Pike and Shot Tactics 1590–1660

Author: Keith Roberts
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780967845
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Book Description
Throughout the 17th century large parts of Europe were depopulated during the wide-ranging and savage wars of religion and dynasty, involving all of the major powers. This was therefore a key period in the development of 'modern' infantry tactics, such as the use of pole-arms and muskets together hence the popular expression 'pike and shot'. These infantry tactics involved different national schools on thought and practice, and were tested bloodily in great battles. This title covers the Dutch-Spanish wars of independence, The Thirty Years' War and the English Civil Wars.

Pike and Shot Tactics 1590–1660

Author: Keith Roberts
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781846034695
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Osprey's examiantion of pike and shot tactics employed in various wars of the 17th century. Throughout the 17th century, large parts of Europe were depopulated during wide-ranging and savage wars of religion and dynasty involving all of the major powers. These included the Dutch-Spanish wars of independence, The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and the English Civil Wars (1642-1651). This was the key period in the development of 'modern' infantry tactics, incorporating the use of pole-arms and muskets together, hence the popular expression 'pike and shot'. Although cavalry participated in such conflicts, it was the infantry that was the decisive arm. Such infantry tactics involved different national schools on thought and practice, tested bloodily in great battles. Keith Roberts is a respected expert in this field, who draws on extensive knowledge of original manuals of tactics to create a revealing study of the period. This volume will be both attractive to wargamers and worthy of serious academic attention.

European Medieval Tactics (1)

Author: David Nicolle
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781849085038
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Osprey's elite title on the rise and fall of European medieval cavalry during an 800 year period. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire there was a decline in professional cavalry forces, and infantry dominated in the Germanic successor barbarian kingdoms. In the Carolingian and Norman periods from the 9th to the 11th centuries, under the impact of Viking, Saracen and Magyar advances, the cavalry arm gradually expanded from the small remaining aristocratic elite. Even so, the supposedly complete dominance of the knight in the 12th and 13th centuries is grossly exaggerated, as integrated cavalry and infantry tactics were nearly always the key to success. This is the first in a two-part treatment of medieval tactics, covering developments in both cavalry and infantry tactics. Throughout the period there was a steady evolution of training in both individual and unit skills, of armor and weapons, and thus of tactics on the battlefield. This book covers key moments in this story of evolution from Hastings in 1066 to Legnano in 1176. It also details the later development of cavalry versus cavalry tactics and the two key set piece battles of Bouvines in 1214 and Pelagonia in 1259, the former an example of abject failure of cavalry tactics and the latter a stunning success.

The Spanish Tercios 1536–1704

Author: Ignacio J.N. López
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781849087933
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A mixed infantry formation made up of about 3,000 men armed with pikes, swords and handguns, the innovative and influential tercio or 'Spanish square' was the basic combat unit of the armies of Spain throughout much of the 16th and 17th centuries. Arguably the first permanent tactical formation seen in Europe since the Roman cohort, the tercio was the forerunner of modern formations such as the battalion and regiment. The variety of different weapons fielded in the tercio meant the Spanish infantry could resist opposing cavalry forces while overcoming every kind of enemy infantry deployed against them. Featuring full-colour artwork and photographs of rare items held at the Spanish Army Museum, this study covers the whole period during which the tercios were active, opening with the third Italian war between the forces of France and the Holy Roman Emperor and concluding with the final transformation of the Spanish tercios into regiments in 1704.

The Pikeman’s Lament

Author: Daniel Mersey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147281732X
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 68

Book Description
Recreate the action and drama of 17th Century warfare on your tabletop with The Pikeman's Lament. Start by creating your Officer – is he a natural leader raised from the ranks, the youngest son of a noble family, or an old veteran who has seen too many battles? As you campaign, your Officer will win honour and gain promotion, acquiring traits that may help lead his men to victory. Before each skirmish, your Officer must raise his Company from a wide range of unit options – should he lean towards hard-hitting heavy cavalry or favour solid, defensively minded infantry? Companies are typically formed from 6–8 units, each made up of either 6 or 12 figures, and quick, decisive, and dramatic games are the order of the day. With core mechanics based on Daniel Mersey's popular Lion Rampant rules, The Pikeman's Lament captures the military flavour of the 17th Century, and allows you to recreate skirmishes and raids from conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War, the English Civil Wars, and the Great Northern War.

Climate of Conquest

Author: Pratyay Nath
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199098239
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 455

Book Description
What can war tell us about empire? In Climate of Conquest, Pratyay Nath seeks to answer this question by focusing on the Mughals. He goes beyond the traditional way of studying war in terms of battles and technologies. Instead, he unravels the deep connections that the processes of war-making shared with the society, culture, environment, and politics of early modern South Asia. Climate of Conquest closely studies the dynamics of the military campaigns that helped the Mughals conquer North India and project their power beyond it. The author argues that the diverse natural environment of South Asia deeply shaped Mughal military techniques and the course of imperial expansion. He also sheds light on the world of military logistics, labour, animals, and the organization of war; the process of the formation of imperial frontiers; and the empire’s legitimization of war and conquest. What emerges is a fresh interpretation of Mughal empire-building as a highly adaptive, flexible, and accommodative process.

French Musketeer 1622-1775

Author: René Chartrand
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780968639
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Book Description
The works of French novelist Alexandre Dumas have been reproduced time and again on stage and screen. Based on a genuine memoir by an officer named D'Artagnan, Dumas published The Three Musketeers. The King's Musketeers were formed in 1622 and were populated by young men of noble birth, but often of poorer means. The Musketeers served as a form of military academy, which enabled these men to qualify for commission into the regular army, but the academy was not just a schoolroom the Musketeers served in all major battles and campaigns of the period; their reputation for bravery was well deserved. This title explores the history behind the legends created by Dumas. Drawing on historical and fascinating accounts the truth of this most colourful and flamboyant of units is revealed.

Austrian Army of the Napoleonic Wars (2)

Author: Philip Haythornthwaite
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782007032
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 135

Book Description
The mounted troops of the Hapsburg Empire comprised one of the most powerful forces of the Napoleonic Wars. However, from the outset the cavalry's higher command was less capable than its infantry counterpart: appointments were influenced by nepotism and politics, which resulted in commands often being given to those who lacked experience. The cavalry underwent many re-organisations and expansions in the course of the wars that attempted to redress these matters, and to modernise the force as a whole. This title examines these processes and documents in detail the tactics, uniforms and equipment of the Austrian cavalry, covering Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Chevauxlegers, Hussars, Uhlan (lancer) and auxiliary units.

Brothers at War

Author: Jerold S. Auerbach
Publisher: Quid Pro Books
ISBN: 1610270630
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
At the dawn of the Israeli state, the tragic sinking of the Israeli ship Altalena -- by Israeli commandos no less -- threatened to tear the new country apart, and has lessons still for Israeli politics and peace. The first book in English on this fascinating event, and the first by a historian, this book tells the story, and the present implications, of a moment in the birth of modern Israel that has angles and repercussions relevant to many issues today, in Israel and beyond.

Matchlock Musketeer

Author: Keith Roberts
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841762128
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Matchlock Musketeer follows the lives of soldiers armed with this weapon from its adoption by the English in Queen Elizabeth's reign until its replacement with the flintlock at the end of the 17th century. It was used extensively during the Armada Campaign (1588), the English Civil War (1642-1651), The Restoration (1660) and the Glorious Revolution (1688). The musketeer's experience in battle, skirmish, siege and camp saw both change and continuity during this period. The common experiences of the musketeer (including digging trenches, firing and fighting, and life on campaign) are explored in this title.