Series: Men-at-Arms

Fully illustrated, this is the second volume in a detailed study of the German auxiliary troops who fought for Britain in the American Revolutionary War. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–83), German auxiliary troops provided a vital element of the British war effort. While the largest body of German troops was from Hessen-Cassel (see the first volume of this study),...

After AD 304, the five 'barbarian' tribes divided north China among themselves, establishing dynasties that were often Chinese only in name. These dynasties frequently engaged in feuds with each other and with the native states, whose stronghold was now in the south. It was under this barbarian influence that the heavily-armoured cavalry, which were to become the striking force of...

France had a population of between 22 and 25 million at this time and maintained the largest standing army in Europe. In peacetime, it might have amounted to about 200,000 men; in times of war, it could be anything up to half a million. A substantial part of Louis XV's army consisted of numerous regiments of guard cavalry, heavy cavalry,...

Babur, the founder of the Mughul dynasty, was of Turco-Mongol origin. He was descended from Timur-i-Lenk [Tamerlane] on his father's side and Genghiz Khan on his mother's. His first raid into India in 1516 was followed by several others, and by the time of his death in 1530, Babur's troops had reached Bengal on the far side of the sub-continent....

This fully illustrated study examines the German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation forces in Greece during 1941–44, as well as those of the two Greek Resistance organisations. Italy’s failed invasion of Greece in 1940–41 led to the German invasion of Yugoslavia in the spring of 1941, which extended into Greece. After the fall of Athens and Crete in April and May,...

Rome's Enemies (5) by Dr David Nicolle delves into the challenges faced by the Roman Empire along its desert frontier. In this region, the Empire often encountered few dangers as relations were typically grounded in mutual interest in trade across the frontier. However, when Rome clashed with the desert peoples, particularly those from Syria and Arabia, the Arabs, Berbers, and...

From the 13th century until early in the 17th century, the Border Marches of England and Scotland were torn by a vicious and almost continuous cycle of raid, reprisal, and blood feud. The Border Reiver was a professional cattle thief, a guerrilla soldier skilled at raiding, tracking, and ambush, and a well-organised 'gangster'. Including eight superb full-page colour plates by...

This intriguing book describes the Romans’ formidably warlike enemies in modern Romania and Bulgaria – their ‘most illustrated’ opponents, thanks to friezes on Trajan’s Column and carvings on Trajan’s Adamklissi monument. Formidable warriors, able to field tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry and led by a military aristocracy, the Dacians and Getae presented a real threat to Rome’s north-eastern...

Highly detailed and colourful, this account illustrates the struggle of Indonesian forces in their War of Independence against the Netherlands, following the surrender of occupying Japanese forces in 1945. Following on from MAA 521 Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936–42 and completing the coverage of the post-World War II wars of decolonization, The Dutch–Indonesian War 1945–49 describes the Japanese surrender...

This fully illustrated study investigates the uniforms and equipment of the US regular troops and volunteers from the territories fighting for the Union during the American Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. The...

This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Eastern and New England states that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. During 1861–65, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume, the...

The principal source of information on the Roman Republican Army is the sixth book of the Histories by the Greek historian Polybius, written a little before 150 BC. This engaging text by Nicholas Sekunda draws heavily on this vital source to outline the equipment and organisation of the Roman Republican Army from 200–104 BC—a time when Rome was growing from...

This study of the evolving uniforms and personal equipment used by US ground forces in the Korean War features new full-colour artwork and previously unpublished photographs. In June 1950, US soldiers and Marines deployed in the Korean War were dressed and equipped largely as they had been in the closing stages of World War II, but by 1953 major innovations...

Featuring full-colour artwork, this book describes and illustrates the Chinese and North Korean troops who fought US and UN forces in Korea during 1950–53. In June 1950, North Korean forces armed and equipped by the Soviet Union invaded South Korea, forcing back the US and South Korean troops facing them and threatening them with complete defeat. After the US and...

Germany’s 30-year colonial episode in Africa, the Pacific, and her enclave in China is a relatively unexplored aspect of the country’s history. Under the young Kaiser Wilhelm II, rivalry with the old colonial powers saw the protectorates, originally established by trading companies, transformed into crown colonies garrisoned by the newly raised Schutztruppe, with support from the Imperial Navy’s Seebataillone. Imperial...

The period covered by British Infantry Equipments (1) begins with the British infantryman entering the Peninsular War wearing the lethal knapsack equipment of the day, and ends with the introduction of the first equipment set made entirely of woven cotton webbing, as described in Men-at-Arms 108: British Infantry Equipments 1908-80. Mike Chappell's detailed text presents an in-depth study of British...

An illustrated study of the organization, training, tactics, and operations of the US Navy during World War I, both before and after the US formally joined the Entente Powers. In 1914, the US Navy was the third-largest navy in the world. Although World War I brought no opportunity for the type of capital-ship fleet action for which it had been...

Although light infantry tactics formed one of the cornerstones of Napoleonic warfare, their employment was by no means restricted to Light regiments. Thus, from the early 1800s if not before, the distinction between Light and Line infantry was largely one of costume and tradition. One marked difference from the Line infantry, however, was in the superior ésprit de corps of...

This absorbing study describes and illustrates the Indian Army forces that fought in five wars during the second half of the 20th century. The Indian Army is the world’s largest volunteer army, with an enviable history and tradition of valour and gallantry. It was involved in warfare soon after India’s independence and has fought five wars between 1947 and 1999,...

Featuring rare photos, detailed colour illustrations and insignia tables, this study explores the contribution made by Czech and Slovak troops fighting alongside Allied forces during World War II. Following the Anglo-French failure at the Munich Conference in March 1938 to prevent a Nazi take-over of Bohemia-Moravia (modern Czech Republic/Czechia), many frustrated Czech and Slovak soldiers sided with Allied forces and...

This colourful study describes and illustrates the troops of the Seleucid Empire in West Asia throughout its turbulent 250-year existence. Founded by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator in 312 BC, in the wake of the death of Alexander the Great 11 years previously, the Seleucid Empire came to control much of the territory conquered by Alexander in western Asia....

In 1916, Britain was finally forced to introduce universal conscription to replace the terrible casualties suffered by the pre-war Regulars, the Territorials and the eager but unprepared volunteers of the 'New Armies'. In 1917 and 1918, the vastly expanded British Expeditionary Force became the most effective of all the combatant armies in France, its improved weapons and tactics forged in...

This fully illustrated study assesses the armies of Poland at war in the first half of the 16th century, during the transition from feudal to standing forces. Against a background of almost continual warfare, the 80 years after 1492 witnessed the slow transformation of Polish forces from feudal levies to standing armies. The bloody struggle between Poles, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Muscovites,...

A fully illustrated study of the 6th-century campaigns that saw the Byzantine Empire largely reconquer the Mediterranean, examining Emperor Justinian I’s generals and troops in detail. While the Germanic invasions of the 5th century destroyed the Western Roman Empire, the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire entered the 6th century largely unscathed. Under the reign of Justinian I (r. 527–65), it saw...

The 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...

This absorbing study describes and illustrates the US, British, Japanese, French, Italian and Czechoslovak troops deployed to North Russia and Siberia at the height of the Russian Civil War. Between March 1918 and late 1920, a multinational force was deployed in the former Russian Empire’s Arctic Circle and in Eastern Siberia, becoming drawn into the Russian Civil War. American, British,...

The Bulgars were a Turkic people who established a state north of the Black Sea. In the late 500s and early 600s AD, their state fragmented under pressure from the Khazars. One group moved south into what became Bulgaria, but the rest moved north during the 7th and 8th centuries to the basin of the Volga river. There they remained...

A fully illustrated account of the large-scale reformation of the Roman Army from the reign of Diocletian to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476. After the 50-year chaos of the mid-3rd century AD, Emperor Diocletian (r. AD 284–305) and his successor, Constantine I (r. AD 306–37), the first Christian emperor, undertook major administrative reforms to reflect new...

Depicts the forces involved in uprisings and border conflicts after the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I had included peoples of German, Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Slovakian, Serbian, Bosnian, and other origins, whose ambitions for independent nationhood were complicated by mutual religious and ethnic hostilities. In this fully illustrated study, Philip Jowett examines the organization...

A fully illustrated study of the colourful regiments raised for France's late 19th-century colonial wars in Africa and Vietnam. France's colonial wars in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia were very largely fought by an organization completely separate from both the home-defence Metropolitan Army and the Armée d'Afrique in Algeria. The Naval Troops (Troupes de la Marine) were volunteers, and earned...

The French Army of 1939 was considered by contemporaries to be the strongest army in the world at that time. In fact, as the events of the next ten months soon revealed, the Army was riddled with fatal weaknesses. In The French Army 1939–45 (1), the first of two volumes examining the French Army of the Second World War, Ian...

This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Midwestern and Western states that fought for the Union during the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict....

The states of Indochina had been French colonies or protectorates since the 19th century. However, in March 1945, the Japanese interned all French troops and officials, and turned over all civil government to local authorities. The power vacuum caused by the Japanese surrender allowed the Viet Minh, a strong revolutionary organisation, to be established throughout Vietnam. When the French returned...

The Dragoons of Napoleon's Imperial Guard were a legendary regiment that fought with the Emperor in many famous battles across Europe. Dressed in distinctive green uniforms and classically inspired copper helmets, the Dragoons of the Imperial Guard were raised in 1806 by the same criteria as other Guard units – by selection of picked, literate veterans from Line regiments who...

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...

In early 1943, the annihilation of the 6th Army at Stalingrad marked the irreversible turning point of the war in the East. Despite occasional local successes gained in the face of great odds—testimony to the Wehrmacht's extraordinary resilience—from now on Germany was on the defensive. Despite Hitler's damaging interference, the quality of German field leadership and of new weapons remained...

The fall of the Manchu Empire in 1911 ended thousands of years of Imperial rule and ushered in almost 40 years of conflict in China. From the abdication of Pu-Yi, the last emperor, the invasion of Manchuria by the Japanese, and the 'long march', to the birth of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese Civil War Armies 1911–49...

A complete illustrated study of the varied range of Italian colonial units who served in East and North Africa. Italy only unified as a nation in 1870 and was late, and therefore impatient, in the 'scramble' for Africa. An initial foothold in Eritrea/Somalia, north-east Africa, led to a disastrous defeat in Ethiopia in 1896 at the Battle of Adwa, but...

In medieval Germany, violence was accepted far more than in other kingdoms. Kings were recognised as guardians of order, but this had its limitations. Lords expected to use force to secure their rights or win an argument when peaceful methods were not sufficient. German Medieval Armies 1000–1300 by Christopher Gravett does a fine job of examining the organisation and campaigns...

In the years between 31 BC and AD 500 the Romans carved out a mighty empire stretching from Britain to the deserts of North Africa. The men who spearheaded this expansion were the centurions, the tough, professional warriors who led from the front, exerted savage discipline and provided a role model for the legionaries under their command. This book, the...

In this companion volume to The French Army 1939-45 (1), Ian Sumner and François Vauvillier examine the history, uniforms and insignia of the Free French, Fighting French and the Army of Liberation. By 16 June 1940, De Gaulle, with the decisive support of Churchill, had come to the conclusion that, whatever happened, France could not stand to one side in...

At its peak, the Italian Army contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort. English-speaking readers tend to think of this army in terms of the North African campaign; but far more Italian troops served in other theatres. They invaded, and later bore the major burden of occupying, the Balkan countries; and Italy sent 250,000 troops to fight on...

The Spanish Civil War was the curtain-raiser to World War II and involved a complex collection of forces, particularly on the Republican side. The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (2) illustrates how diverse the Republican forces were, drawn from loyal elements of the Spanish army that rejected the appeal of the rebel generals, a wide range of volunteer regional units and...

Long before England established a serious presence in the New World, Spain had already established an overseas Empire. In North America, this included vast tracts of territory comprising most of what today are the states of Florida, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Illinois, and California. In later years, as the British and French expanded their claims, they often came...

Despite the huge pressure of fighting on three fronts, ever-worsening shortages of manpower and equipment, and Allied command of the skies, Germany's decimated divisions fought on with impressive skill and determination. This period also saw a fascinating mixture of obsolescent, newly designed, and field-made combat clothing which gave the German soldier a radically different appearance from his predecessor of just...

Defeated in the Sino-Japanese War 1894–95 and the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Imperial China collapsed into revolution and a republic was proclaimed in 1912. From the death of the first president in 1916 to the rise of the Nationalist Kuomintang government in 1926, the differing regions of this vast country were ruled by endlessly forming, breaking, and re-forming alliances of...

Ultimately, regiments are judged by their behaviour in battle; and highlanders have always had a reputation as 'stormers', as exemplified by the impetuous charge of the Gordons at Waterloo, intermingled with the Scots Greys. This reputation probably resulted at least in part from an unusually close bonding between officers and men, and an assumption that highlanders were natural soldiers, possessed...

A detailed analysis of the Soviet armed forces during the final days of the war, covering the soldiers that successfully turned the tide against the Nazi onslaught and pushed it back into Germany itself. World War II Soviet Armed Forces (3) documents the Red Army's push through Germany to Berlin, which eventually culminated in the surrender of the German forces...

The announcement of the imminent withdrawal of the British Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Endurance in early 1982 prompted the Argentinian Junta in Buenos Aires to plan a military grab of the Falklands—a siege they assumed would succeed with little resistance. Such an adventure was attractive as a distraction for the Argentine public at a time of political unease....

In 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...

In 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 Montenegro, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. Both sides were equipped with the latest weapons technology. Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912–13 looks at the diverse...

Armies of the Irish Rebellion 1798 by Stuart Reid explores the dramatic events of 1798 when the Irish rose up against the corrupt English government in Dublin. In a united effort, both Protestants and Catholics joined forces, causing the rebellion to quickly spread across the country. Armed mostly with pikes, the Irish peasantry were able to overwhelm several small, isolated...

On the night of 1–2 April 1982, the Argentinian Junta led by Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri made its move against the Falkland Islands. On 3 April, British Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher faced an appalled and furious House of Commons to announce that Argentine armed forces had landed on British sovereign territory; had captured the men of Royal Marine detachment NP8901;...

The early Romans were only one of a number of peoples that inhabited Iron Age central Italy. From the 8th to the 3rd century BC, the Romans undertook territorial expansion, and conflict with neighbouring tribes and cultures resulted in open war, most notably with the Samnites. Alliances were created too, but the rise of Rome was unstoppable. Early Roman Armies...

In this worthy addition to the Men-at-Arms series, Martin Windrow examines the history and uniforms of the French Foreign Legion 1914–45, from the start of the First World War to the end of the Second World War. The author's knowledgeable text covers topics such as a comprehensive battle history of the Legion on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918,...

Ever since the 15th century, Switzerland had been exporting professional soldiers to serve as mercenaries for foreign monarchies. Napoleon, therefore, was not the first to make full use of the martial qualities of the Swiss and obtained Swiss agreement to expand the recruitment of regiments for service in the French Army. Napoleon would use Swiss troops on the battlefields of...

Between the reigns of Augustus and Septimius Severus, the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire frequently experienced brutal fighting. This was most notably during the conquest of Dacia by Trajan, the suppression of the Great Revolt in Judea, and intermittent clashes with Rome's great rival, Parthia. In these wars, Roman soldiers had to fight in a range of different climates...

New archaeological research has resulted in a complete re-evaluation of the dress and equipment of the Centurions of the Roman World. Featuring up-to-date research, photographs of artefacts and the signature Men-at-Arms artwork, Raffaele D'Amato's concise yet detailed text is an essential addition to the series. It includes several artwork reconstructions of actual named individuals and two lavish scenes depicting combat...

In the summer of 1642, the First Civil War between king and parliament had broken out in England. Initially, both sides were confident of victory, but after the first campaigns ended in stalemate, they began looking for allies. The meddling of the Stuart Kings with Scotland's religious traditions provoked the National Covenant, and later the Solemn League and Covenant. Yet...

This volume – covering the final years of the Peninsular War and the long trek over the Pyrenees into France – concludes the author's remarkable in-depth study of the army that fought alongside Wellington's redcoats throughout the Peninsular War. Prior to 1813, it was the Spanish armies that bore the brunt of the fighting, and this text – based on...

Much of the fame of Gustavus Adolphus has been founded upon his cavalry. He is said to have reversed the stagnation of European cavalry warfare, giving it back fluidity and vigour. Like much of the 'Gustavus mythology', however, the truth may well be quite different. Richard Brzezinski explores the truth behind the myth, in an attempt to find the real...

On 11 October 1899, the Second Boer War between the British and the Boers began. The war saw the most powerful professional army in the world pitted against the unconventional tactics of the undisciplined Boers. Although the Boers were finally forced to surrender in May 1902, the war had taken its toll on their opponents, who lost some 8,000 troops...

The French forces that fought during the American War of Independence were, to a large extent, a product of the disasters of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). During that war, the fleet had been swept off the oceans, and nearly all colonies had been lost. Sweeping reforms were demanded. From the end of 1762, a series of royal orders dictated...

The Reformation in England further distanced the Irish, as the majority of Irishmen adhered stubbornly to their Catholicism. Eventually, in Elizabeth's reign, both sides resorted to the use of force on a large scale in a series of bloody wars and rebellions that were to culminate in the Earl of Tyrone's 'Great Rebellion' of 1595-1603. This text by Ian Heath...

In Europe, the Mamluks of Egypt are remembered as the so-called 'Slave Kings' who drove out the Crusaders from the Holy Land; but they were far more than that. Though its frontiers barely changed, the Mamluk Sultanate remained a 'great power' for two and a half centuries. Its armies were the culmination of a military tradition stretching back to the...

The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine 1815, led by Blücher, played a crucial part in the Allied victory at Waterloo, and was involved in intense fighting at Wavre and Ligny. Delving into original sources, including eyewitness accounts and regimental histories known only to German scholars, this book tells the story of the soldiers on the ground: how they were...

A mixed infantry formation made up of about 3,000 men armed with pikes, swords, and handguns, the innovative and influential tercio or 'Spanish square' was the basic combat unit of the armies of Spain throughout much of the 16th and 17th centuries. Arguably the first permanent tactical formation seen in Europe since the Roman cohort, the tercio was the forerunner...