Men at Arms Series

Alamo Texan War Independence 1835-36 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA173In 1823 Texas was opened to American settlement; over the next 12 years thousands took advantage of the opportunity. During this time the corrupt Santa Anna rose to power. A dishonest and ruthless politician, thief, compulsive gambler, opium addict and liar, he nevetheless gained a measure of popular support and set about destroying federalism. Conflict with the American settlers ('Texians') became inevitable, a...

Allied Commanders WW II by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA120The Second World War, unlike the First, fostered the projection of 'characters'. Thanks to the media, many of the Allied commanders became household names, known as much for their successes and defeats on the battlefield as for their personalities. This book provides a brief review of the careers of some of the most notable figures to achieve high command in the Allied forces, a list that includes General of the Army Omar...

Confederate Armies, Vol. I by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA170When the Southern states seceded to form their own government in 1861, one of their first moves was to organise an army. The South's fighting men served from the time of their enlistment until the end of the war, receiving poor rations, and even worse clothing - and this despite the fact that one of the first steps taken by the new army was to design a uniform and establish standards for accoutrements and weapons. In this...

Author: Michael G JohnsonIllustrator: Richard HookAbout this bookThe southeastern people were the descendants of ancient prehistoric Indian cultures, and were probably on the decline when first known to Europeans. Despite being poorly reported in popular histories, they have been well described by several early European traders and by a number of well-known American ethnologists who collected details of surviving native culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The white man's...

Author: Ren_ ChartrandIllustrators: Gerry Embleton Sam EmbletonAbout this bookTo celebrate the 450th titlein the Men-at-Arms series,this book examines in muchmore depth than previouslythe units and the uniforms of a still-controversialarmy: the many thousandsof American colonists who chose to fight for King George during the Revolution. As wellas the better-known corps fromthe Atlantic seaboard, theauthor covers the units raised for service against the Spanish in the Floridas, the...

Most studies of medieval warfare in the late 14th and 15th centuries concentrate on the Hundred Years' War between England and France and the Wars of the Roses. But meanwhile, on the Iberian peninsula, the foundations of Spain's military -Golden Age' were being laid as the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon under the Trastamara dynasty grew in power, ambition and success. Featuring spectacular full-colour artwork, and rare manuscript illustrations, this book depicts the fighting men whose skill...

Armies In East Africa 1914-18 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA379One of the least-published campaigns of the Great War was that fought in East Africa by forces of colonial troops - British Empire, Belgian, Portuguese and German. Short of resources, many European, African and Indian soldiers recorded epics of endurance as they hunted the outnumbered but brilliantly led German colonial forces across a disease-ridden wilderness. The achievements of Paul von Lettow Vorbeck - the last German...

Armies Of Ivan The Terrible 1505-1700 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA427It is generally assumed that the military reforms which propelled Russia into the modern world were due solely to the genius of Peter the Great. In fact, his reforms were built upon changes that had taken place during the previous 200 years, since the creation in 1550 of Russia-s first full-time military force - the streltsi - by Ivan IV the Terrible. This account traces Russia-s armies from that beginning, through...

Medieval Russian Armies by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA333In the centuries following the first expeditions down the great rivers of northern Russia by Viking traders and adventurers, the foundations for a new state were laid. Many influences combined in this colourful culture which grew up first around the great cities of Kiev and Novgorod - Scandinavian, Finnish, Slav, steppe Turkish, Byzantine. By the time of the Mongol invasions of the 12th century the small enclaves of the old...

Author: Sean McLachlanIllustrator: Raffaele RuggeriAbout this bookIn the late 19th century, the new nation-state of Italy was eager to join her European neighbours in creating an international empire, and her eyes turned toward Africa as a source of potential colonies. Securing a foothold in Eritrea on the Red Sea coast, the Italians quickly became embroiled in a shooting war with the Ethiopians. The war proved a disaster for the Italians, who suffered three major defeats against the forces of...

Author: Philip JowettIllustrator: Stephen WalshAbout this bookIn 1912, the Balkan states formed an alliance in an effort to break free from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Forming an army of some 645,000 troops from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenego, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. Both sides were equipped with the latest weapons technology. This book looks at the diverse and sometimes colourful uniforms worn by both sides, paying special attention to insignia, weapons and...

Armies Of The Carthaginian War 256-146 BC by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA121The epic conflict between Rome and Carthage remains one of the most compelling stories of military history. The wars included such legendary events as the crossing of the Alps by Hannibal, and the Battle of Cannae. Terence Wise's fine text details the armies of both sides of the wars, including the many different allied troops employed by the Carthaginians; Numidians, Celts, Spanish and others who helped make...

Contrary to popular belief, the capture of India was not accomplished by the British Army, but by the private armies of the East India Company, which grew in size to become larger than that of any European sovereign state. This is the history of its army, examining the many conflicts they fought, their equipment and training, with its regiments of horse, foot and guns, which rivalled those of most European powers. The development of their uniforms, which combined traditional Indian and British...

The First Carlist War broke out after the death of King Ferdinand VII, the king restored at the end of the Peninsular War thanks to Wellington's victory. The crown was claimed by both his daughter Isabella, backed by the Liberal party and his brother Don Carlos, at the head of northern ultra-conservatives centred in the Basque provinces and Navarre. The Liberals or 'Cristinos' were supported by a 10,000-strong British Legion of volunteers led by a former aide to Wellington as well as the...

German Peasant's War 1524-26 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA384In the 1520s, a brief but savage war broke out in Germany when various insurgent groups rose to overthrow the power structure. The movement took as its emblem a peasant's shoe and the collective title of 'Bundschuh', and this became known as the Peasants' War - although the rebel armies actually included as many townsmen, miners, disaffected knights and mercenary soldiers as rural peasants. The risings involved large armies...

About this Osprey Publishing BookThe Great Northern War was a long series of campaigns in which Russia, linked with several other countries in temporary alliances, confronted and eventually replaced Sweden as the predominant power in Northern Europe. While contemporary with the Duke of Marlborough's pivotal campaigns against France, the Great Northern War was in fact more decisive, since it reshaped the Northern European power balance up to the eve of the Napoleonic Wars. It began with a...

In October 1940 an Italian army some 200,000 strong invaded Greece across its largely undefended border with Albania. Although supported by Great Britain, at first by sea and in the air and later by landing British and ANZAC troops from North Africa, Greece bore the main brunt of the six-month war. Outclassed in ? materiel ? and outnumbered, LtGen Papagos's Greek army was so successful against the Italians in north-west Greece that, by 22 November 1940, it was advancing into Italian-held...

This is a comprehensive guide to the armies that fought a devastating and decisive conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two World Wars of the 20th century. From the initial Greek invasion, designed to "liberate" the 100,000 ethnic Greeks that lived in Western Turkey and had done for centuries, to Mustafa Kemal Atat-rk's incredibly efficient formation of a national government and a regular army, this was a war that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Mediterranean to this day....

Author: Stuart ReidIllustrators: Gerry Embleton Sam EmbletonAbout this bookIn 1798, the Irish rose up against the corrupt English government run out of Dublin. Joined by both Protestants and Catholics, the rebellion quickly spread across the country. Although the Irish peasantry were armed mostly with pikes, they were able to overwhelm a number of small, isolated British outposts. However, even with the half-hearted assistance of the French, the Irish could not compete with the organized ranks...

This second volume in a two part series covers the armies of the Papal States; the duchies of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena; the republics of Rome and San Marco (Venice) and the transitional Kingdom of Sicily; and the various volunteer movements. These varied armies and militias wore a wide variety of highly colourful uniforms which are brought to life in stunning, specially commissioned, full colour artwork from Giuseppe Rava.

In the 1840s, post-Napoleonic Italy was 'a geographical expression' - not a country, but a patchwork of states, divided between the Austrian-occupied north, and a Spanish-descended Bourbon monarchy, who ruled the south from Naples. Two decades later, it was a nation united under a single king and government, thanks largely to the efforts of the Kings of Sardinia and Piedmont, and the revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. This book, the first of a two-part series on the armies that fought in the...

About this Osprey Publishing BookIn 1917 Poland was recognised as a state by Russia, but the Bolshevik coup threatened this. The Polish leader Marshal Pilsudski hurried to build an army around Polish World War I veterans, and in 1918 war broke out for Poland's independence, involving the the Poles, the Red and White Russian armies, at least two different Ukrainian forces, and Allied intervention troops. The armies that fought these campaigns were extraordinarily varied in their uniforms and...

Armies of the War of the Pacific 1879-83 from Osprey Publishing Item Number:OSPMAA504 Author: Gabriele Esposito Illustrator: Giuseppe Rava Short code: MAA 504 Publication Date: 20 Jan 2016 Number of Pages: 48History:The Pacific War was the greatest and bloodiest war ever fought in the Andean region, and is one of the most important conflicts in South American history. It is also known as the -Saltpeter War' or the -Guano War' because the possession of these two highly profitable nitrates was...

About this Osprey Publishing BookThe War of the Triple Alliance is the largest single conflict in the history of South America. Drawing Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay into conflict the war was characterized by extraordinarily high casualty rates, and was to shape the future of an entire continent - depopulating Paraguay and establishing Brazil as the predominant military power. Despite the importance of the war, little information is available in English about the armies that fought...

The great powers of medieval Europe fought continuously in the Italian peninsula between the 12th and 14th centuries as they sought to expand their territory. Invading armies from Germany - the Holy Roman Empire - saw the creation of the defensive Lombard League of northern Italian city-states. These struggles resulted in conflicts between rival confederacies, which in turn proved to be the catalysts for developments in organisation and tactics. Italian urban militias became better organised...

Army Of Alexander The Great by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA148When Philip II ascended the throne in 359 BC, Macedonia was in danger of being engulfed by wild barbarian tribes to the north and wily Greek cities to the south. Philip had to expand the power of the throne or be swallowed up: the creation of a powerful army was imperative. When his son, Alexander, inherited his kingdom at the age of 20, he also inherited an army which was truly unrivalled. The Macedonians were veterans of...

Evolved from the colonial units created by the French, this book discusses the original reorganization of these forces into the first national army. Complete with a detailed history of the command structure and orders of battle, the author also sheds light on the little known divisional histories of the army through rare, original source material. Moreover, the author examines in detail the evolution of such key units as armoured forces, ranger commands as well as combat unit organisation....

Author: David NicolleIllustrator: Angus McBrideAbout this bookThe Arthurian Age; the Celtic Twilight; the Dark Ages; the Birth of England; these are the powerfully romantic names often given to one of the most confused yet vital periods in British history. It is an era upon which rival Celtic and English nationalisms frequently fought. It was also a period of settlement, and of the sword. This absorbing volume by David Nicolle transports us to an England shrouded in mystery and beset by savage...

About this Osprey Publishing BookThe first 'bushrangers' or frontier outlaws were escaped or time-expired convicts, who took to the wilderness - 'the bush' - in New South Wales and on the island of Tasmania. Initially, the only Crown forces available were redcoats from the small, scattered garrisons, but by 1825 the problem of outlawry led to the formation of the first Mounted Police from these soldiers.The gold strikes of the 1860s attracted a new group of men who preferred to get rich by the...

Austro Hungarian Army 7 Yr War by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA6This book traces the development of the dominance of the Austrian hapsburgs in eastern Europe as they established themselves as eventual rulers of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. The latter was the setting for severe fighting as the Austro-Hungarian army tried and failed to resist Prussian attempts to seize the region. The Seven Years War pitted Fredrick the Great of Prussia against Maria Theresa of...

Author: Jeffrey T FowlerIllustrator: Mike ChappellAbout this bookIt is often forgotten that the German Wehrmacht of 1939-45 relied heavily upon horses. Not only was the majority of Army transport and much of the artillery dependent on draught horse teams; the Germans also kept a horse-mounted cavalry division in the field until the end of 1941. After withdrawing it, they discovered a need to revive and greatly expand their cavalry units in 1943-45. The Army and Waffen-SS cavalry proved their...

Battle For The Falklands. Vol 2 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA134In the early hours of the chilly late-autumn morning, April 2 1982, substantial forces of Argentine Marines, with heavy naval and air support, had invaded the Falkland islands, quickly and almost bloodlessly overwhelming a token garrison of Royal Marines. The following day Argentine forces also invaded the Falklands dependency of South Georgia, forcing the garrison of just 22 Royal Marines to surrender - though not...

Authors: Ricardo Bonalume Neto Cesar Campiani MaximianoIllustrator: Ramiro BujeiroAbout this bookIn the English-speaking world, it is generally unknown that a volunteer Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) fought alongside the US Army in Italy from mid-1944 until the end of the war. This was in effect a light infantry division, consisting of three infantry regiments augmented with artillery and light armour. It was supported by a Brazilian Air Force contingent of a light reconnaissance squadron...

Britain's Secret War 1962-66 Indonesia by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA431The 'Confrontation' between Malaysia and Indonesia in Borneo - the war against Indonesian raids across a 900-mile border - eventually involved nearly 20,000 British and Commonwealth troops, with air and naval support; and yet, by mutual consent, astonishingly little was reported at the time. This 'secret war' saw the perfection of SAS jungle tactics and audacious secret missions deep inside enemy territory,...

British Army, Vol. 2 1939-45 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA368The scope of Britain's wartime Middle East Command stretched far beyond the Libyan desert where the 8th Army's most famous battles were fought - from Gibraltar and Tunisia in the west, to Iraq and Persia in the east, and from Greece south to the Gulf of Aden. In 1940-43 this was the only arena where the British Army could take the ground war to the German Wehrmacht; it saw a succession of setbacks and triumphs, until spring...

British Army WW II, Vol 3 The Fareast by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA375The lightning Japanese offensives in the Far East in 1941/42 inflicted a series of costly defeats on the ill-prepared and badly supported British Commonwealth forces in Malaya and Burma. The 'forgotten' 14th Army on the India-Burma border slowly built up its strength and its tactical expertise; and Wingate's 'Chindits' proved that units supplied from the air could operate deep behind enemy lines. In 1944 General...

British Army 1965-80 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA71The uniform of the British Army underwent many changes between 1965 and 1980. This book catalogues these changes and outlines in detail the many regimental distinctions which exist throughout this old and prestigious army. Among the formations examined are the Household Division, the Royal Armoured Corps, the Scottish Division, the Queen's Division, the King's Division, the Prince of Wales's Division, the Light Division and the...

British Army, Vol 1. 1914-16 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA391At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 the British Army was unique: it was a small force raised entirely by voluntary recruitment. The first campaigns of the British Expeditionary Force brought admiration from the enemy, but by the end of 1914 it had been virtually eliminated. Kitchener-s call for new volunteers drew such a patriotic response that by mid-1916 the BEF had grown to 55 divisions. This book explains and...

British Army In WW I, Vol. 3, The Eastern Fronts by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA406Although Britain's greatest commitment of land forces was on the Western Front, British, Empire and Dominion troops also fought in other theatres of operations - and in some cases continued to fight there after the Armistice had ended hostilities in the West. This last of our series of three titles describes these far-flung campaigns, in Italy, the Balkans, the Middle East, several parts of Africa,...

British Battledress 1937-61 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA112In the 1930s the War Office grew increasingly aware of the need for a new and more rational combat dress, and by 1937 the design for what would become known as 'battledress' was complete. Though the change in uniform was initially disappointing to the British soldiers, the new battledress served its purpose well, clothing the servicemen for more than 25 years with reasonable warmth and convenience. Complete with a wealth of...

Byzantine Armies 1118-1461 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA287The Byzantine Empire's disastrous defeat by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert in 1071 effectively marked the end of what is often described as the 'middle' period of Byzantine history. Thereafter, surrounded on all sides by younger, more vigorous nations, the once all-powerful Empire slipped into a steady decline which, ultimately, was to prove terminal. However, the Empire's demise was anything but peaceful, and, one way or...

About this Osprey Publishing BookAfter the recapture of Constantinople, Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos was determined to bring glory back to the Byzantine Empire. To achieve this, he established an Imperial Fleet and raised new regiments of elite marine troops. This work provides a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the unit history and appearance of these men, who were at the cutting edge of the last great flourish of Byzantine naval power. They won victory after victory in campaigns...

Author: Ren_ ChartrandIllustrator: Ronald VolstadAbout this bookCanada was the first Commonwealth country to send troops to Britain in 1939. During 1939-45 hundreds of thousands of Canadians - more than 40 per cent of the male population between the ages of 18 and 45, and virtually all of them volunteers - enlisted. Canadians fought with tragic courage at Hong Kong and Dieppe; with growing strength and confidence in Sicily, Italy and Normandy; and finally provided an entire Army for the...

Chinese Army 1937-49 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA424Although the Chinese contribution to Allied victory in World War II is often ignored, China fought the Japanese Empire for far longer than any other belligerent nation. By the time that the Sino-Japanese War became absorbed into the wider conflict at the end of 1941, Chinese armies had already suffered huge casualties and half the country had been lost. By fighting on with Allied support, China tied down a million Japanese troops....

Colonial American Troops, Vol. 2 1610-1774 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA372From the earliest English settlements the survival of the infant colonies in North America depended upon local militias. Throughout the 17th and most of the 18th century royal troops were seldom shipped out from Britain, and the main burden of successive wars with the American Indians, and with the regular troops and militias of Britain's colonial rivals France and Spain, usually fell upon locally raised...

Colonial American Troops 1610- by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA383From the earliest English settlements the survival of the infant colonies in North America depended upon local militias. Before the mid-18th century royal troops were seldom shipped out from Britain, and the main burden of successive wars with the American Indians, and with Britain's colonial rivals France and Spain, fell upon locally raised units, which also fought alongside the Crown forces during the major operations...

Confederate Army, Vol 3 1861-65 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA430The common image of the Confederate Army during the Civil War is dominated by a limited number of early photogaphs of troops wearing the gray and butternut of the CS regulations and quartermaster issues. By contrast, this book examines the uniforms of the Louisiana and Texas militia and volunteer companies originally brought together in the Confederate field armies; and the continuing efforts to clothe them as...

Confederate Army, Vol. 6 1861-65 by Osprey PublishingItem Number: OSPMAA446The Southern states which formed the Confederacy in 1861 fielded many units of volunteer troops wearing a remarkably wide variety of uniforms, often reflecting foreign influences. In a spirit of independence many states also issued their own uniform regulations on the outbreak of the American Civil War; and these non-standard uniforms were often retained until well into the course of the war. The regulation patterns...