Osprey Men-at-Arms Series SC (1973-2011 OSPREY) comic books 2004-2006

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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.

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 406 - 1st printing. "The British Army in World War I (3) !" Written by Mike Chappell. Art by Mike Chappell. Although 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, Russia, China, and even the North-West Frontier of India. The text is illustrated with contemporary photographs, and with meticulous colour plates of British, African, Indian and Australian troops, in the uniforms and equipment used on battle fronts from the desert sands to the snows of north Russia. 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.

Volume 427 - 1st printing. "Armies of Ivan the Terrible!" Written by Viacheslav Shpakovsky and David Nicolle. Art by Angus McBride. It 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 the creation of paid regular regiments from1630, up to the reign of Peter the Great. It is illustrated with rare early drawings, photos of surviving artifacts, and dazzling colour reconstructions of exotic military costumes. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 428 - 1st printing. "Indian Tribes of the New England Frontier!" Written by Michael G Johnson. Art by Jonathan Smith. This book offers a detailed introduction to the tribes of the New England region – the first native American peoples affected by contact with the French and English colonists. By 1700 several tribes had already been virtually destroyed, and many others were soon reduced and driven from their lands by disease, war or treachery. The tribes were also drawn into the savage frontier wars between the French and the British. The final defeat of French Canada and the subsequent unchecked expansion of the British colonies resulted in the virtual extinction of the region's Indian culture, which is only now being revived by small descendant communities. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 429- 1st printing. "Napoleon's Mamelukes!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The most exotic of all the troops of Napoleon's Imperial Guard were undoubtedly the Mamelukes – the bodyguard of Oriental cavalry which followed him home after the Egyptian expedition of 1798-1801, and remained with his Mounted Chasseurs regiment throughout the First Empire. For the first time in English, this book tells the Mamelukes' story, from Austerlitz to Waterloo. Quoting from the original nominal rolls and battle casualty returns, the author brings individual members of this extraordinary unit to life. His text is illustrated with rare early engravings and paintings, and the full-colour plates show the development of the unit's romantic Turkish uniforms. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 430- 1st printing. "The Confederate Army 1861–65 (3)!" 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 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 wear-and-tear gradually reduced this wide range ofuniforms. A mass of information from contemporary documents is illustraed with rare photographs and meticulous color reconstructions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 431- 1st printing. "Britain's Secret War!" Written by Will Fowler. Art by Kevin Lyles. The '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, including the award to a Gurkha soldier of the British Army's only 'living VC' for 40 years. This book will reveal the experiences of the soldiers who survived and succeeded amidst some of the world's worst jungle terrain. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 432- 1st printing. "Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces!" Written by Gary Nila and Robert. A Rolfe. Art by Christa Hook. The Imperial Japanese Navy's Special Landing Force units enjoyed a reputation out of proportion to their small size. Often wrongly termed "Imperial Marines", they were in fact sailors led by Naval officers, and traced their origins directly to landing parties from warships. Their true combat debut was at Shanghai in 1932; thereafter the SNLF expanded and fought in the assaults that followed Pearl Habor in 1941, and were dispersed as island garrisons during the Pacific campaigns. This book describes their uniforms and equipment in unprecedented detail, including color photos of original items from private collections. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 433- 1st printing. "Napoleon's Scouts of the Imperial Guard!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. Driven out of Germany after his defeat at Leipzig in 1813, Napoleon seemed to face disaster. Some 345,000 Allied troops were converging on France from the east; and Napoleon had only about 80,000 men. Most of his veterans had been killed in Russia and Germany, and he was short of cavalry to counter the swarms of Cossacks. For his last and possibly most brilliant campaign, Napoleon raised three regiments of mounted Scouts for his Imperial Guard. Through the story of these units the reader can follow Napoleon's dazzling manoeuvres in the campaign of 1814; and their widely varied uniforms are reconstructed in meticulously researched colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 434- 1st printing. "World War II German Police Units!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Gerry Embleton. The German Police were an essential arm of the Nazi regime; as soon as Hitler achieved power the previous decentralized provincial system was unified into a single state apparatus, integrated at the command levels with the SS. While it may have been centrally controlled, it was still separated into a bewildering range of different departments and functions, many with their own uniform distinctions. This book offers a concise introduction to the organization, responsibilities, uniforms and insignia of the various branches of this machinery of repression, from Police generals to rural constables, transport policemen and factory watchmen. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 435- 1st printing. "The Confederate Army 1861-65 (4)!" 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 troops wearing the gray and butternut of the CS regulations and quartermaster issues. By contrast, this book examines the variety of uniforms worn by the Virginia and Arkansas militia and volunteers brought together in the Confederate field armies, and the continuing efforts to clothe them as wear-and-tear gradually reduced this wide range of uniforms. A mass of information from contemporary documents is illustrated with rare early photographs and meticulous color reconstructions. Softcover, PC/PB&W.