Robbie MacNiven – författare

This illustrated study reveals the crucial roles played by German troops and commanders fighting on both sides during the American Revolution.During the American Revolutionary War, the British Crown deployed hired German troops in its efforts to defeat the Patriots. Facing a steep learning curve, the newly established Continental Army – some of the soldiers in its ranks also German-speakers, notably those from Pennsylvania – faced these stolid regulars hailing from Hessen-Cassel, Braunschweig, and other German principalities. In this fully illustrated account, Robbie MacNiven assesses both sides’ combat effectiveness during three critical months of fighting in late 1776.At White Plains, New York (October 28, 1776), Hessian troops spearheaded a Crown Forces attack on Continental forces; the disciplined Germans turned the Patriot flank and forced the Continentals to withdraw in good order. At Fort Washington, New York (November 16, 1776), the Crown Forces inflicted a demoralizing defeat on their opponents, with the Hessians taking the surrender of the Continental garrison. At Trenton, New Jersey (December 26, 1776), the Continentals crossed the Delaware and surprised and defeated a complacent Hessian garrison consisting of three regiments. Featuring archive illustrations, specially commissioned artwork, and full-color mapping, this book exposes the grueling impact of the American Revolutionary War on both sides’ forces.

During the Seven Years’ War (1755–63), a number of independent light-infantry outfits served under British command and dedicated light companies were added to the British Army’s regular infantry battalions.The light companies were disbanded after the war but the prominent role played by light infantry was not forgotten, and in 1771–72 light-infantry companies were reinstated in every regiment in the British Isles.Although William Howe formed a training camp at Salisbury in 1774 specifically to practise light-infantry doctrine, the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775 found the British Army wanting, and the light companies were no different. After evacuating Boston in March 1776, Howe began to remodel and drill his army at Halifax, standardizing lighter uniform and emphasizing more open-order tactics. He also brigaded his light companies together into composite battalions, which went on to fight in almost every major engagement during the American Revolution. They spearheaded British assaults, using night-time surprise and relying upon the bayonet in engagements such as Paoli and Old Tappan. They also matched their regular and irregular opponents in bush-fighting, and at times fought in far-flung detachments alongside Native American and Loyalist allies on the frontier.Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this book offers a comprehensive guide to the formation, uniform, equipment, doctrines and tactics of these elite light infantry companies and battalions, and considers how, over the course of the war they developed a fearsome reputation, and exemplified the psychological characteristics exhibited by crack military units across history.

Fully illustrated, this is the second volume in a detailed study of the German auxiliary troops who fought for Britain in the American Revolutionary War. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–83), German auxiliary troops provided a vital element of the British war effort. While the largest body of German troops was from Hessen-Cassel (see the first volume of this study), the British also fielded troops from Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, Hessen-Hanau, Waldeck and Pyrmont, Brandenburg Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and Anhalt-Zerbst. This volume also covers the Hanoverian soldiers involved in the sieges of Gibraltar and Menorca.Fighting on a host of battlefields from Saratoga to Yorktown, these hired soldiers provided the Crown Forces with much-needed manpower and contributed crucial combat skills in the form of the Jäger, renowned specialists in open-order warfare. Featuring eight specially commissioned artwork plates and an array of carefully chosen illustrations, many in colour, this lively study examines the organization, uniforms, weapons and equipment of these troops who fought for King George in the New World.

The American Revolution presented a series of unique tactical challenges to its competing factions.For Britain, the Army would be forced to re-learn many of the lessons from the Seven Years’ War. After the debacle of Concord and Bunker Hill, the British implemented a range of changes throughout the Army, including the modification of accepted tactical doctrine. Additionally, the British formed alliances with various independent German states. The soldiers they provided thus answered to different armies. How much their tactics adapted during the war, therefore varied from state to state.The Continental Army was founded in 1775 and was initially heavily styled on its British opponents. That began to change in 1778 thanks to the efforts of Prussian officer Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Following their formal alliance with the colonies in 1778, France deployed military assets to North America. French officers also provided tactical advice to the Continental Army, and vice versa, particularly when they worked together successfully during the siege of Yorktown in 1781.Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this absorbing study investigates the various participants’ battlefield tactics, casting light on how tactical theory and battlefield experience shaped the conduct of battle in the American Revolution.

SHUT UP & SIT DOWN RECOMMENDS“The greatest World War II board game of all time” – Shut Up & Sit Down2022 GOLDEN GEEK AWARDS BEST 2-PLAYER GAMELead your stalwart troops to victory in this epic two-player campaign, played out in the war's most infamous city.Stalingrad, 1942. Before you awaits a gruelling conflict in this cornerstone battleground. As the bullets and bombs tear the city asunder, only through wits and valour can you seize the cornerstone of the entire Eastern Front and change the course of history.A heavy burden rests on your shoulders. Every casualty suffered in battle will weaken your forces for the entire campaign. Every bomb blast and mortar shell leaves the very ground for which you are fighting in further ruin. Every inch lost to the enemy brings you closer to the jaws of defeat. Over the course of up to fifteen branching scenarios, you will decide the fate of Stalingrad and, perhaps, the war itself. Even though the consequences of your actions will persist, the game itself can be fully reset and replayed, allowing you to explore every potential outcome.Undaunted: Stalingrad is a monumental standalone game that expands the series’ scope and challenge beyond anything that’s come before. Featuring more than 300 unique illustrations by Roland MacDonald and 150 evocative mission briefings written by acclaimed author Robbie MacNiven, immerse yourself in this campaign at the heart of the war.Ages: 14+Players: 2Playing Time: 45-75 minutesContents: 375 cards, 129 map tiles, 204 tokens, 4 dice, 4 booklets

Fully illustrated, this book assesses the origins, equipment, and fighting styles of the irregular warfare specialists fighting on both sides during the American Revolutionary War.Amid North America’s often forested, broken, or rugged terrain, 18th-century armies came to rely on soldiers capable of fighting individually or in small groups. During the American Revolutionary War, rifle-armed companies were incorporated into the newly created Continental Army, while Patriot militiamen and partisans also made use of rifled weapons. Facing them were the British Army’s light infantrymen; among the most experienced regular soldiers fighting for the Crown, they were joined by Loyalist units able to operate in dispersed formations and German hired troops skilled in open-order fighting, including the rifle-armed Jäger.The strengths and limitations of both sides’ open-order specialists are evaluated in this book, with particular focus upon three revealing battles: Harlem Heights (September 16, 1776), where the Patriots took heart from being able to hold their own in an escalating clash with Crown light forces; Freeman's Farm (September 19, 1777), where British light infantry engaged Patriot riflemen in notably rough terrain; and Hanging Rock (August 6, 1780), where Patriot riflemen and partisans attacked a Loyalist encampment, including Provincial Corps light infantry. Specially commissioned artwork, archive illustrations, and newly drawn mapping complement the authoritative text.

Fully illustrated, this lively study tells the story of the forces fighting for Montcalm and New France during the struggle for Canada in 1754–63.During the French and Indian War, the defenders of New France were led by the redoubtable Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, whose initial battles with the British and their allies in 1756–58 culminated in the momentous clash on the Plains of Abraham in 1759. In this lively study, Robbie MacNiven examines the various forces led by Montcalm in Canada at a formative time in that country’s history.Montcalm’s forces were composed of recently arrived regular French Army troops alongside locally recruited militia and seasoned French colonial infantry, working in conjunction with a number of First Nations peoples hostile to the British. All elements of the diverse forces defending New France are assessed in this engaging account, drawing upon the latest research and findings from the battlefields and garrisons of 18th-century Canada. The fighting men involved are depicted in detail in the period illustrations and specially commissioned artwork plates.

The official prequel to the Jordine Saga. A breathtaking introduction to the action-packed open-world MMORPG played by 50 million gamers worldwide.Treachery and violence are rife as Jordine Ducas plots revenge against King Crucio, and Serendia falls to civil war. High magic Medieval fantasy, perfect for fans of epic sagas like Game of Thrones.After pitting his three sons against each other to vie for the throne, King Crucio steps down and crowns his eldest son, Antonio, King of Serendia. Despite his abdication, Crucio is reluctant to completely relinquish power, while Antonio refuses to be his father’s puppet. A civil war soon erupts.Eager to see Crucio pay for banishing his father, Jordine Ducas watches the feud from the shadows. Patient, plotting and power-hungry, he learns the real reason Crucio relinquished the crown. Will Jordine’s quest for revenge succeed or will he be another casualty of Crucio’s rage?

The first in an exciting new series of heroic fantasy novels, Zachareth, explores the past of one of Descent: Legends of the Dark’s most notorious villains