Dogsoldiers by James Tarr is a novel about a squad of irregular combatants. These soldiers are part of the opposition in an American Civil War, and the events take place about 10 years into the conflict. Overall, the novel is very realistic. The author delves into signals intelligence, and does a superb job. Johny Mac and NCScout would be proud of the way that the author goes into detail regarding how to handle communications in an austere, dangerous environment.
The author does a great job handling the descriptions of patrolling and battles, where the partisan resources are severely limited. The intimate details of firearms is also handled well. In some ways, the author provides the basic elements of guerilla warfare, under the disguise of a novel. After reading this novel, the reader is left with a better understanding regarding how war is hell, and how it should be avoided as much as possible. Life during a civil war is shown to be disgusting and depressing, but it is part of the price of freedom. The daily slog of survival is described too, showing how difficult it will be to obtain the basics of life.
I highly recommend this novel, as a learning tool, and as a reminder that a Civil War will not be a pleasant undertaking. Five stars for this realistic depiction of the horrors of war.
