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It was inevitable upon the announcement that GURPS would publish a line of World War Two titles that an American sourcebook would be one of them. Dogfaces is up to the usual standards of historically themed GURPS products, but picky customers may find certain things missing that either appeared in other books or were earmarked for future supplements that now may or may not see the night of day.

This is a typical GURPS WW2 book, meaning the art is exclusively black and white stylized photos that some folks dislike. Every other page or so has sidebars supplementing the main text.

The first chapter has 20 or so pages of background text, a historical introduction starting at the end of WW1 and continuing to 1945. Other than scattered references to other products, this is totally generic (usable for other games or available at your library, depending on your slant).

Chapter Two has grittier details about the life of an American combatant, with details on the organization of each service branch, equipment (personal and vehicular), and the spirit of playing a GI. One notable omission is the emphasis on service and qualification badges instead of the flashier medals - since both the German and British books had dedicated descriptions of the latter, their absence is conspicuous.

Chapter Three continues the day-in-the-life trend with information about the draft, basic training, and the travails of a soldier's life when someone is not shooting at him. Details of life on the front lines come next. These chapters make it possible to start a campaign with new draftees and progress through the entire war.

The most GURPS-specific chapters come next: character construction and armory. Chapter Four provides the rules and guidance for making characters, including several templates (MP, scientist, OSS & FBI agents, and mobster) and capsule biographies of the major leaders. Chapter Five has stats for equipment, from personal gear to firearms (that don't appear in the main book) to atom bombs. Vehicle stats inlucde the M-3 Stuart, M-10 Wolverine, M-7 Priest, F4F Wildcat, P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt, B-25 Mitchell, B-17 Flying Fortress, C-47 Skytrain, DUKW Amphibious Truck, LVCP Higgins Boat, LVT Amtrac, PT Boat, Gato-class sub, Fletcher-class destroyer & Essex-class carrier.

Chapter 7 highlights the Western Front, with the particular focus on D-Day. Unfortunately, this is the only theater detailed, which is a shame given the quality of what does appear. Granted, GURPS WW2: All the King's Men contains info about the American experience in Africa and Italy, but since that product came later, someone reading Dogfaces couldn't be told to refer to that book. What about a treatment of the Battle of the Bulge as a potential campaign - other than a mention in the timeline it's ignored! Furthermore, as the line is on hiatus, the lack of similar treatment for the Pacific War is even more pronounced (oddly, the only map in the book is of Pearl Harbor).

Chapter Seven outlines stateside life during the war, from culture to civil service to crime. The final chapter suggests campaign types and themes both at home and at the front. They are succinct and not too intricate.

Dogfaces would make a great reference book for any game with Americans in the war era. The majority of it is good, solid information with an emphasis on detail that players can appreciate. What it covers is excellent; nevertheless, the argument that vital things are missing holds true. If it has what you're looking for, buy the book and maybe the remainder of the WW2 line will be released via e23.