The twilight of the Roman Empire saw a revolution in the way war was waged. The drilled infantryman, who had been the mainstay of Mediterranean armies since the days of the Greek hoplite, was gradually replaced by the mounted warrior. This change did not take place overnight, and in the 3rd and 4th centuries the role of the cavalryman was primarily to support the infantry. However, by the time of the 6th century, the situation had been completely reversed. Late Roman Cavalryman gives a full account of the changing experience of the mounted soldiers who defended Rome''s withering western empire.
Describes the uniforms, weaponry, military practices and daily life of the Stormtroopers of World War I, Imperial Germany's elite shock troops and originators of modern infantry tactics. The book is illustrated with contemporary images, detailed diagrams and colour plates.
Built on a belief system emphasising stealth, surprise, swift manoeuvre and force, the Byzantine infantryman was trained in survival, sword, spear and archery techniques and also land and sea combat. This book details the everyday experience of the infantryman from his recruitment, through his training regime to his encounters with his enemies.
The Viet Cong was the military arm of the National Liberation Front, the Communist Party of the Republic of Vietnam. Using rare photographs and artwork to paint the portraits of the determined guerrilla warriors, this title discusses their training and motivation, political and psychological indoctrination, and the reality of combat experience.
Diocletian and Constantine were the greatest of the Late Roman emperors, and their era marks the climax of the legionary system. This title details the equipment, background, training and combat experience of the men from all parts of the empire who made up the backbone of Rome's legions in this pivotal period.
Narrates the experiences of a common soldier, exploring their motivation for serving the Wehrmacht, and detailing their experiences in a brutal and hostile theater of World War II.
With new archaeological material and research, this is an illustrated account of the famous Mamluk Askars who are credited with finally defeating and expelling the Crusaders, halting the Mongol invasion of the Islamic Middle East, and facing down Tamerlane.
Approximately 200,000 African Americans fought for the Union during the Civil War. Through first-hand accounts, this title examines the journey of the African American from slave to soldier to free man, providing an insight into the impact that these brave men had on the war and how it influenced their lives thereafter.
Presents the history of the British Paratrooper, from 1940 to 1945, that details the training, weapons and equipment used by these elite troops. This book brings the history of the ordinary paratrooper to life, drawing on the author's position as a former curator of the Regimental Museum.
Hope, sometimes we feel like we have an abundant bucket of it and the next it can be like a security blanket ripped out from under us.
The Roman centurion, holding the legionaries steady before the barbarian horde and then leading them forward to victory, was the heroic exemplar of the Roman world. This was thanks to the Marian reforms, which saw the centurion, although inferior in military rank and social class, superseding the tribune as the legion''s most important officer. This period of reform in the Roman Army is often overlooked, but the invincible armies that Julius Caesar led into Gaul were the refined products of 50 years of military reforms. Using specially commissioned artwork and detailed battle reports, this new study examines the Roman legionary soldier at this crucial time in the history of the Roman Republic from its domination by Marius and Sulla to the beginning of the rise of Julius Caesar.
Great Britain had introduced the tank to the world during World War I, and maintained its lead in armoured warfare with the 'Experimental Mechanised Force' during the late 1920s, watched with interest by German advocates of Blitzkrieg. Despite these successes, the Experimental Mechanised Force was disbanded in the 1930s, making Britain relatively unprepared for World War II, both in terms of armoured doctrine and equipment. This fully illustrated new study examines the men who crewed the tanks of Britain's armoured force during World War II, which was only four battalions large in 1939. It looks at the recruitment and training of the vast numbers of men required, their equipment, appearance and combat experience in every theatre of the war as the British armoured division sought to catch up with the German Panzers.
The Mau Mau Freedom Fighters waged a guerrilla war for eight years (1952-1960) against their British colonial rulers, to win back their land and independence. This book explores their unique motivations, training and tactics, as well as their battle experience.
The creation of the Volkssturm on 18 October 1944 was a desperate measure by the Nazi government. This work follows the experience of a Volkssturm soldier from his call-to-arms through to his capture and treatment as a POW, examining his reaction to the creation of the German Home Guard and his response to the fighting into which he was thrust.
Merrill's Marauders were the first American Army infantry unit to fight in the China-Burma-India theater, and one of the most renowned units to come out of World War II. This book explores the creation, training and combat experiences of the Marauders, one of the most famous units in the US Army's roll of honor.
Osprey's survey of pirates of the Far East, from 811 to 1639. For many centuries, international relations between Medieval Japan, Korea and China were carried out by means of the 'inseparable trinity' of war, trade and piracy. Much has been written about the first two means of interaction. The third element, which combined the other two in a violent blend of free enterprise, is the subject of this original and exciting book. It is written by Stephen Turnbull, who has visited all three countries in search of the elusive pirates of the Far East.
Gregory Fremont-Barnes examines the lives of the American Bomber Crewmen of the Eighth Air Force, 'The Mighty Eighth', who manned, maintained and repaired the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and the B-24 Liberators that flew from the airfields of England. He highlights the physical and psychological strain placed on these men, who required brute strength to control the aircraft on long bombing missions and extraordinary endurance to fly for hours at 20,000 feet at temperatures below freezing in unpressurised cabins. In addition to this, with Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft fire to contend with, it required incredible skill and some luck to return from a mission unscathed. This book is a fitting tribute to these often uncelebrated heroes who took the war deep into the Third Reich, as well as a fascinating historical account of their experiences.
"He who relies on militia leans upon a broken cane." (George Washington)Osprey's survey of militiamen of the War of 1812. The great military effectiveness of semi-trained local militia is one of the enduring myths of American military history. In this book Ed Gilbert reveals the truth behind this myth. Quoting from memoirs of men like Sam Dale, Sam Houston, and rare histories, he sheds light on who these frontier men actually were. He chronicles how militiamen, ranging from hard-working farmers to politicians like Davy Crockett, were transformed through hard campaigning, fierce combat, and Andrew Jackson's equally fierce discipline, into a formidable fighting force. Contemporary illustrations and artwork depict the rough life on campaign and the uniforms worn by the militia. He details how they fought and won the crucial battle of Horseshoe Bend, and how finally on the swampy Plains of Chalmette a scratch force of State Militias, Federal Regulars, US Marines, and Jean Lafitte's mercenary pirates inflicted a stunning defeat on General Pakenham's forces, opening up the western frontier for the new nation.
On average a Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent would be dead within three months of being parachuted into action. This work features the story of these agents, some of whom were women as young as 22, following them through their experiences beginning with their recruitment and their unorthodox training methods.
During World War One the French Army was in a state of disarray, plagued by indiscipline, mutinies and desertion. The ordinary French citizens that were called upon to defend their motherland - the Poilu - were disrespected and demoralized. This title charts the history of the Poilu.
The Taras were the leading power of the scattered Greek states of southern Italy and built their reputation on the unmatched horse warriors who helped the Taras claim and maintain their power. In this book, expert author Nic Fields examines the Tarentine horsemen in detail, discussing their tactics, weapons and equipment and detailing how they operated as mercenaries throughout the region. With a wealth of contemporary sources and rare artefacts, illustrated with specially commissioned colour artwork and photographs of artefacts, this is an intriguing insight into the everyday lives of these horsemen, revealing how they acquired the skills that enabled them to dominate the region.
The Chindits were a specially organized, equipped and trained body of men employing innovative fighting methods based on ideas developed by Major-General Orde Wingate. This book describes the origins of this elite formation, detailing their recruitment, training and specialist fighting methods.
Tells the story of those boys who fought aboard His Majesty's mighty ships-of-the-line to defend their kingdom against the French.
Osprey's survey of the Long-Range Patrol Scouts of the US Army during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The Vietnamese knew the Long-Range Patrol Scouts as "the men with green faces," a reference to the camouflage paint that they used. Operating in patrols of four to six men these men were like ghosts, operating well behind enemy lines and fighting in the shadows. In the rough, inhospitable jungle war these Scouts became invaluable assets. They did not engage the enemy, rather they became the Free World's eyes on the ground, spying out enemy positions and movements before calling in strikes to eliminate them. This book examines the Long-Range Patrol Scout's superior stealth movement techniques, camouflage and concealment, tracking, counter-tracking, observation, and other fieldcraft skills. It also examines the occasions they participated in small scale direct actions including ambushes and small scale raids. Written by a Special Forces' Veteran who fought in Vietnam, and packed with rare photographs and full-color artwork this book not only provides an insight into the remarkable lives of these scouts when on campaign, but also details the training and conditioning that it took to become a shadow warrior.
Regarded as the elite arm of the military during the Middle Byzantine period, the cavalry executed high speed reconnaissance, agile arrow barrages and crippling blows to enemy formations. This book offers an examination of their training, weaponry, dress and daily life.
Tells the story of the rise of the US mechanised infantryman, focusing on his recruitment, training, lifestyle and combat experiences in Iraq.
Following the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, the Ottoman Empire undertook a massive military retraining program. Although many histories have depicted the Ottomans as a poor fighting force, this was more often due to poor leadership and logistics. This book focuses exclusively on the Ottoman infantryman in the First World War.
Nicknamed the 'Libyan Desert Taxi Service' by the SAS, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was tasked with strategic reconnaissance and raiding operations deep inside the enemy-held deserts of North Africa. This title examines the soldiers of the LRDG from the group's formation, through training, to combat in deadly deserts of North Africa.
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