Osprey Essential Histories SC (2001) comic books

Volume 51 - 1st printing. "The Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871!" By Stephen Badsey. The Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870 when Bismarck engineered a war with the French Second Empire under Napoleon III. This was part of his wider political strategy of uniting Prussia with the southern German states, excluding Austria. The war was an overwhelming Prussian victory, and King Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of the new united Germany. The Second Empire collapsed and Napoleon III became an exile in Britain. In the peace settlement with the French Third Republic in 1871 Germany gained the eastern French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, areas that were to provide a bone of contention for years to come. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 52 - 1st printing. "The Boer War 1899-1902!" By Gregory Fremont-Barnes. Victorious in its previous campaigns in Africa against native armies, Britain now confronted an altogether different foe. The Boers proved to be formidable opponents, masterfully compensating for inferior numbers with grim determination, resourcefulness and strong religious faith. Their mobility, expert use of cover, and knowledge of the terrain, in which they employed powerful long-range magazine rifles, gave them initial advantages. By contrast the British suffered from inadequate transport, insufficient mounted troops and poor intelligence. Despite marshalling the immense resources of their empire, the British were to be severely tested in a war which one general described as 'the graveyard of many a soldier's reputation'. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 53 - 1st printing. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 54 - 1st printing. "The Wars of the Roses!" By Michael Hicks. The Wars of the Roses raged from 1455 to 1485 - the longest period of civil war in English history. They barely affected the daily routine of the civilian population, yet for the leaders of the opposing houses of York and Lancaster, the wars were devastating. First hand accounts reveal how the lives of their women and children were blighted during three decades of war, as many of their male relatives met with violent deaths. This book examines in detail the causes, course and results of each of the main wars and concludes with a fascinating insight into why the wars ended so abruptly. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 55 - 1st printing. "The Gulf War 1991!" By Alastair Finlan. The Gulf War of 1991 heralded a new type of warfare that was characterised by astonishing speed and high technology with remarkably low numbers of casualties amongst the coalition forces. Just under a million coalition personnel were deployed to the Gulf region to face a variety of threats from extreme temperatures to weapons of mass destruction (biological, chemical and suspected nuclear) and a formidable Iraqi occupation force. This book assesses the defensive Operation Desert Shield (the build up of coalition forces) and the offensive Operation Desert Storm (the liberation of Kuwait) as well as the key personalities on both sides. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 56 - 1st printing. "The Zulu War 1879!" By Ian Knight. The Zulu War of 1879 remains one of the best known British colonial wars and included two battles whose names reverberate through history. At Isandlwana the Zulus inflicted a crushing defeat on the British; the gallant British defence at Rorke's Drift followed and re-established British prestige. Yet as this book shows, there was more to the war than this. Six months of brutal fighting followed, until the Zulu kingdom was broken up, its king imprisoned and the whole structure of the Zulu state destroyed. Years of internecine strife followed, until the British finally annexed Zululand as a colonial possession. Softcover, 96 ages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 57 - 1st printing. "Genghis Khan and the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400!" By Stephen Turnbull. The history of the Mongol conquests is a catalogue of superlatives. No army in the world has ever conquered so much territory, and few armies have provoked such terror as the Mongol hordes. So vast was the extent of the Mongol Empire that the samurai of Japan and the Teutonic Knights of Prussia had each fought the same enemy while being unaware of each other's existence. This book provides a concise yet thorough account of the Mongol conquests, including the rise of Genghis Khan and the unification of the tribes with up to date information on campaign logistics, tactics and horse breeding. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 58 - 1st printing. "The English Civil Wars 1642-1651!" By Peter Gaunt. The period 1642-1651, one of the most turbulent in the history of mainland Britian, saw the country torn by civil wars. Focusing on the English and Welsh wars this book examines the causes, course and consequences of the conflicts. While offering a concise military account that assesses the wars in their national, regional and local contexts, Dr Gaunt provides a full appraisal of the severity of the wars and the true extent of the impact on civilian life, highlighting areas of continued historical debate. The personal experiences and biographies of key players are also included in this comprehensive and fascinating account. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 59 - 1st printing. "The Plains Wars 1757-1900!" By Charles M Robinson III. The Great Plains cover the central two-thirds of the United States, and during the nineteenth century were home to some of the largest and most powerful Indian tribes on the continent. The conflict between those tribes and the newcomers from the Old World lasted about one hundred and fifty years, and required the resources of five nations - Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States - before fighting ended in the mid 1890s. This masterly exposition explains the background, causes and long term effects of these bitter wars, whose legacy can still be felt today. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

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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.

Volume 61 - 1st printing. "The Chinese Civil War 1945-49!" By Michael Lynch. Out of the ashes of Imperial China arose two new contenders to lead a reformed nation; the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang, and the Chinese Communist Party. In 1927, the inevitable clash between these two political parties led to a bitter civil war that would last for 23 years, through World War II and into the Cold War period. The brutal struggle finally concluded when Communist forces captured Nanjing, capital of the Nationalist Republic of China, irrevocably altering the course of China's future. Dr Michael Lynch sheds light on this cruel civil war that ultimately led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 62 - 1st printing. "The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699!" By Stephen Turnbull. The Ottoman Empire and its conflicts provide one of the longest continuous narratives in military history. Its rulers were never overthrown by a foreign power and no usurper succeeded in taking the throne. At its height under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Empire became the most powerful state in the world - a multi-national, multilingual empire that stretched from Vienna to the upper Arab peninsula. With Suleiman's death began the gradual decline to the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 in which the Ottoman Empire lost much of its European territory. This volume covers the main campaigns and the part played by such elite troops as the Janissaries and the Sipahis, as well as exploring the social and economic impact of the conquests. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

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.

Volume 67 - 1st printing. "Ancient Israel at War 853-586 BC!" By Brad Kelle. Complex and unstable, in 922 BC the kingdom of Ancient Israel was divided into Judah, in the South, and Israel, in the North. For the next 200 years, there was almost constant warring between these kingdoms and their neighbors. These bitter feuds eventually led to the collapse of Israel, leaving Judah as a surviving nation until the emergence of the Babylonian Empire, the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, and the exile of the Judean people. Using ancient Jewish, Biblical, and other contemporary sources, this title examines the politics, fighting, and consequences of Israel's battles during this period. Focusing on the turbulent relationship between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, this book explains Israel's complex, often bloody, foreign policy, and provides a definitive history of these ancient conflicts. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $14.95.

Volume 68 - 1st printing. "The Indian Mutiny 1857-58!" By Gregory Fremont-Barnes. In the mid-19th century India was the focus of Britain's international prestige and commercial power - the most important colony in an empire which extended to every continent on the globe and protected by the seemingly dependable native armies of the East India Company. When, however, in 1857 discontent exploded into open rebellion, Britain was obliged to field its largest army in forty years to defend its 'jewel in the crown'. This book, drawing on the latest sources as well as numerous first-hand accounts, explains why the sepoy armies rose up against the world's leading imperial power, details the major phases of the fighting, including the massacres at Cawnpore and the epic sieges of Delhi and Lucknow, and examines many other aspects of this compelling, at times horrifying, subject. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $14.95.

Volume 69 - 1st printing. "The Russian Civil War 1918-22!" By David Bullock. The Russian Civil War is the most important civil war of the 20th century, changing the lives of over half a billion people and dramatically shaping the geography of Europe, the Far East and Asia. Over a four-year period 20 countries battled in a crucible that would give birth to Communist revolutions worldwide and the Cold War. David Bullock offers a fresh perspective on this conflict, examining the forces involved, as well as the fascinating intervention by Allied forces. At the dawn of modern war, as cavalry duelled with tanks, aircraft, and armoured trains along shifting fronts, this title tells a military story enacted against a backdrop of political and social revolution and within the context of immense human loss. The reader cannot fail to be moved by the rare photographs and illustrations that make this history come alive. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $18.95.

Volume 70 - 1st printing. "The Irish Civil War 1922-23!" By Peter Cottrell. In this follow-up to the acclaimed The Anglo-Irish War, Peter Cottrell explores the Irish Civil War, a devastating conflict that tore Ireland apart. This book examines the many factions that played a part in the fighting and the terror and counter-terror operations, focusing on the short bloody battles that witnessed more deaths than the preceding years during the struggle for the Free State. Cottrell particularly focuses on the contrasting styles of leadership and the conduct of combat operations by the IRA and the National Army, providing a fascinating study for all students of Irish history as well as military history. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 71 - 1st printing. "The Great Islamic Conquests AD 632-750 !" By David Nicolle. Few centuries in world history have had such a profound and long-lasting impact as the first hundred years of Islamic history. In this book, David Nicolle examines the extensive Islamic conquests between AD 632 and 750. These years saw the religion and culture of Islam erupt from the Arabian Peninsula and spread across an area far larger than that of the Roman Empire. The effects of this rapid expansion were to shape European affairs for centuries to come. This book examines the social and military history of the period, describing how and why the Islamic expansion was so successful. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 72 - 1st printing. "The Jacobite Rebellion 1745-46!" By Gregory Fremont-Barnes. The Jacobite Rebellion was the final attempt of the House of Stuart to re-establish itself on the British throne and it saw the death throes of the independent martial prowess of the Highland clans. No event in British history has been more heavily romanticized, but Gregory Fremont-Barnes succeeds in stripping away the myths to reveal the key events of this crucial period. From questions of dynastic succession to religious dominance, the events leading to the Rebellion are carefully explained and analyzed, drawing upon a host of primary research. From the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie to the battle of Culloden, this book offers a complete overview of the Rebellion, complete with detailed maps and beautiful period illustrations. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.