Michael Barthorp – författare

The imaginative strategic plan of Revolutionary France to cut Britain's lifeline to India by seizing Egypt and the Levant was an epic adventure, set amongst some of the most ancient places of history, then almost unknown to Europeans.The conflicts proved once again the supremacy of the British fleet and furthermore that a reformed British Army was a force to be reckoned with. This fascinating book by Michael Barthorp provides an outline of the campaigns and examines in greater detail the armies which marched and fought amid the desert sands.

The succession of the French Duke of Anjou to the Spanish throne in 1700 provoked the formation of a Grand Alliance to thwart the king's expansionist ambitions.Led by the Duke of Marlborough, the army of the Grand Alliance declared war on France. Between 1702 and 1711, this united force, comprised of English, Dutch, Danish, Prussian, Austrian and other German troops, were victorious at such historic battles as Blenheim, Oudenarde and Malplaquet.This book chronicles Marlborough's campaigns in the War of the Spanish Succession, detailing the tactics, troops and uniforms of his army.

Between the first Jacobite rising in 1689 and the final collapse of the cause in 1746, the hopes of the House of Stuart were centred chiefly on Scotland.It is often wrongly assumed that the Jacobite rebellions were a contest between England and Scotland. In fact many Lowland Scots share the feelings of the English, and had cause to hate and fear their fellow countrymen in the Highlands. Thus it was to the Highland clans that the Jacobites looked to for their most reliable manpower.In this book Michael Barthorp details the events of the Jacobite rebellions, and the organisation and uniforms of the forces of both sides.

This first of four volumes details the British Army on campaign in the eventful period from 1816-53: the regiments which took part; the tactics employed; and the changing nature of uniforms and equipment.Although the period between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War has been called 'the long peace', as far as the British Army (and the Honourable East India Company) were concerned, it was to see an almost continual series of campaigns and expeditions across the world. Most were fought in the defence, or further expansion, of the British Empire.

In 1854 the British Army was committed to its first major war against a European power since 1815.The expeditionary force, or 'Army of the East', was despatched to Turkey nominally to support the Ottoman Empire in its war with Russia; but in reality to check, in alliance with France and later Sardinia, Russian ambitions for an outlet to the Mediterranean.Despite many failures in the conduct of operations and administration, the war was won in two years and Russian designs on the Balkans and Levant were thwarted for two decades.

In the period of reform following the Crimean War, the British Army's main role reverted to the security and consolidation of the Empire and its trade, resulting in campaigns large and small all over the world.From the Indian Mutiny of 1857-59, to campaigns in the North-West Frontier, Canada, New Zealand and the Transvaal, the British Army fought to protect its Empire and thwart the expansion of encroaching nations.This book, the third in a series of four, outlines these campaigns and details the fighting methods, uniforms, equipment and weapons of the British Army.

The Army of 1882 had just emerged from the many modernizing reforms effected between 1856-81. These included: opening of schools of instruction; abolition of the purchase of commissions; improvements in pay, living conditions and disciplinary measures and new weapons and tactics. By these later years of the 19th century the British Army had become the policeman of a vast global Empire. This volume in the acclaimed British Army on Campaign mini-series details the uniforms, organisation and equipment used in a succession of campaigns across the face of the globe.Michael Barthorp's splendid text is accompanied by numerous illustrations including eight colour plates by Pierre Turner.

On 19 August 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered General von Kluck, commanding the German First Army, to 'exterminate the treacherous English and walk over General French's contemptible little Army'.The 'Old Contemptibles' adopted the aspersion like a treasured regimental title, their subsequent successes earning them a more accurate evaluation as 'the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war'. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of the British Expeditionary Force of the early 20th century.The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations, including maps, photographs, and colour plates.