Osprey Elite Series SC (1984-2008 OSPREY) comic books 2004-2006
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Issue #6-REP
$9.00
Volume 6 - 2nd and later printings. "French Foreign Legion Paratroops!" Written by Martin Windrow. Art by Kevin Lyles. The decision, in Spring 1948, to form two battalions of Foreign Legion paratroopers was prompted by the requirement for enlarged airborne forces in Indochina, and the healthy recruitment then employed by the Legion. There were some initial doubts. The Legion were known to be magnificent heavy infantry, but were felt by some to lack the flexibility and agility demanded by independent airborne operations. In the Legion itself there were some misgivings over the possible clash between the self-consciously exclusive 'para mentality', and the Legion's own very marked ésprit de corps. Over time, however, all these doubts evaporated with experience. Softcover,64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.
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Issue #101-1ST
$9.00
$5.80
$7.10
Volume 101 - 1st printing. "Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815!" Written by David Hollins. Art by Christopher Rothero. Throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, France's most consistent enemy on land was the Austrian Empire. Austria's huge armies played a central part in the several coalitions against France, from the 1790s, to the Austerlitz campaign of 1805, the closely-balanced battles of 1809, and the final upsurge of 1813-14. Contrary to the myth of rigid aristocratic conformity, the generals who led those armies were as diverse in origin and character as their regiments - some were princes of the blood, and some ex-rankers promoted for talent and courage. This text gives concise but fact-packed accounts of the careers of more than 30 of these men, illustrated with portraits and meticulous colour plates. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #103-1ST
$5.80
$5.80
Volume 103 - 1st printing. "Vietnam ANZACs!"By Kevin Lyles. The part played by Australian and New Zealand troops in the Vietnam War is sometimes overlooked; but it is generally accepted that the 'Diggers' and 'Kiwis' were among the most effective and professional troops involved. Drawing upon the ANZACs' long experience in the jungles of South East Asia, the men of the Task Force used their expertise in patrol tactics to great effect to frustrate Viet Cong operations. Meanwhile the ANZACs' small and isolated adviser teams spent ten years passing on their skills all over South Vietnam, and in the process four were awarded the supreme decoration for valour - the Victoria Cross. This book pays tribute to their military prowess, and describes and illustrates their uniforms and equipment in unprecedented detail. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #104-1ST
$6.50
$6.50
$5.80
$5.80
Volume 104 - 1st printing. "Britain's Air Defences 1939-45!" Written by Alfred Price. Art by Darko Pavlovic. German daylight raids on Britain began in the summer of 1940. They were expected and the country had been preparing for quite some time. Searchlights were in place, Fighter Command had been expanded, and anti-aircraft guns were being manufactured. It was from these first preparations that Britain developed tactics to counter the many air raids over the following years. This book shows how Britain prepared for air raids in the run up to the war and details all the tactics that were developed during the war to counter the many aerial attacks. Among the defence systems covered are anti-aircraft guns, barrage balloons and the RADAR system. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #106-1ST
$9.00
Volume 106 - 1st printing. "Wehrmacht Combat Helmets 1933-45!" Written by Brian C Bell . Art by Kevin Lyles. The German Stahlhelm is perhaps the most recognizable image of World War II. Manufactured in its millions, it was used or copied by many countries. It is still one of the most collected relics of the war; but despite its relative availability, prices have reached levels that challenge collectors to protect themselves by acquiring in-depth knowledge. This book, by a collector of 30 years' standing, offers a detailed masterclass in the patterns, component parts and finishes of the combat helmets used by the German Army, Navy and Air Force. It is illustrated with a superb selection of rare period photos, colour photos of collected examples, and striking colour paintings Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #109-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 109 - 1st printing. "The British Home Front 1939-45!" Written by Martin Brayley. Art by Malcolm McGregor. The population of Britain was mobilized to support the war effort on a scale unseen in any other Western democracy - or in Nazi Germany. They endured long working shifts, shortages of food and all other goods, and complete government control of their daily lives. Most men and women were conscripted or volunteered for additional tasks outside their formal working hours. Under the air raids that destroyed the centres of many towns and made about 2 million homeless, more than 60,000 civilians were killed and 86,000 seriously injured. This fascinating illustrated summary of wartime life, and the organizations that served on the Home front, is a striking record of endurance and sacrifice. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #111-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 111 - 1st printing. "Heroes of the Soviet Union 1941-45!" Written by Henry Sakaida. Art by Christa Hook. The Great Patriotic War began on 22 June 1941, when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. Over 10 million Soviet soldiers took part in the war and of those about 12,600 earned the Soviet Union's highest military award - the Hero of the Soviet Union - for deeds of great daring and self sacrifice. This book covers the male recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union award during the Great Patriotic War. Snipers, fighter pilots, partisans and spies are all included, together with the famous aces Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, who both gained the award an amazing three times. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #112-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 112 - 1st printing. "American Civil War Marines 1861-65!" Written by Ron Field. Art by Richard Hook. The part played in the Civil War by the small Marine Corps of the United and Confederate States is overshadowed by the confrontations of the great armies. Nevertheless, the coastal and riverine campaigns were of real importance, given the strategic significance of the Federal blockade of southern ports, and of the struggle for the Mississippi River. Marines wearing blue and grey fought in many dramatic actions afloat and ashore - ship-to-ship engagements, cutting-out expeditions, and coastal landings. This book offers a comprehensive summary of all such battles, illustrated with rare early photographs, and meticulously researched color plates detailing the often obscure minutiae of Marine uniforms and equipment. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #114-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 114 - 1st printing. "Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. In 1939 a new grade in the Iron Cross series was introduced, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). It was awarded for a variety of reasons, from skilled leadership to a single act of extreme gallantry, and was bestowed across all ranks, grades, and branches of service. As the war progresed, further distinctions were created for bestowal on existing winners, namely Oak-Leaves (Eichenlaub); Oak-Leaves with Swords (Eichenlaub und Schwertern); and Oak-Leaves with Swords and Diamonds (Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten). This book, the first in a sequence of four, covers winners of the Knights Cross and the Oak-Leaves distinction in the period 1939-40. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.
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Issue #115-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 115 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters Part 1!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The 'military machine' by which Napoleon and his indispensable chief of staff Marshal Berthier commanded and controlled his huge armies on campaign numbered some 1,500 officers and men, organized in the different bureaux of his military and civilian 'households' and the army general headquarters. This essential tool of the Emperor's power was designed to provide him, even in a front-line camp, with all the information, technical support and comfort that he enjoyed in his palaces. This fascinating study details the entourage which enabled Napoleon to move hundreds of thousands of troops right across Europe. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.
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Issue #116-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 116 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters Part 2!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. Following Elite 115 - which described the composition of Napoleon's military and civil 'households', and Marshal Berthier's army general headquarters - this title offers an intimate glimpse of the Emperor's entourage in the field. Centred on the Waterloo campaign in 1815, it draws comparisons with his earlier triumphs. From the testimony of his trusted servants, the text draws a vivid picture of his daily routines on the march. Of particular interest are new details of Napoleon's tented camp HQ from 1812; and a further selection of the striking uniforms worn by his closest attendants. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #120-1ST
$9.00
Volume 120 - 1st printing. "Mounted Archers of the Steppe 600 BC-AD 1300!" Written by Antony Karasulas. Art by Angus McBride. For more than 2,000 years hordes of mounted nomadic archers from the vastness of the steppe and from Central Asia spewed out into China, the Middle East, and Europe. Feared and reviled, they were a formidable threat to the lands they invaded. Their influence on military history is incalculable: the whole foundation of late Classical and Medieval Western and Middle Eastern military thought was based on the reality of a highly mobile, tough and unconventional foe, one which could strike almost anywhere at will and with highly effective long-range weapons. This book details the history, weapons, equipment and tactics of these fascinating warriors. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #121-1ST
$9.00
Volume 121 - 1st printing. "Ancient Siege Warfare!" Written by Duncan B Campbell. Art by Adam Hook. Sieges played a central role in many conflicts of the ancient world and generals, including Darius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Scipio Africanus successfully used siegecraft to gain their objectives. As siege tactics became integral to success in war, generals employed the minds of engineers and scientists to develop tactics which ranged from penetrating the defences or blockading the city through to tricks and deception. This fascinating study tracks developments in siege warfare from Ancient Persia in the 6th century BC through to the Roman sieges of the second century BC, describing the range of equipment and techniques which evolved during this period. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #124-1ST
$9.00
Volume 124 - 1st printing. "World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics!" Written by Gordon L Rottman. Art by Steve Noon. The battlefield interaction between infantry and tanks was central to combat on most fronts in World War II. The first 'Blitzkrieg' campaigns saw the tank achieve a new dominance. New infantry tactics and weapons - some of them desperately dangerous - had to be adopted, while the armies raced to develop more powerful anti-tank guns and new light weapons. By 1945, a new generation of revolutionary shoulder-fired AT weapons was in widespread use. This book explains in detail the shifting patterns of anti-tank combat, illustrated with photographs, diagrams and colour plates showing how weapons were actually employed on the battlefield. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #125-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 125 - 1st printing. "Samurai Commanders Part 1!" Written by Stephen Turnbull. Art by Richard Hook. The samurai were the military elite of medieval and early modern Japan, and the men who led them were hailed as the very greatest, most heroic and most honourable of all samurai warriors. This first of two books examines the lives, equipment, battles and wider roles of the samurai commanders between 940 and 1576, the period from the emergence of the samurai to the triumph of Oda Nobunaga, who set Japan on the road to reunification. The styles of armour and weaponry of the samurai changed considerably during this time and this book visually recreates some of the most famous samurai commanders. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #130-1ST
$9.00
Volume 130 - 1st printing. "The Mycenaeans c.1650-1100 BC!" Written by Nicolas Grguric . Art by Angus McBride. The timeless appeal of Homer's epic poem of the ancient TrojanWar, The Iliad, has meant an eduring interest in the Mycenaen age. Modern scholarship and new archaeological evidence now allows us to recontruct with reasonable confidence the appearance of this great warrior civilization, which dominated much of the eastern Mediterranean between the 16th and 12th centuries BC. We can also make deductions, from the few surviving pictorial sources, about the tactics of these armies. This absorbing text is illustrated with examples of the archaeological and pictorial evidence, and with striking colour reconstructions of light and heavy infantry and chariot warriors of the Mycenaean age. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #131-1ST
$9.00
Volume 131 - 1st printing. "The Condor Legion!" Written by Carlos Caballero Jurado. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. The Condor Legion was the expeditionary force of soldiers and airmen sent by Hitler to aid Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The Germans used the war as an opportunity to develop equipment and tactics, and their force included not only instructors, but also combat units of artillery, tanks and aircraft. These units tested guns, tanks and planes and perfected techniques which were used in the 1940 Blitzkrieg. Many of officers prominent in the early campaigns of World War II won their first successes in Spain. This book details the Legion and its unique uniform and insignia. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #132-1ST
$9.00
Volume 132 - 1st printing. "German Commanders of World War II Part 2!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Malcolm McGregor. This second of two selections of Germany's World War II field commanders summarizes the careers, and illustrates the appearance, of 26 men who rose to prominence in the Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. The subjects range from the commanders-in-chief and generals to younger officers whose fame and promotions were earned in combat on land, at sea and in the air. Some were dedicated supporters of the Nazi regime; others were motivated simply by patriotism and their military training. Every commander has an individual colour portrait expertly drawn by the respected World War II illustrator Malcolm McGregor. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #136-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 136 - 1st printing. "World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics!" Written by Gordon L Rottman. Art by Peter Dennis. The delivery of entire divisions to battlefields behind enemy lines by parachute and glider played a significant part in the European campaigns of World War II. Despite notable successes, the costs and difficulties of this wholly new form of warfare have prevented airborne operations on a comparable scale since 1945. This book - by an airborne veteran of a later generation - explains in detail their advantages and drawbacks, developing techniques and equipment, with reference to specific German, US, British, Soviet and Japanese operations. The text is illustrated with period photographs, colour artwork and operation maps. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #137-1ST
$9.00
Volume 137 - 1st printing. "The Mexican Revolution 1910?20!" Written by Gordon L Rottman. Art by Peter Dennis. Some of the most famous Western movies have been set against the background of the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century. Now, for the first time in English, Osprey offer a concise but fact-packed account of the events, armies, uniforms and weapons of those ten chaotic and bloody years, putting in context such famous but half-understood names as Diaz, Pancho Villa, Zapata, Madero and Huerta. The text is illustrated with many rare and fascinating period photographs, and with eight detailed color plates of orfiristas and Rurales, Maderisitas, Federales, Villistas, Zapatistas,and US volunteers and intervention troops. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #146-1ST
$9.00
$9.00
Volume 146 - 1st printing. "The Yugoslav Wars Part 2!" Written by Nigel Thomas, and K Mikulan . Art by Darko Pavlovic. Following the death of the Yugoslavian President Tito in 1980, the semi-autonomous republics and provinces that he had welded into a multi-cultural nation in 1945 slid gradually towards separation. For ten years following 1991, the world watched in horror as a series of bloody wars ripped a modern European state apart, and the intolerable spectacle eventually forced international intervention. Illustrated with rare photos and colour uniform plates, this second of two volumes by experts on the Balkan region offers a concise breakdown of the indigenous forces involved in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
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Issue #150-1ST
$9.00
Volume 150 - 1st printing. "World War I Gas Warfare Tactics and Equipment!" Written by Simon Jones. Art by Richard Hook. This remarkable book explains the practical details of a type of warfare waged for only three years, but which became one of the dominant aspects of World War I: the mass use of poison gases. It tells the story of German and Allied gas warfare from the first German attack at Ypres in April 1915 through to the 1918 Armistice: the gases, the means and tactics of delivery, the effects and influence on the battles, and the race to produce better protection for the troops on both sides. It is illustrated with very rare wartime photographs and diagrams of equipment, and with a series of colour plates showing gas equipment in use. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.
