comprehensive layout. The info is enough for the reader to get an idea of how the system works. Info is good for modelers but too much can turn into a military ranting which most tend to ignore. This is something I’ve mentioned before. The focus is on the vehicles at hand and pictures do all the major work by letting the modeler know how each area of the vehicle looks. All pictures are well detailed and clear, which is definitely the reason for buying this book.

My favorite section is the Guardian ‘in mud’. As I like my vehicle weathered heavily, this section shows the M1117 as I like to see it. Although there are very few pictures of the under section of this vehicle, it will still satisfy most modelers, but might not be enough for those who like to do extreme detailing of the underside of such vehicles. Then again, there are very few modelers who like to go to that extreme and detail the underside of a vehicle, when it will not be seen. It could also have been that the author did not get the time or opportunity to get all the shots of the underside in the time frame he had. Certainly not an issue.

Regardless, I personally think the vital pictorial info needed is most important to the areas where will be visible to the modeler and viewers. I also like the fact that the Guardian is shown in different camo colors as they pertain to their specific needs in certain areas or field. Good for modelers to accurately portray model as it was meant.

As I have said many times over and over, Ralph knows what the modeler needs to see and he delivers the goods as expected.

Conclusion

The close up pictures makes this book worth every penny. Squinting eyes? No more. Just clear pictures. I think this is a great book for those wanting to represent this popular wheel vehicle as it is in use in Iraq, and I am assuming, in Afghanistan. The pictures are clear, so you, the modeler will have no problem viewing those areas that need special attention. In my book, it is a definite great buy and will interest everyone with interest into the military genre.