Osprey Men-at-Arms Series SC (1973-2011 OSPREY) comic books 2003-2005

Volume 381 - 1st printing. "Prussian Staff & Specialist Troops 1791-1815!" Written by Peter Hofschröer. Art by Christa Hook. The origins of what would become the German General Staff of the late 19th and 20th centuries - probably the most professional military machine in the world - can be traced to the Prussian Army of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. This concise study, concluding the author's series of five titles on the Prussian Army of 1792–1815, covers the staff; the reforms in tactical employment of all-arms brigades (which, contrary to received opinion, pre-dated the disasters of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806); the artillery and other technical troops; and regimental colours and standards. Among the illustrations are rare diagrams from the artillery drill manual of the day. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Add to cart Very Fine $6.00

Volume 382 - 1st printing. "Wellington's Peninsula Regiments (1)!" Written by Mike Chappell. Art by Mike Chappell. The forces which Wellington led in Portugal and Spain and up into southern France between 1808 and 1814 achieved a consistent record of victory perhaps unmatched in the history of the British Army. Some 40 per cent of this volunteer army were Irishmen – a remarkable figure, given the recent unrest and bloodshed in Ireland. This book details the record, and illustrates the uniforms and equipment, of the two cavalry and three infantry units boasting formal Irish identity: the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, 18th Hussars, 27th (Enniskillen), 87th (Prince of Wales's Own Irish), and 88th (Connaught Rangers) Regiments of Foot. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 383 - 1st printing. "Colonial American Troops 1610-1774 (3)!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by David Rickman. From 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 of the French-Indian War of the 1750s. This final book of a fascinating three-part study covers the militias and provincial troops raised in the Carolinas, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, Nova Scotia, Hudson's Bay and Quebec Province; and also Rangers, and colors and standards. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 384 - 1st printing. "Armies of the German Peasants' War 1524-26!" Written by Douglas Miller. Art by Angus McBride. In 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 of up to 18,000 men, and there were several major battles before the movement was put down with the utmost ferocity. This book details the armies, tactics, costume, weapons, personalities and events of this savage war. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 385 - 1st printing. "The Hermann Göring Division!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Stephen Andrew. Each of Germany's World War II armed services could claim one unit which earned a unique combat reputation, and which consequently was enlarged and developed far beyond the size originally planned. Hermann Göring, commander-in-chief of the air force, was determined that his Luftwaffe should share the glory of Germany's land conquests, and gave his name to a regimental combat group of infantry and Flak artillery. This élite unit was steadily enlarged into a brigade, then an armoured division, and finally into a two-division corps, fighting with distinction in Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, and on the Russian Front. This concise history is illustrated with rare personal photographs and eight colour plates, detailing the very varied uniforms and special insignia of this crack formation. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 386 - 1st printing. "The US Army of World War I!" Written by Mark Henry. Art by Stephen Walsh. When the USA entered World War I in April 1917 her Regular Army counted just 128,000 men and lacked all the necessary equipment and training for modern trench warfare. By the Armistice of November 1918, General John J.Pershing's American Expeditionary Force in France had more than 2 million men and was holding 25 per cent of the Western Front. They had helped smash Ludendorff's brilliant Operation Michael in the lines before Paris; had turned onto the offensive themselves at St Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne; and if Germany had not negotiated peace with unexpected speed the US Army would have taken over from their tired Allies an even greater share of the planned 1919 campaign. This concise account of America's first world class army, its organization, uniforms, weapons and character, is illustrated with rare photos and eight full color plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 387 - 1st printing. "The Italian Army of World War I !" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Raffaele Ruggeri. The dilemma of the young Italian kingdom and the experience of her army in the Great War were unique among the combatant nations. Late to enter the war against the Central Powers, she faced a massively defended Austro-Hungarian front in the north, including strong mountain features, as well as distractions in the Balkans and a simultaneous rebellion in her Libyan colony. Costly and repeated battles on the Isonzo front culminated in the disaster of Caporetto in October 1917, followed by a remarkable revival and eventual victory in 1918. This concise study describes and illustrates the Italian Army's campaigns, organisation, uniforms, weapons and equipment – including the famous 'death companies' and Arditi assault troops. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 388 - 1st printing. "Zulu War -Volunteers, Irregulars & Auxiliaries!" Written by Ian Castle. Art by Raffaele Ruggeri. Mention of the Zulu War of 1879 inevitably conjures up images of the redcoats at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift; it is often forgotten that the limited number of Imperial troops available led to the raising of several thousand local troops from Natal, Cape Colony and beyond. Typified by hard-riding white frontiersmen and lightly armed African infantry, these units made up for the British Army's severe shortage of cavalry scouts and local knowledge. Ian Castle's concise study of their organisation, uniforms, weapons, and campaign service covers a far wider range of units than ever previously published; it is illustrated with rare photographs and vivid colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 389 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Red Lancers!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The legendary Dutch 'Red' Lancers - the 2nd Light Horse Lancers of Napoleon's Imperial Guard - were formed in 1810 after the emperor annexed Holland and its army to France. The former hussars of the Dutch Royal Guard got a handsome new uniform, a new weapon, and a hard-driving new colonel in Baron Edouard Colbert. His lancers distinguished themselves in Russia in 1812, at huge cost; in Germany in 1813, and in the Low Countries in 1814. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 the Red Lancers were with him until night fell over Waterloo. Ronald Pawly is the world's leading expert on the archival and pictorial record left by this regiment; his detailed text is illustrated with rare portraits and photographs, and eight glowing colour plates of a surprisingly wide variety of uniforms. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 390 - 1st printing. "Roman Military Clothing (2)!" Written by Graham Sumner. Art by Graham Sumner. The armour and weapons of the Roman army have long been the subject of intense research and speculation. While much has been published on their arms and armour, however, the actual clothing of Imperial soldiers has largely been overlooked. In this second part of a rigorous study of the literary, sculptural, pictorial and archaeological evidence, the specialist author-artist examines the clues which enable us to attempt reconstructions of items worn by officers and men all over the empire during the two centuries between the reign of Septimius Severus and the twilight years of Stilicho. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 391 - 1st printing. "The British Army in World War I (1)!" Written by Mike Chappell. Art by Mike Chappell. At 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 llustrates the uniform, equipment and organization of the British Army up to the end of the battle of the Somme. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 392 - 1st printing. "The Austro-Hungarian Forces in World War I (1)!" Written by Peter Jung. Art by Darko Pavlovic. The part played in the Great War by the army of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy is little known to English-speakers, perhaps because the end of the war saw the complete destruction of the Empire. Yet it was of central importance, providing nearly all Central Powers forces on the Italian front, huge numbers on the Russian front, seven Army Corps in the Balkans – and even a little-known contingent in Turkey and Palestine. The first half of the story of this complex multi-national organization at war is described here in a concise but detailed text, supported by data tables and an insignia chart, and illustrated with rare photographs and colourful uniform plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 393 - 1st printing. "World War II German Women's Auxiliary Services!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. Under the Nazi regime, Hitler's conservative views on the place of housewives and mothers in society limited German women to a much less active role in the war than their British and Allied counterparts. Nevertheless, the demands of a prolonged war did see German women in a range of uniforms as auxiliaries with the Army, Navy, Air Force and SS, particularly in the signals and air defence services. This unique book explains and illustrates these organisations and their uniforms and insignia, as well as Red Cross nurses, and auxiliaries of the Labour Corps, Customs Service, National Socialist Women's Organisation, and League of German Maidens (Hitler Youth). Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 394 - 1st printing. "The German Army in World War I (1)!" Written by Nigel Thomas. Art by Gerry Embleton. In August 1914 the mobilization of Imperial Germany's 800,000-strong army ushered in the first great war of the modern age - a war which still stands as the greatest slaughter of soldiers in history. That German Army is also the best example of a particular period of military thought, when virtually the whole manpower of the European nations was integrated into mass conscript armies, supported by several age categories of reservists and by dedicated industrial and transport systems. In this first of three volumes the author offers an extraordinary mass of information, in text and tables, illustrated by photographs and colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 395 - 1st printing. "Tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy!" Written by Michael G Johnson. Art by Jonathan Smith. The Five (later Six) Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy were central to the story of the white colonization of the American Northeast. The European fur trade transformed their world, and the struggles between English and French colonists forced the tribes to take sides. Sir William Johnson's efforts in the Mohawk Valley ensured that the Iroquois Nations were allies of the British crown; and the loyalty of his kinsman Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) during the American Revolution forced the Mohawks into Canadian exile. This richly illustrated book introduces Iroquois history, social organization, religion and material culture. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 396 - 1st printing. "Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1)!" Written by David Lindholm and David Nicolle. Art by Angus McBride. While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries that followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear - due partly to their remoteness, climate and terrain, but partly to their long freedom from the feudal system of other kingdoms. This book explains the special nature of Scandinavian armies, shaped by the relative weakness of kings and aristocrats, and the contrasts between the separate nations of the North. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 397 - 1st printing. "The Austro-Hungarian Forces in World War I (2)!" Written by Peter Jung. Art by Darko Pavlovic. The part played in the Great War by the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy is little known to English-speakers, perhaps because 1918 saw the complete destruction of the Empire. Yet it was of great importance, providing nearly all Central Powers forces on the Italian front, huge numbers on the Russian front, the Balkans and even a contingent in Turkey and Palestine. This second volume describes this complex organisation from the accession of Emperor Karl I in November 1916, through the victory of Caporetto and failure of the Piave offensive, to the final Armistice. The text is supported by tables and insignia charts, and illustrated with rare photographs and colourful plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 398 - 1st printing. "The Texan Army 1835–46!" Written by Stuart Reid. Art by Richard Hook. The volunteer army that fought the Mexican dictator Santa Anna from 1835 to 1836 was immortalized in the epic battle of the Alamo. Taking arms initially to fight for the restoration of the liberal Mexican constitution of 1824, the volunteers were eventually fighting for outright Texan independence. This book describes and illustrates the group of men who, despite the diversity of their origins, equipment, weaponry and dress, were united in a common cause that reached its culmination in the victory of San Jacinto. The turbulent decade (1836–46) of Texan independence is also covered, and the little-studied army and navy of the Republic of Texas examined. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 399 - 1st printing. "Medieval Scandinavian Armies (2)!" Written by David Lindholm and David Nicolle. Art by Angus McBride. While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries which followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear. This second of two books covers the period which saw both expansion in the Baltic, and long wars born of the attempt to bring Scandinavia under a single monarchy - the Union of Kalmar. In the North, as elsewhere, the perfection of plate armour could not prevent the steady decline in the importance of the 15th century mounted knight in favour of the well armed infantryman. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 400 - 1st printing. "Wellington's Peninsula Regiments (2)!" Written by Mike Chappell. Art by Mike Chappell. The forces which Wellington led in Portugal and Spain and up into southern France between 1808 and 1814 achieved a record of victory perhaps unmatched in the history of the British Army. Among his infantry the regiments of the Light Division were self-consciously an élite, trained to fight with initiative and independence on the exposed edges of the marching army. This book explains their evolution and tactics, details the campaigns in which they fought and illustrates the uniforms and equipment of the Light Infantry regiments: the 43rd (Monmouthshire), 52nd (Oxfordshire), 51st (2nd Yorkshire), 68th (Durham) and 85th (Bucks Volunteers). Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 401 - 1st printing. "The Waffen-SS (1)!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Stephen Andrew. Despite being disdained by the German Army's professional officer corps, the military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew from an initial strength of only a handful of battalions at the outbreak of war in 1939 to hundreds of thousands of troops in dozens of divisions. The battlefield reputation of the premier armoured and mechanised divisions would become second to none; lavishly equipped and regarded as utterly reliable, they were thrown into many desperate battles on both Western and Eastern fronts, often achieving remarkable results. Illustrated with rare photographs, this first of four Men-at-Arms titles details the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the Waffen-SS. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Add to cart Very Fine $6.00

Add to cart Very Fine $6.00

Volume 402 - 1st printing. "The British Army in World War I (2)!" Written by Mike Chappell. Art by Mike Chappell. 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 the furnaces of the Somme and the Ypres Salient. Shaken but resilient under Germany's last desperate offensive in spring 1918, it swept forward to final victory. This second of three titles charts its changing appearance in colourful detail. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 403 - 1st printing. "French Revolutionary Infantry 1789–1802!" Written by Terry Crowdy. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The years immediately following the French Revolution of 1789 saw an extraordinary transformation of the French army. From a distrusted instrument of the feudal power of the king and nobility, it became the symbol of liberty and citizenship. The transition was complex and painful, as the remnants of the old professional army were joined by a flood of civilian volunteers and conscripts, of whom even the best were short of everything except republican fervour. This book describes the stages of the rebirth that produced an army capable of beating off half the monarchies of Europe, thus laying the foundations for Napoleon's unique victories ten years later. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 404 - 1st printing. "The Waffen-SS (2)!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Stephen Andrew. The military branch of the Nazi SS security organisation grew by the end of World War II from a handful of poorly regarded infantry battalions in 1939, into a force of more than 30 divisions including units of every type. Their battlefield reputation varied widely, from the premier armoured divisions which formed Germany's utterly reliable spearheads on both main fronts, to low quality 'anti-partisan' units. The divisions covered in this second of four titles include the first mountain and cavalry units, and two of the remarkable new Panzer divisions raised in the great 1943 expansion. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections, the text details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle record. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 405 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Carabiniers!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The two privileged regiments of Carabiniers survived the French Revolution with their elite status intact. They covered themselves with glory at Austerlitz, Friedland, Ratisbonne and Wagram - where their bloody losses shocked Napoleon into ordering them new helmets and cuirasses. Re-formed after near annihilation in Russia in 1812, they fought at Leipzig and in many actions of the 1814 French campaign, and made one of the final charges at Waterloo. lllustrated with rare early prints and meticulous colour reconstructions, this book details their story, and their unique uniforms, from surviving period documents. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 407 - 1st printing. "The German Army in World War I (2)!" Written by Nigel Thomas. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. The years 1915-17 saw the Imperial German Army forced to adapt to the new realities of static trench warfare. Prewar uniforms and equipment had to be modified, for both utility and economy; on battlefields ruled by machine guns and artillery the steel helmet reappeared, as well as masks to protect against poison gas. Fashionable cavalry regiments soon proved irrelevant on the Western Front; many were dismounted to join the infantry, while new units usurped their prestige – assault battalions, and the air corps. This second volume in a three-part sequence offers vast detail on organisation, uniforms and insignia, illustrated with rare photographs and meticulous colour artwork. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 408 - 1st printing. "Warriors at the Little Bighorn 1876!" Written by Richard Hook. Art by Richard Hook. The battle which took place on the Little Bighorn river on June 25, 1876 has passed into legend as "Custer's Last Stand". This remarkable book is a unique analysis of the oral and pictorial evidence for the appearance of nearly 30 named Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who were present that day, and for their parts in the battle. The fruit of many years' study by one of today's most internationally respected interpreters and illustrators of Native American material culture, it offers biographical notes and meticulously researched color reconstructions, together with rare photographs and pictographs. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 409 - 1st printing. "The Hussite Wars 1419-36!" Written by Stephen Turnbull. Art by Angus McBride. In 1415, the judicial murder of the religious reformer Jan Hus sparked a major uprising in Bohemia. His death led within a few years to the 'Hussite' revolution against the monarchy, the German aristocracy and the Church establishment. For two decades the largely peasant Hussite armies successfully defied a series of international 'crusades'; they owed many of their victories to the charismatic general Jan Zizka, and his novel tactical methods based on the use of 'war wagons'. This remarkable episode in medieval warfare is remembered not only as the Czech national epic, but as an important forerunner to the wars of the Reformation the following century. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 410 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Balkan Troops!" Written by Vladimir Brnardic. Art by Darko Pavlovic. South-east Europe is one of the most neglected fronts of the Napoleonic Wars; yet on the coast of the Adriatic Sea - broadly, former Western Yugoslavia and the Ionian Islands - France struggled to hold a vital strategic outpost dominating Austrian and Russian access to the Mediterranean. Here she took into imperial service former Austrian frontier regiments, which fought with distinction in Russia in 1812; and raised irregulars from among the exotic warrior populations to guard the Turkish frontier inland, and the coasts and islands from British naval raids. This detailed review of all such troops is illustrated with rare prints and meticulous colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 411 - 1st printing. "Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840–1900!" Written by CJ Peers. Art by Raffaele Ruggeri. Less well known than the Zulu of South Africa, the warriors of East Africa had just as fearsome a reputation. This fascinating study, illustrated with rare early drawings and meticulous colour plates, covers six of most prominent tribes. The prowess of the lion-hunting Masai deterred all foreign penetration for most of the 19th century; the Ngoni, driven north by the Zulu, revolutionized warfare in the region; the HeHe put up fierce resistance to German colonisers; the Ruga-Ruga produced two formidable warlords and adorned themselves with bloody trophies; the Nandi showed reckless bravery even against machine guns; and the Turkana dominated one of the most pitiless wildernesses in all of Africa. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Add to cart Very Fine $6.00

Add to cart Very Fine $6.00

Volume 412 - 1st printing. "Ukrainian Armies 1914–55!" Written by Eugene Pinak and Peter Abbott. Art by Oleksiy Rudenko. There can be no region in Europe whose history has been more tortured than Ukraine. During the 20th century Austria, Poland, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Romania vied for power over parts of this vast and fragmented area; and its divided peoples rose time and again in vain attempts to win their independence. For the first time in the West, this book gives a succinct summary of all the different armed forces raised among the Ukrainians, and of their uniforms and insignia. These are illustrated in colour and in a selection of extremely rare photographs, dating from the Great War to the aftermath of World War II, when Ukrainian guerrillas continued to defy the Soviet authorities until the mid-1950s. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 413 - 1st printing. "Austrian Frontier Troops 1740–98!" Written by David Hollins. Art by Darko Pavlovic. Austria's Balkan frontier – the disputed borderland between Europe and the Ottoman Turks – was defended in the 18th century by a unique organization of hardy communities who were granted farmland in return for armed service. These Grenzers, masters of guerrilla warfare, were later incorporated into Austria's regular forces, and earned a wider reputation fighting against the army of Frederik the Great's Prussia. By the start of the wars against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France they provided a significant part of the Austrian Line. This book unravels their complex history, and illustrates the development of their colourful folk costumes into striking uniforms. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 414 - 1st printing. "The Russo-Japanese War 1904–05!" Written by Philip Jowett and Alexei Ivanov. Art by Andrei Karachtchouk. The Russo-Japanese War in Manchuria was the first 20th century conflict fought between the regular armies of major powers, employing the most modern means – machine guns, trench warfare, minefields and telephone communications; and the battle of Mukden in March 1905 was the largest clash of armies in world history up to that date. Events were followed by many foreign observers; but the events of 1914 in Western Europe suggest that not all of them drew the correct conclusions. For the first time in the West the armies of this distant but important war are described and illustrated in detail, with rare photos and the superbly atmospheric paintings of Russia's leading military illustrator. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 415 - 1st printing. "The Waffen-SS (3)!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Stephen Andrew. The Waffen-SS grew from a handful of obscure infantry battalions in 1939, to a force of more than 30 divisions by the end of World War II, including units of every type and every level of battlefield value. The mid-war divisions covered in this third title represent that range, from some of the most effective German and Western European volunteer formations – e.g. the 12. SS-Pz Div 'Hitlerjugend', and the Scandinavians and Dutchmen of the 11. 'Nordland' and 23. 'Nederland' divisions – to the Bosnian Muslims of the anti-partisan 13. 'Handschar' Division. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections and meticulous colour artwork, the text details their organization, uniforms and insignia, and summarizes their battle records. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 416 - 1st printing. "German Armies 1870–71 (1)!" Written by Michael Solka. Art by Darko Pavlovic. The crushing victory by Prussia and her German allies in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870–71, destroyed one empire and created another. It finally unified the German states into an empire under Prussian leadership – an empire proclaimed in the very halls of captured Versailles. In 1870 Prussia's reformed mobilization system put enormous armies into the field with unprecedented efficiency. The confidence which the victory encouraged among German militarists, and the intolerable humiliation it inflicted upon France, ensured that an even more destructive war was soon inevitable. This, the first of two titles, lists and illustrates the units of Prussia and her North German Confederation, the powerhouse of a formidable military machine. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

Volume 417 - 1st printing. "The Irish Defence Forces since 1922!" Written by Donal MacCarron. Art by Bill Younghusband. Born in the Civil War of 1922-23, the army of the Republic of Ireland occupied a sensitive place in the national culture for many years. In World War II, it faced the challenge of maintaining Ireland's integrity as a neutral. Post-war, it found a new role in 1960, providing troops for the United Nations intervention in the war-torn Congo; and since then has supported UN missions in the Middle East and elsewhere. More recently the border with troubled Ulster has obliged the Republic to invest in reform and modernisation. Ireland's freedom to seek examples and equipment worldwide has created an interesting progression of uniforms, illustrated in this study of Ireland's forces over 80 years. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 418 - 1st printing. "American Indians of the Pacific Northwest!" Written by Elizabeth Von Aderkas. Art by Christa Hook. The Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest, both on the Coast and the inland Plateau, were the last to encounter white traders and settlers. When contact occured in the late 18th century the explorers and traders found two distinct cultures. The fairly recent adoption of the horse had opened the Plateau tribes to influences from the peoples of the Plains; but the tribes of the Coast presented a sharply different picture, involving rigid class hierarchies, an economy based on fishing and hunting marine animals, and frequent intertribal warfare which involved slave raiding and head hunting. This fascinating text describes the ways of life, in peace and war, of the coastal and inland peoples of this region. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 419 - 1st printing. "The German Army in World War I (3)!" Written by Nigel Thomas. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. This third volume of a mini-series covering the German forces in World War I examines the troops that fought during the climax of the war on all fronts: the last great battles of attrition in the West (Arras, Messines, 3rd Ypres - Passchendaele/Langemarck - and Cambrai, 1917) and the collapse of Russia in the East. The 'Kaiserschlacht' campaign is covered, as are the German operations in Italy, the Balkans, and in support of Turkey in the Middle East. Uniform changes during this period reflected the introduction of new tactics and weapons and new types of troops, such as tanks and assault battalions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 420 - 1st printing. "The Waffen-SS (4)!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Stephen Andrew. In 1944–45 the Waffen-SS formed many nominal 'divisions' from a motley range of sources, whose battlefield value was as varied as their backgrounds. The best were built around existing Western European volunteer regiments; some, raised from Central Europeans and Russians, were strong in numbers but weak in morale; some were of negligible size, scraped together from remnants and trainees; and some were sinister 'anti-partisan' gangs, assembled from the military dregs of the Eastern Front. Illustrated with rare photographs from private collections and meticulous colour artwork, this final title in our sequence details their organisation, uniforms and insignia, and summarises their battle records. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 421 - 1st printing. "The Sikh Army 1799-1849!" Written by Ian Heath. Art by Michael Perry. The beginning of the 19th century saw the rise of a remarkable Sikh leader in the Punjab province of north-west India. Unifying the feudal rulers under his authority, the conquering Maharaja Ranjit Singh pursued campaigns of expansion for nearly 40 years, creating for the purpose a new regular army on the Western model. His death in 1839 found the frontiers of Sikh and British power in confrontation; in the 1840s the inevitable trial of strength brought British crown and East India Company troops into battle against the most formidable Indian army they ever faced. Its story is told here in fascinating detail, illustrated with rare early paintings and with colourful reconstructions of Punjabi regular soldiers and feudal warriors. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 422 - 1st printing. "German Armies 1870-71 (2)!" Written by Michael Solka. Art by Darko Pavlovic. Although the war of 1870-71 has gone down in history as the 'Franco-Prussian War', nearly half of the German troops sent to the frontier were from other German states - both the willing members of the North German Confederation and the southern states who were in some cases more hesitant about accepting Prussian domination. Some contingents had only one or two regiments - though these might be of high quality, like the 'Black Brunswickers'; others provided whole army corps, like Bavaria and Saxony. This book lists and illustrates the organization and varied uniforms of all these allied contingents, most of which fought well when it came to the test of battle. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 423 - 1st printing. "The Confederate Army 1861–65 (1)!" Written by Ron Field. Art by Richard Hook. The common image of the Confederate Army during the Civil War is dominated by a limited number of early photographs of soldiers wearing the gray and butternut associated with the CS regulations and quartermaster issues. This sequence of books examines a much wider field: the original uniforms of the state militia and volunteer companies which were brought together to form the Confederate armies, and the continuing efforts by individual states to clothe their troops as wear-and-tear reduced the originally wide range of uniforms. A mass of information from state papers and other contemporary documents is illustrated with rare photographs and meticulous color reconstructions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 424 - 1st printing. "The Chinese Army 1937-49!" Written by Philip Jowett. Art by Stephen Walsh. Although 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. After Japan's defeat in 1945, China was immediately plunged back into civil war between Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists and Mao Tse-tung's Communists; and the latter's victory in 1949 changed the world for the rest of the 20th century and beyond. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 425 - 1st printing. "Roman Military Clothing (3)!" Written by Raffaele D'Amato. Art by Graham Sumner. This book is the concluding part of a rigorous study of theliterary, sculptural, pictorial and archaeological evidence for Roman military clothing, covering the last days of the Western Empire, and the much longer record of the Eastern, in the 5th to 7th centuries. The evidence from this enormously colourful period - when Germanic and Persian styles, first introduced by mercenaries, were widely adopted by Roman armies - is particularly rich. The text is illustrated with many photographs of rare textile finds, and mosaic artwork; with careful drawings of other figurative sources; and with Graham Sumner's meticulous and dazzling colour reconstructions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 426 - 1st printing. "The Confederate Army 1861-65 (2)!" Written by Ron Field. Art by Richard Hook. The common image of the Confederate Army during the Civil War is dominated by a limited number of early photographs of officers and men wearing the gray and butternut associated with the CS regulations and quartermaster issues. This sequence of books examines a much wider field: the original uniforms of the state and volunteer companies which were brought together to form the Confederate field armies, and the continuing efforts to clothe troops as wear-and-tear gradually reduced the originally wide range of uniforms. A mass of information from contemporary documents is illustrated with rare photographs and meticulous color reconstructions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.