Napoleon’s Commanders (2) c.1809–15

On the Napoleonic battlefield victory or defeat could still depend on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a genius such as  Napoleon the dispersal of his armies on campaign, and the lack of fast communications, left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals. This second in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail the careers and personalities of more than two dozen of Napoleon’s leading subordinate commanders in the armies of the later Empire, from c1809 to the Hundred Days campaign of 1815.

Their individual appearance, and the typical uniforms of a variety of staff officers, are reconstructed in 12 dazzling colour plates.

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Napoleon’s Commanders (1) c.1792–1809

Victory  or defeat on the Napoleonic battlefield was dependant on the skills, reactions and personalities of individual commanders. Even under a military genius such as Bonaparte, the dispersal of his armies on campaign and the lack of fast communications left command and control of the different corps and divisions in the hands of his marshals and generals.

Illustrating the appearance of more than two dozen of Napoleon’s leading colleagues and subordinate commanders, this first in a pair of Elite titles describes in concise but colourful detail their careers and personalities in the Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic campaigns up to 1809.

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French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792–1815

Bonaparte’s Grande Armée, one of the most renowned battle-winning machines in history, evolved from a merging of the professional army of the Ancien Régime and the volunteers and conscripts of the Revolutionary levée en masse – although the contribution of the former is often underestimated. A leading authority on the history of tactics draws here on original drill manuals  and later writings to explain how the French infantry of 1792–1815 were organized for fire and movement on the battlefield.

Illustrated with clear diagrams and relevant paintings and prints, and specially prepared colour plates, this text brings the tactical aspects of eight battles vividly to life.

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Napoleon’s Campaigns in Italy

In January 1794 the French ‘Army of Italy’ was commanded by General Dumerbion and he acknowledged a great debt to his 25-year-old commander of artillery – Napoleon Bonaparte. The French  Revolution had resulted in major changes in the military system, conscription created a national army and new tactics and initiatives allowed an officer of such promise as Napoleon to rise quickly through the ranks. By 1796 he was the general commanding the French in Italy and at the conclusion of fourteen months campaigning he was the decisive military personality of his age.

Philip Haythornthwaite examines Napoleon’s campaigns in Italy, and the uniforms of his soldiers are illustrated in eight colour plates by Richard Hook.

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Moscow 1941 – Hitler’s first defeat

Suffering a staggering loss of over 2 million troops by September 1941, Soviet forces were faced with the prospect of Hitler victoriously re-directing his powerful German armies toward the heart of Soviet Russia – Moscow. However, the season was late and the  Germans found themselves in a race to launch a final decisive attack before the arrival of the dreaded Russian winter. Stalin desperately sought to play for time by mustering all available military resources to save his capital.This book is the story of Operation Typhoon, the largest German operational attack of the war and Hitler’s desperate attempt to seize Moscow.

With expert knowledge of the subject, author Robert A. Forczyk successfully manages to bring to life the battle which saw the most horrific losses for the Soviet defending forces and marked the first defeat of the Wehrmacht.

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Pearl Harbor 1941 – The day of infamy.

December 7, 1941 was one of the single most decisive days of World War II – the day that brought the USA into the fight. Six Japanese aircraft carriers disgorged their full complements in two waves on the superior US Pacific Fleet as it lay slumbering in Pearl Harbor.

Depending on opposing viewpoints, the attack was either a brilliant maneuver of audacious strategy, or a piece of unparalleled villainy and deception by a supposedly friendly power.

This revised edition, containing the latest  research on the events of December 7, 1941, reveals several previously unknown aspects of the attack and dispels key myths that have been built up around the fateful day – a day, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared, that would live in infamy.

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The Romanian Army of World War II.

“When it’s a question of action against the Slavs, you can always count on Romania”

Ion Antonescu.

Although Romania had fought for the Allies in World War I  with the fall of her allies the Czechs and the French mid-1940 she was forced to join the Axis. A coalition government was formed under General Antonescue who proved to be one of Germany’s most effective military allies. The Romanian army saw extensive action and suffered terrible losses in operation Odessa and at Staligrad. By 1944 the Soviets were within the Romanian borders and the King sued for peace. Romania’s defection significantly accelerated the end of the war. Her natural resources were now denied to Germany and her forces constituted the fourth largest Allied army.

This book details the uniforms, equipment and unit organisation of the Romanian army during the entire conflict.

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The Walls of Constantinople (AD 324–1453)

‎8 November 324: Foundation of Constantinople.

The walls of Constantinople are the greatest surviving example of European medieval military architecture in the world. They withstood numerous sieges until being finally overcome by the artillery of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, and exist today as a time capsule of Byzantine and Medieval history.  The walls defended the city against intruders, including Attila the Hun, before finally being breached by European knights during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and, ultimately, destroyed by Turkish artillery in 1453.

This book examines the main defensive system protecting the landward side of the city, which consisted of three parallel walls about 5 miles long.

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Trafalgar 1805 – Nelson’s Crowning Victory.

Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s decisive victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain on 21 October 1805 remains one of the greatest naval triumphs in history. Off Cape Trafalgar, 27 British and 33 Franco-Spanish ships pounded each other in an epic four-hour struggle on whose outcome rested nothing less than Britain’s security against Napoleonic invasion.

Nelson’s  brilliant tactics, inspiring leadership and the superior training and morale of his crews left his opponents shattered in a savage encounter that not only marked the last great battle fought in the age of sail, but ushered in a century of British naval mastery.

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The Landsknechts.

The Landsknechts  were German mercenaries who served during the reigns of Maximilian I and Charles V in the sixteenth century. Having signed up, these Landsknechts were read a very detailed code of conduct, organised into companies, paid one month in advance, and sent into battle! Their major weapon was the pike, which could be up to 18 feet in length, but those whose duty it was to advance in the front line carried instead the fearsome Zweihänder; an enormous battle-sword around 66 inches in length!

Douglas Miller describes in detail the organisation, tactics, weapons, uniforms and history of these remarkable soldiers.

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