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Although the events of the Peninsular War have been retold many times, there is scope for different perspectives. The complexities of war mean that the broad-brush approach must of necessity concentrate on the overall direction of the action.

In the 17th century, Italy was the third-largest country by population in Europe, after France and Germany, passing into second position for a century after 1650. Northern as well as southern Italy constituted a key place in the strategic duel between Spain and France, and the Peninsula lied on the front line in the struggle against the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, Italian states constituted good examples of fairly efficient governance machines, which developed many matters, included the 'Military'. Some of these states experienced long periods of wars, to the point that the claim regarding social elites progressively demilitarized to an unequaled extent anywhere else in Europe should be considered no longer valid.This second volume looks at the armies of the lesser Italian States. The armies of Genoa, the Papal States, Tuscany, Parma, Modena, Mantua, Lucca, and many others are all examined in detail never before seen in the English language. This volume also covers the nature and execution of military affairs and war in Italy. The book is lavishly illustrated and comes with 16 especially commissioned color plates drawn by the author himself.

'Undaunted' is the second volume of the 'British Commonwealth's War in the Air 1939-45'. It combines detailed studies into the tactics, techniques and technology that made British air power so effective, together with the personal accounts of the aircrew themselves 'Undaunted' includes chapters on air intelligence, photographic-reconnaissance and

Through Adversity is probably the most comprehensive account of Britain and the Commonwealth's war in the air during the Second World War. It combines detailed studies into the tactics, techniques and technology that made British air power so effective, together with the personal accounts of the aircrew themselves as they executed some of the most

In contrast to the existing biographies which treat Kitchener as British, the author of Kitchener: The Man, considers him an outsider within the British establishment. Of his 64 years, a mere 11, and those not consecutive, were spent in England. He learned from those around him, ways that were not always understood and appreciated by those educated

Based heavily on inaccessible Soviet records, this book presents a lively account of a pivotal battle on the Eastern Front, heavily illustrated with rare photographs.

An account of the Red Army's advance along the southwest strategic direction during the offensive that followed the Battle of Kursk in July-August 1943.

Covers in great details the activity of the Hungarian air force, the river flotilla, as well as the combat operations of the Honvédsé.The Hungarian armed forces (known as the Honvédség) were built up from the 1920s, their expansion gaining momentum once Hungary became free of the strict post-First World War Trianon treaty limitations in August 1938. Politically, Hungary was looking for a strong ally, who would help it to recover at least some of the territories containing sizeable Magyar ethnic populations that had been lost after the First World War. Initially, in the mid-1930s, Italy gave political assistance and supplied military materiel; then - on the eve of the Second World War - Germany also lent some support. In November 1938, Hungary managed to peacefully recover a chunk of its former territory from Czechoslovakia, followed by the Sub-Carpathian area during a brief border war in March 1939, and then the northern part of Transylvania from Rumania in August 1940. Later, in April 1941, the Bachka region and parts of Baranya were also taken back from the dismembered Yugoslavia, in a swift military action. The rub is that Hungary was sucked into the cauldron of the Eastern Front, and soon the Honvéds (Hungarian soldiers) found themselves deep in Soviet territory, outgunned and outnumbered by the Red Army. Later on, from August 1944, the beleaguered Honvédség had to fight in defense of its own territory. Alongside tiny Croatia, Hungary remained the last German ally up to the bitter end, and paid the price accordingly. This comprehensive reference, to be published in three volumes - the fruit of over twenty years of meticulous research - strives to provide a complete picture of the Hungarian armed forces between the years 1919 and 1945. Volume 1 (published in 2015) presents a brief history of the Magyars up until the end of the Second World War, as well as the building of the armed forces, and details the armored formations and their equipment. Volume 2 covers in great details the activity of the air force (Chapter 4), the river flotilla (Chapter 5), as well as the combat operations of the Honvédség (Chapter 6). The final volume will contain type sheets of every weapon and vehicle used by the Army, as well as all aircraft types in service with the Air Force. The discussed topics are described in great details, and illustrated with over 500 photographs, several maps and many tables.

Examines the early Cold War development of the USAF's jet fighters and fighter-bombers, detailing political, industrial, and technological challenges and innovations.In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the air forces of the United States faced unprecedented challenges. Demobilization had stripped the armed forces of millions of personnel, while the rapid transition from a wartime economy strained the aviation industry at the same time as the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) was re-established as the independent US Air Force (USAF). US Air Power 1945-1990 Volume 1: US Fighters and Fighter-Bombers 1945-1949 examines this pivotal period, analyzing the first steps the USAF took to re-establish its dominance in the skies during the early Cold War era. This volume meticulously documents the political, industrial, and technical decisions that shaped the development of the USAF's early jet fighters and fighter-bombers. It covers the transition from propeller-driven aircraft to first-generation jet designs, showcasing the radical innovations and experimental prototypes that laid the foundation for future air power. Readers will find detailed descriptions of key aircraft such as the P-80 Shooting Star, the F-86 Sabre, and the F-84 Thunderjet, which became operational despite the severe budget constraints and strategic uncertainties of the time. Author David Baker brings to light the untold stories behind these aircraft. He provides an integrated narrative that goes beyond mere type histories, weaving together the political backdrop, industrial struggles, and technological advancements that influenced the design and deployment of these pioneering jets. This approach offers a comprehensive view of how the USAF navigated the post-war landscape to emerge as a formidable force by 1949. The book also includes an appendix detailing speculative projects that never reached production, such as the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin 'parasite fighter', Convair XF-92 delta-wing interceptor and many others, alongside tables listing the performance characteristics of both operational and experimental aircraft from this era. These sections offer invaluable insights into the 'what ifs' of aviation history, showing how alternative designs might have shaped air combat strategies differently. The first in an extensive series of volumes, each exploring different facets of US air power during the Cold War, subsequent titles will cover bombers, naval aviation, and the evolving roles of fighters and bombers through conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars. Each volume will maintain a focus on the technical and engineering aspects that defined these aircraft, rather than operational histories alone. Extensively illustrated, including rare photographs and specially-commissioned color artwork, this book provides a thorough and engaging exploration of a transformative period in US air power history.

This volume chronicles the conflict over the unification of Germany, which actually occurred on German soil. The campaign in southern and western Germany ensured that political control of German affairs would be firmly in Prussian hands, controlled by Bismarck, in much the same way that the great battles between Prussia and Austria in the east woul

Covers the origins of the disputes and border clashes between Chile and Argentina from independence until early 1978.The Beagle conflict was a territorial dispute between Argentina and Chile over the determination of the layout of the eastern mouth of the Beagle Channel, which affected the sovereignty of the islands located south of the channel, and east of Cape Horn and its adjacent maritime spaces.The first antecedents of the conflict date back to 1888, seven years after the signing of the Treaty of Limits. In 1901, the first Argentine map appeared in which some of the islands in question were drawn as within Argentina's control. Despite the small size of the islands, their strategic value between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans caused a long conflict between the two South American states that went on for much of the 20th century, causing a number of 'minor' incidents, and almost culminating in a major war.The conflict focused on the dispute over the sovereignty of the islands and the oceanic rights generated by them to Chile, but it was not limited exclusively to these islands.Volume 1 of The Beagle Conflict mini-series covers the origins of the dispute and border clashes between the two countries from the time of the independence of Chile and Argentina from the Spanish Crown, until early 1978, and is illustrated with original photographs, custom-drawn artworks and maps.

When it was founded in 1949, the People's Republic of China was an agricultural state with no industrial base to speak of and no armaments industry of its own. From the very beginning, Mao Tse Dng, the founder of the state, endeavored to develop his own modern defense industry in order to gain weight on the international stage. Part of this effort was the development of a domestic aerospace industry with massive support from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (colloquially the 'Soviet Union').Until the two countries broke up in 1961 due to ideological differences, more than 100 aviation companies were established with Soviet help and the licensed production of numerous aircraft types from trainers to heavy bombers was started. The last of these was the MiG-21, which is reproduced in China as the J-7.It took more than 10 years before the country, weakened by the 'Great Leap Forward' and the Cultural Revolution, succeeded at all in producing this comparatively complex aircraft. Only the comprehensive reforms after the death of state founder Mao created the basis for a return to orderly production of a technology that was already two decades old and outdated.The rapprochement with the West in the early 1980s made it possible, in part, to overcome the technological backlog. The integration of Western avionics into the Soviet airframe did not make the J/F-7 a modern combat aircraft like the F-16 and MiG-29 developed at the same time, but it increased its combat value to such an extent that it became an export success for the Third World. However, even more important was the access to Western technologies, later also for air-to-air missiles, which were initially, simply copied and later formed the basis for in-house developments of modern equipment and weapons systems.When cooperation with the West ended abruptly after the Tiananmen massacre of 1989, Chinese engineers and scientists had accumulated enough know-how to provide their own impetus in the further development of the J/F-7 family. Due to the combination of new aerodynamics and modern avionics, true multi-role combat aircraft were finally created which today, still spearhead their air forces in numerous countries in Asia and Africa.When the production of the J/F-7 finally ended in 2016, two generations of modern fighters based on this design were coming off the production line in China, and the prototypes of the fifth generation were already flying. The experience gained by China's aerospace industry in developing the J/F-7 from a day fighter to a multi-role fighter has made this success possible.The book deals with both the technical development of the J/F-7 family and its actual or potential use in more than a dozen countries on five continents.

The days of 11-13 June, 1982, proved that Arik Sharon's plan was over-ambitious and adventuristic. Dragging the IDF into the fight with Syrians appeared to be more complicated despite IDF superiority in technology and training. The armored units were moving too slowly and were stuck in numerous engagements all over the place.In the Western zone, after several failed attempts to take higher ground and open the road to Beirut, IDF finally made its gain and secured Kfar Sil after a very tough fight that lasted not less than 18 hours.In the Central zone, after getting the upper hand over the Syrian forces in Ein Zhalta and Jezzine, Israelis continued to crawl towards Beirut-Damascus Highway but the tempo had been lost and it was obvious that the Sharon expectation could not be matched.In Bekaa Valley, Eastern zone, IDF moved 399 Brigade to the north in order to reach Beirut Damascus Highway in the quickest possible way. That move turned out to be a disaster and one of the worst fights in IDF history. It took tremendous effort of two Israeli divisions to recover the troubled Brigade while suffering losses in men and machines.Besides the major battles, Israeli forces continued to clear the area while having tough opposition hotspots like Ein-Hilweh and finally, the controversial engagement between IDF anti-tank units and Syrian T-72s.

An in-depth military and political reappraisal of the Anguilla Crisis, exploring the countdown to military intervention, its tactical implementation and its legacy.In the early morning darkness of 19 March 1969, troops from Britain's 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) and Royal Marines, clambered into the small landing craft and helicopters aboard HMS Minervaand HMS Rothesay. Their objective, under 'Operation Sheepskin', was to invade the small Caribbean island of Anguilla through both an amphibious and airborne assault. The operation aimed to crush a two-year island rebellion against the postcolonial government of Robert Bradshaw on St Kitts. Recent military intelligence reports had been patchy as to the level of resistance to be expected from the islanders; however, the number of firearms estimated to be on the island and the recent hostility experienced by British diplomats, suggested that the troops were about to encounter a storm of bullets as they hit the beaches. Strangely enough, as the squaddies splashed ashore, they were met by the thunderous silence of an empty beach apart from the clicks of journalists' cameras. To the surprise of all involved, the occupation of the island was subsequently achieved without bloodshed. Whilst British policymakers soon questioned whether they had misread the situation in Anguilla and overreacted militarily, Fleet Street and the international media responded with ridicule. The operation was presented as a farce and emblematic of Britain's declining world role since the end of empire. This satirical interpretation has remained the abiding memory, if the invasion is remembered at all, within British public consciousness. Despite the military anti-climax however, this does not detract from the considerable importance of Operation Sheepskin for understanding the complexities of decolonization in the Caribbean; Britain's military performance following the retreat from 'East of Suez' and decision-making within the Labour government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.This book offers an in-depth military and political reappraisal of the Anguilla Crisis, exploring the countdown to military intervention, its tactical implementation and its legacy. In doing so, the book evaluates the reasons for the British government's apparent overreaction to the crisis, the scandal that rocked Whitehall as Operation Sheepskin was being arranged and finally, the series of operational blunders which emerged as the operation was carried out. Constituting a neglected and unusual chapter of post-war British military history, the book will appeal to those readers interested in the wars of decolonization, British politics in the 1960s and the history of the Caribbean at the end of empire.

The U.S. Army's permanent opposing forces can trace their origins to 1946, when the Army stood up the fictional 'Circle Trigonist' aggressor force based loosely on Second World War German and Soviet forces, which gradually morphed into a more Soviet type of opponent for Army exercises as the Cold War progressed. While there were no dedicated aggressor units, the Army established unique doctrine, tactics, uniforms, and even used the Esperanto language to create a common 'enemy' for the entire Army to train against.It was only after the Vietnam War that the Army established a lasting, dedicated opposing force to ensure the Army trained as it expected to fight in the next war. First established at the National Training Center (NTC) in California's Death Valley in 1982, the professional OPFOR now comprises: - The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at NTC is a brigade-sized unit that can replicate a low-level urban insurgency or an entire Soviet-style armored division;- The 1st Battalion, 509th Airborne Infantry at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Louisiana that specializes in replicating low-intensity conflicts for light infantry and special operations forces;- The 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry, a combined arms unit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Germany that provides an adaptable enemy for U.S. and allied forces to train against in Europe.Each OPFOR unit has unique uniforms, emblems and vehicles to help it portray an enemy force with some fidelity. Each Combat Training Center provides a unique and challenging environment for the training of visiting U.S. and allied units.The Army OPFOR provides an aggressive, challenging force with which to test tactics, techniques, readiness and equipment in a simulated combat environment, where units are tracked real-time and lasers are used to determine hits and kills. Observer/controllers provide feedback to the units being trained, helping them to identify and correct shortcomings.The experiences provided by the OPFOR contributed significantly to the decisive victories in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and provided a pre-deployment crucible for units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan's subsequent insurgencies. All three units continue in this role today, adapting to accurately portray terrorists, hybrid semi-state groups, and near-peer state adversaries.

The book describes the Bosnian Serb Army in the Bosnian War 1992-1995. It provides a detailed account on organization, personnel, equipment and combat activities during the years of war. It covers the transfer parts of the Yugoslav People's Army into Vojske Republike Srpske 1992, the initial operations and offensives in 1992-1993 ('Koridor', Jajce, Podrinje, Trnovo). Short overview of the other warring parties: Army of BiH, Croatian Council of Defense, Army of Western Bosnia, UNPROFOR and NATO Rapid Reaction Force. The book shall outline the development of the VRS organisation, list the equipment and problems in the command chain. It shall follow with the descriptions of the operations in 1994 (Gorazde, Bihac Pocket, wider Sarajevo) and 1995 (Sarajevo, Western Krajina, Srebrenica, Zepa, Drvar and Banja Luka). The book discusses further NATO involvement through the air attacks in 1994/95, deployment of the Rapid Reaction Force and finally, Operation Deliberated Force which led to the wider, Croat-Muslim offensive causing the end of the war under the auspices of the US shuttle diplomat R. Holbrooke. The final chapter examines the influence of the Dayton accord, Paris peace treaty, deployment of the IFOR, Implementation Force and demilitarizing of the warring parties.

The first in a two-volume illustrated history of the coup that brought down the dictatorial regime that had been in power for over 40 years in Portugal.On 25 April 1974, a movement of young captains brought down, with practically no resistance, the dictatorial regime that had been in power for over 40 years in Portugal. In the early hours of that day, a military movement unleashed a series of operations that, in less than 24 hours, defeated the forces loyal to the regime, neutralizing any possibility of reaction. Few forces resisted the insurgents, and the only resistance worthy of note came from the political police, who in the heat of the revolution opened fire on the surrounding crowd causing four deaths.In the streets of Lisbon, the people enthusiastically joined the military revolt and started offering food, drinks, and red carnations to the soldiers, who decided to stick them in the barrels of their rifles, leading to the revolt being known as the Carnation Revolution. Although it began with a military coup d'état, 25 April paved the way for democracy, and there is no comparison to other similar revolutions. It was also a unique event in the European context of the time that broke Portugal's isolation and brought it closer to other Western democracies.This book is the first in a two-volume history. It describes the background to the revolution, the causes that led to the revolt of the captains and the situation in the Portuguese colonies in Africa, where guerrilla wars for their independence had been going on for more than a decade. Carnation Revolution Volume 1: The Road to the Coup that Changed Portugal is richly illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned artworks.

"The War in Ukraine series continues to be an excellent source of information on events from 2014 leading up to the current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine." -- AMPSThe two largest heirs to the massive Soviet tank force that faced NATO during the Cold War - Russia and Ukraine - have been fighting one another since 2014 in what has now become the largest war in Europe since 1945. Volume 4 of the War in Ukraine series examines the common legacy of Soviet main battle tanks (MBTs) inherited by both sides in this conflict and the evolution of three models in a relatively short space of time with nominally similar characteristics: the T-64, T-72, and T-80. Drawing upon Russian and Ukrainian source material not often examined in the West, this book looks into the design history of these models and their relative strengths and weaknesses, and challenges a number of common myths circulating about these MBTs from the days of the Cold War up to the present. This book then goes on to examine the evolution of these models in Russian service in the post-Soviet era, including the T-90, and Russian attempts to upgrade their MBT technologies.This volume, extensively illustrated with full color images, is essential reading for the reader interested in late Soviet, and post-Soviet Russian MBT design, and the forces employed in the current war in Ukraine. The full history of the Russo- Ukrainian War remains to be written, but this book aims to at least give a background and a glimpse into one particular aspect of the war, as well as the role the MBT has played in the largest war of the twenty-first century so far.Volume 5 will continue the story of Post-Soviet Ukrainian MBT development and the use of MBTs by both sides in the current war.

The resumption of conflict between 1648 and 1651 is frequently referred to as the Second and Third Civil Wars. The period marked not only a return to war, but to a bloodier, more violent conflict that had perhaps been seen before in the British Isles. Massacre, summary executions, wonton destruction and assault on the civilian population were commonplace. In early 1648 a political faction called the 'Engagers' gained control of the Scottish Government and sent an army into England to support numerous pro-Royalist risings across the country. Poorly equipped and trained with low morale, the Scottish 'Engager' Army and its Royalist allies were no match for the New Model Army led by Cromwell. The two sides met at Preston in August 1648 and after an initial clash, the Scots finally surrendered at Warrington two days later.Following the execution of Charles Ist in January 1649, the Scots supporting his son Charles IInd went to war against England, now a republic. A second invasion of England was launched, and the Scots found themselves corned at Worcester by English forces, once again led by Oliver Cromwell. The battle, the last major action of the British Civil Wars was fought on the 3rd September 1651, was described by Cromwell as 'a crowning mercy'.The venue for the 2022 conference was Worcester Cathedral. The obvious theme for the conference was the Scottish invasions of England in 1648 and 1651. Not only did Worcester witness the last major battle of the British Civil Wars, but the Cathedral was used as a temporary prison to hold the Scottish prisoners.The papers in this book of proceedings include: Ronald Hutton - Key Note Speaker and ForewordStuart Jennings - Colonel Francis Thornhagh and the Battle of Preston, 1648Peter Gaunt - A Tale of Two Risings: Was the second civil war in England and Wales primarily pro-Royalist or anti-Parliamentarian?Malcolm Wanklyn - The Control of Command in the British Wars 1642-1651 Edward Furgol - Three armies into one? Scottish Engager military organization in 1648

Covers the events of Operation AL from the Japanese raid on Dutch Harbor and the invasion of Attu and Kiska to the American landing on Adak in late August 1942.At the beginning of June 1942, in the wake of the enormous Japanese struggle to bring a conclusive victory in the Pacific War, the Imperial Japanese Navy commenced Operation AL (AL Sakusen). Among the objectives of this bold plan was the 2nd Kidō Butai's carrier-borne strike on the American military base at Dutch Harbor and seizing part of the Aleutian Archipelago in the North Pacific. Operation AL, elaborated by the Navy General Staff and the Combined Fleet, was an initiative that could expand the Japanese perimeter far eastwards to secure the northern approach to the home islands and prevent the potential of US-Soviet military cooperation against Japan. By conquering Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians, the Japanese Army and Navy intended to turn them into bastions that, supplied directly from the Kurile Islands, would check any American advance from the north until at least the summer of 1943.The great disaster at Midway foiled the Japanese plan to create a greater defensive perimeter, though, ironically, as a result of the same battle, the Americans lacked the forces to reconquer the two lost islands. A Japanese presence on US land, remote on maps but seen as a natural highway to Alaska and America's back door, also caused chaos among military personnel and politicians alike in Washington D.C., sharing the fear of an attack on the West Coast and the inability to predict Japanese intentions.Volume 1 of Into the Endless Mist covers the events of Operation AL from the Japanese raid on Dutch Harbor and the invasion of Attu and Kiska to the American landing on Adak in late August 1942, and is illustrated throughout with original photographs along with the @War series' signature color artworks.

Lacking funding to purchase and operate own aircraft, the Rhodesian police established the British South Africa Police Reserve Air Wing (PRAW). Equipped with private aircraft, mostly flown by owner pilots, this extended policing across a country that had few roads, reaching remote villages and farms, separated by long distances. Established in 1967, the PRAW assisted in the capture of criminals, transported police officers, and flew in support of police operations. During the 1960s, it was expanded into three flights with more than 20 aircraft.By 1974, the PRAW included five flights, by 1979, nine, with two of its pilots being awarded the M.B.E. for outstanding services. As the conflict in Rhodesia escalated, it began actively cooperating with the Rhodesian armed forces: its miscellany of Beechs, Cessnas, Pipers, and Taylorcraft - all apparently 'sports and utility' aircraft - were armed: sometimes with light machine guns installed in underwing pods, but often with heavy machine guns that fired through the side doors, de-facto converting them into mini-gunships.Based on extensive use of official documentation, participant recollections, and richly illustrated, the British South Africa Police Reserve Force Air Wing Volume 2 continues an account of this service.

The Battle of Lützen, 2 May 1813, was Napoleon's first battle of the 1813 campaign, and was soon followed by Bautzen on 20-21 May. Both were bloody affairs in which Napoleon's newly raised army met the Allied armies of Russia and Prussia, but they were otherwise very different. Lützen was an encounter battle, with troops committed to the fight as they arrived from various directions, and in which neither side had a clear idea of their enemy's strength and location. Bautzen was a set piece battle, fought on ground chosen and prepared for defense by the Allies. The two contrasting battles offer fascinating challenges for wargames commanders.The battles were not symmetrical. For example the French significantly outnumbered the Allies at Bautzen, but were weaker in cavalry. Both battles are generally deemed to have been French victories, albeit indecisive ones because Napoleon lacked the cavalry to carry out a pursuit that could turn a retreat into a rout. An analysis of the casualties however, shows that the results were not so clear cut. After these two 'victories', Napoleon was happy to agree to an armistice in June 1813.A discussion of the historical battles highlights errors made by the commanders on the day. The wargame commanders will have to decide how they deploy their forces (within historical constraints), and time their use of reserves. Will they repeat the mistakes of history, or will they make their own mistakes?This book helps teams of wargamers refight the battles on a table top with model soldiers. They can be fought as independent battles or, given the high level of commonality of the forces present, linked together in a mini-campaign.The guide sets out the strategic and political situation in central Europe and contains a thorough but clear account of the historical battles. It provides detailed orders of battle of the opposing armies, scaled down orders of battle for game purposes, maps of the historical events, stylized maps for laying out wargames tables, and instructions for each battle and for the mini-campaign. Design notes explain the rationale and historical background to the scenario instructions.The scenario maps are set out on square grids for ease of setting up tabletop terrain. Any set of wargames rules for the period is able to be used to play the scenarios. The key points for the game army lists are the number of units and their quality.Given that the sides were unequal, the game victory conditions are based on a comparison with the historical results, rather than the usual outright victory or defeat.This book is the second in a series of guides written by Rohan Saravanamuttu, the first being Leipzig, the Battle of the Nations: A Wargamer's Guide to the Battle of Leipzig 1813, also published by Helion & Co in this series.

The later Sengoku period is the era of warfare depicted in classical Japanese movies such as The Seven Samurai, Ran, and Kagemusha - a colorful period that has a very distinct difference in the arms, equipment, tactics and culture from that seen in Europe at the time. It is a period that sees the dominance of firearms in warfare, and the evolution of increasingly complex small-unit tactical systems. But there still remained a heroic ethos, where leaders and the bearers of age-old honored names would still try to seek out worthy adversaries to battle blade-to-blade. While massive armies did meet and clash, such encounters were surprisingly rare. The endemic warfare of the period was dominated by raids, small battles, incursions, and the clash of clan warbands. Small families battled one another for local regional dominance, seeking the leverage to become major powers. Meanwhile, rearms and armor improved in an increasingly lethal arms race.Bushidan allows players to control the forces of samurai families, ikko-ikki covenants, pirates, bandits and warrior monks - or even forces engaged against the Japanese of the era such as the Ming Chinese and Joseon Koreans. The game focuses on the small-unit tactical systems that were developing to meet the demands of the new age of warfare. Players must plan their tactical 'box of tricks' with care, and choose the ferocity, style and cunning that their forces will bring to the battlefield. The game includes a campaign system to allow players to pit their Bushidan against one another in longer conflicts.This is a colorful period for wargamers to paint and to model. The rules are intended for use with 28mm figures but can easily be played with smaller scale, and a typical army might have 8 or 9 units, each of 4 to 16 figures each.

Fight your own way through the American War of Independence with this comprehensive wargamer's guide, featuring detailed maps, battle summaries uniform guides, all accompanied by tabletop scenarios and historical insights for an immersive gaming experience.This wargamer's guide provides a comprehensive overview of the American War of Independence (or American Revolution), 1775-1782. The guide includes a series of maps showing the location of major battles by year with accompanying summaries of those battles and of the major campaigns of the war, and additionally it includes details of many lesser-known engagements. The book also provides information on, and organizations of not only American Continentals, French regular units and British regular units but also on American militia, the British Army's German Auxiliaries, and the British provincial and loyalist units, and will thus enable wargamers to focus their efforts on specific campaigns or battles. Orders of battle for selected campaigns and specific battles are provided. Uniform guides, including uniform colors and facings for each of the participants are included along with descriptions of the armies' colors. The guide provides information on rules for the period and an overview of various miniatures available in a range of scales. Several tabletop wargaming scenarios, accompanied by maps, orders of battle and painting guides are also included in the book; additionally, information for several historical campaign scenarios are given, showing how campaigns can be used to add a new dimension to wargaming and to generate tabletop battles.

Bismarck's War provides an operational-level strategy game, allowing command of multiple corps, with adaptable rules, completed in 3 hours.Bismarck's War focuses on the operational level and puts the players in command of multiple corps. A typical game can be completed within 3 hours. The rules can be used with any range of models. Uses several mechanics seen in "Muskets & Springfields".

A detailed account of the reconquest of Normandy and Gascony, including the battle which marked the first decisive use of artillery on the battlefield.The defeat of John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and the Anglo-Gascon army on 17 July 1453 at Castillon on the River Dordogne, 25 miles east of Bordeaux, was the last of the great battles of the Hundred Years' War. The battle resulted in a catastrophic defeat for Talbot and heralded the rapid collapse of the last vestiges of English power in south-west France. Three months later the last English troops le Bordeaux.The end of English rule in Gascony brought to an end a period during which, in a little over four years, the French had driven the English from their lands in Normandy and Gascony, leaving the Calais Pale as the only surviving possession in France, a possession that the English Crown would hold for another century. The battle also marked an important step in the evolution of warfare. King Charles VII had brought about major reforms in the French Army, establishing a standing army, and, thanks to the technical and tactical innovations of the Bureau brothers, artillery played a decisive role on the battle field for the first time. To put the Battle of Castillon in perspective the book summarizes the origins of the Hundred Years' War and the ebb and flow of fortunes during the war up to the Treaty of Tours in 1444. It then describes the military reforms of King Charles VII and the innovations of the Bureau brothers in the development of artillery. Shrewsbury, who died in the battle, had a long and successful military career, and was one of the few English commanders to emerge from the final years of the 100 Years War with his reputation intact. He fought during the reconquest of Normandy and, as the commander of the English Army attempting to stem the French tide in Gascony, was a key figure in the later years of the war. His military career is described and the book then recounts in detail the campaigns in Normandy during 1449-50 and in Gascony in 1451 and 1452-3. The battle of Castillon, the decisive action in the French conquest of Gascony, is described in detail. The book concludes with an account of the aftermath of the battle and the final expulsion of the English after the surrender of Bordeaux, three months to the day after the defeat of Shrewsbury at Castillon.

Until now historical works have neglected to fully consider the events of the British Civil Wars with respect to the logistics and supply systems. As such, this book evaluates and challenges these narratives of the wars by tackling historical debates through the lens of these logistics and supply systems at an operational level. How the military logistics and supply systems of the period functioned is revealed, including what methods of supply were used, what decisions and events these systems impacted, and how these related to strategic and tactical outcomes of the wars. The book investigates the facets of land, coastal, and riverine transportation, the supply of manpower to the armies, and the supply of food, clothing, and shelter to multiple forces across various conflicts throughout the British Civil Wars. With an application of a broad range of both civilian and military sources, this research employs archival and manuscript materials from national and local archives across the British Isles, contemporary tracts, letters, books, and pamphlets, as well as secondary literature from a variety of historical fields--from military history, economic and social studies, as well as reconstructive archaeology. As a result, the study outlines regional disparity in military logistics systems due to reliance on pre-existing civilian structures and methods--which had not been developed with a military purpose in mind and resulted in substantial logistical and supply differences that consequently, and heavily, favored one faction over another.Many questions that have bedevilled previous historiography--and some that remain contentious even today--are likewise explored through this new perspective. This includes, but is not limited to, countering the simple narrative that Royalist armies were terribly supplied in comparison to Parliament, placing the Royalists' Gloucester campaign in its correct strategic context, highlighting Catholic recruitment to Cromwell's forces in Ireland, and providing a reasonable and informed explanation for Prince Rupert's decision to fight at Marston Moor--all through the lens of logistics and supply. It emphasizes the absolute necessity of interactions between civil and military authority across multiple levels to supply early modern forces, providing a more nuanced history of civilian and military interactions than the popular view of soldiers imposing their will on a suffering population.The book's analysis of logistics and supply during the British Civil Wars, a focus not undertaken in such detail so far for the period, will provide a compelling read for those with interests in the operational realities of warfare during the seventeenth century more broadly, and the British Civil Wars in particular.

A completely new and original take on 16th century samurai history and Japan's military revolution.During the sixteenth century Japan's medieval period was left behind as the samurai experienced a military revolution that involved the introduction of rearms and the mobilization of large armies who fought from stone castles. The history of this violent time is perfectly encapsulated in the campaigns waged by five generations of one outstanding warlord family: the Hojo of Odawara Castle. In 1487 the dynasty's founder attacked a wooden stockade using bows and arrows; in 1590 his great-great grandson defended a huge castle using cannons. Successive Hojo warlords were contemporaries of famous samurai such as Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga, whose armies they fought and defeated, but their end came at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the "Napoleon of Japan", who defeated the Hojo in a massive siege of their mighty castle of Odawara. This book tells the story of a century of warfare using Japanese sources not previously translated into English. It is spectacularly illustrated with photographs of armor and weapons plus newly-commissioned artwork. Detailed and authoritative accounts of the campaigns show the Hojo samurai using 'every trick in the book' from sea raiding to ninja attacks. There are also many surprises, such as the use of dogs as messengers and the revelation that the final siege of Odawara in 1590 was no easy matter. When the Hojo dynasty came to its glorious end and their last patriarch committed hara-kiri, Japan and samurai warfare were changed forever.