Osprey Essential Histories SC (2001) comic books 2004-2006

Volume 50 - 1st printing. "The Texas War of Independence 1835-36!" By Alan C Huffines. The Texas Revolution is remembered chiefly for the 13-day siege of the Alamo and its immortal heroes. This book describes the war and the preceding years that were marked by resentments and minor confrontations as the ambitions of Mexico's leaders clashed with the territorial determination of Texan settlers. When the war broke in October 1835, the invading Mexicans, under the leadership of the flamboyant President-General Santa Ana, fully expected to crush a ragged army of frontiersmen. Led by Sam Houston, the Texans rallied in defense of the new Lone Star state, defeated the Mexicans in a mere 18 minutes at the battle of San Jacinto and won their independence. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 60 - 1st printing. "The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519-1521!" By Charles M Robinson III. The Spanish conquest of Mexico was the most remarkable military expedition in history, and in achieving it, Hernan Cortes proved himself as one of the greatest generals of all time. This book explains the background of the Aztec Empire and of the Spanish presence in Mexico. It describes the lives of the Aztecs in their glittering capital and of the Europeans who learned to adapt and survive in an alien and often dangerous world. The invasion was a war between civilizations, pitting the fatalism and obsessive ritual of the Aztecs against soldiers fighting for riches, their lives, and eventually their souls. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 63 - 1st printing. "The Collapse of Yugoslavia 1991-1999!" By Alastair Finlan. In 1991, an ethnically diverse region that had enjoyed decades of peaceful coexistence descended into bitter hatred and chaos, almost overnight. Communities fractured along lines of ethnic and religious affiliation and the ensuing fighting was deeply personal, resulting in brutality, rape and torture, and ultimately the deaths of thousands of people. This book examines the internal upheavals of the former Yugoslavia and their international implications, including the failure of the Vance-Owen plan; the first use of NATO in a combat role and in peace enforcement; and the war in Kosovo, unsanctioned by the UN but prosecuted by NATO forces to prevent the ethnic cleansing of the region. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 64 - 1st printing. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 65 - 1st printing. "The Anglo-Irish War!" By Peter Cottrell. The Anglo-Irish War has often been referred to as the war 'the English have struggled to forget and the Irish cannot help but remember'. Before 1919, the issue of Irish Home Rule lurked beneath the surface of Anglo-Irish relations for many years, but after the Great War, tensions rose up and boiled over. Irish Nationalists in the shape of Sinn Féin and the IRA took political power in 1919 with a manifesto to claim Ireland back from an English 'foreign' government by whatever means necessary. This book explores the conflict and the years that preceded it, examining such historic events as the Easter Rising and the infamous Bloody Sunday. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 66 - 1st printing. "The Wars of the Barbary Pirates!" By Gregory Fremont-Barnes. The wars against the Barbary pirates not only signaled the determination of the United States to throw off its tributary status, liberate its citizens from slavery in North Africa, and reassert its right to trade freely upon the seas: they enabled America to regain its sense of national dignity. The wars also served as a catalyst for the development of a navy with which America could project its newly acquired power thousands of miles away. By the time the fighting was over the young republic bore the unmistakable marks of a nation destined to play a major role in international affairs. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.