Harry's Game - A Gritty Thriller (set in Northern Ireland during the mid seventies.) by Gerald Seymour

Gritty story set during the mid 1970s in Northern Ireland during the height of the IRA conflict. A high profile British government worker is targeted and killed by the Provisional IRA outside his home in London. The British Government cannot allow such an act to go by without a response - a severe response. In the corridors of power, ministers sanction the intellegence services to formulate a robust and hard hitting response. The British decide to target the very IRA assassin in his own area of believed safety - the Ardoyne area of Republican Belfast. 

A pro-Britsih, Northern Irish army officer, serving in the British army is sent under cover to locate and terminate the IRA assassin. Gradually the under cover oprative weaves his way around the streets of the Ardoyne and begins to blend in with the local population. 

Very pacey thriller that keeps one turning the pages, especially when the local IRA Brigade commander learns that a suspected British agent is within the no go zones of Republican Belfast. Can the Brit be found? Can the Brit home in on his prized kill - the IRA assasin?

Smashing read. Give it a go!

Redcoat - My Goodreads review.

Historical story set during the American War of Independence. Our heroes and baddies are: an ordinary British soldier, a feisty American rebel lady and a villain who is a ruthless and ambitious American loyalist serving in the British Army. Perhaps slightly more for a British audience because we (the reader) look at things from a more British perspective. I think an American might find it a little apologetic from a Brit point of view, as well as making the rascal a redcoat loyalist American. However, it was still enjoyable. I would recommend it to people who enjoy the history of the American War of Independence.

I liked our ordinary British soldier who came across as the reluctant hero caught up in a conflict he can't understand. A bit pantomime goodie and baddie angle, but still give it a go. 

Nigel Farage on UK Defense: January 2014

 

Nigel Farage talks so much sense and I have decided that I will vote for this man and the UKIP party. I wanted there to be some hope on a none socialist EU, but that does not seem likely anymore. The worrying trend of the Tories scaling down our armed forces is very scary indeed. Their idea of simplifying things and tougher sentencing policy.

 

I do not think we will get involved with overseas wars anymore, but the idea of the UK going it alone and not shackled to an EU run by a socialists only club is very attractive.

British Army Terrier

The new British Army Terrier, looks like a tank, but is a high-tech RC digger. It is quick and effective at digging and the British Army has bought a large number of them. This huge piece of machinery can be remote controlled. There are about 60 of these new vehicles at a cost of £360 million.

I'm not sure how or when they will be used, but I would suppose they could rapidly dig defensive trench works. There must also be other things too, that military people would have a better understanding of.

First Submarine Attack by Americans against British 1776

When it comes to being creative or getting an idea off the drawing board, and putting it to practical use; I think the Americans are a nation that can motivate and plug dreams to become reality. If they don’t succeed the first time, they try again – a trait that served them well over the years.

I was astonished to learn that they invented and used a submarine against us in 1776. One of their first attempts at chasing, what was then, a fantasy notion. I was taken aback when I watched the small YouTube documentary below, about an attempted innovation by the fledgeling nation, when they were at war with us Brits. It was during the Independence conflict and was the first recorded submarine attack ever. The target was H.M.S. Eagle - a Royal Navy vessel that was moored off of Liberty Island.

The Turtle was like a giant distorted beer barrel in a strawberry shape and was waterproof. It had room for one person who worked the submersible device from within.

The underwater weapon was cast from a nearby bank during the night. It bobbed about in the waves as it neared the anchored ship. Then when the Turtle got close it submerged successfully. The underwater contraption then proceeded towards H.M.S. Eagle's hull underwater and out of sight of the lookouts on board the ship.

The daring expedition was controlled by Sergeant Ezra Lee (1749 - 1821.) He managed to manoeuvre the quaint submarine under the hull of H.M.S. Eagle as she lay in anchor. Once underneath, he tried to bore a hole into the ship’s hull with the use of a drill. In this final part of his mission, he was unsuccessful because he could not settle the drill properly upon the wood. He had air enough for thirty minutes and as he began to tire, he had to abandon the mission. The Turtle backed away to safety.

The American Militia would try two further attempts, during the Independence war, but these were unsuccessful too. However, this primitive underwater vehicle, known as the Turtle, did come close to success. It was the first submarine in use during a military conflict.