Foundry – förlag

This is the first of a two volume series covering early twentieth century colonial campaigns in Africa, Asia and the Americas, ranging from Mexico and the Philippines to Africa and the North West Frontier. The text covers the political background to each conflict or "police" action and provides a brief campaign narrative accompanied by details of the organisation, tactics, dress and arms of the protagonists. There are 254 line drawings of warriors and soldiers and 34 maps of the various scenes of conflict.

Principally covering Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar, this volume deals with the native peoples of East Africa and the Arabs and Europeans who variously fought, explored, and raided there in the course of the 19th century. The detailed text provides the dress, arms, organisation, and tactics of the protagonists, and includes sections on the foreign explorers and the forces of the British and German East African colonies. Illustrations include 124 drawings of warriors and soldiers.

Of all the military campaigns fought by the British during the 19th century, no area saw more conflict than the subcontinent of India. Dozens of encounters, both great and small, involved many of its races as either friends or foes of Britain – indeed, it was not unusual for an area to furnish both ally and enemy at the same time! This volume covers the British, Indian and Anglo-Indian troops who fought for The Honourable East India Company and Britain over the varied landscape of what is present day Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, between the years 1826 and 1859. The vast array of uniforms and dress worn by soldiers serving in India during this period is examined in detail, and extensive information is also provided on regimental Colours. The book’s nine chapters cover the campaign in Bhurtpore (1825–26); the Coorg campaign (1834); the First Afghan War (1839–42); the conquest of Sind (1843); the campaign against Gwalior (1843); the Sikh Wars (1845–46 and 1848–49); actions on the North-West Frontier (1849–58); the Santhal Rebellion (1855–56); and the Indian Mutiny (1857–59). Each of these chapters includes uniform information specific to the campaign covered, while that on the Indian Mutiny also includes details of Mutineer dress. Many orders of battle and battle-plans are also included. Illustrations comprise 199 drawings of troop types and flags, and 27 other illustrations and maps

In the second half of the 19th century, European-led columns began to fan out across the African continent from their coastal footholds, smashing whatever forces could be brought against them, no matter how brave or determined the latter were. The process began at different dates in different parts of the continent, but much of the main activity was concentrated into the two decades between 1881 and 1902, subsequently but accurately nicknamed the ‘Scramble for Africa’. By 1914 the Europeans had overrun the greater part of the continent, and, remarkably, had managed to do so without clashing with each other in the process: conflict between them only occurred after 1914 because what was essentially a European power-struggle was inevitably projected on to the African landscape. The armies responsible for this extraordinary period of expansion have seldom been surveyed as a whole, and never in the organisational detail attempted here. As well as including an outline of the principal campaigns of the period, military historian Peter Abbott examines in detail the structure, dress and armament of the colonial armies fielded by the Congo Free State, the Belgian Congo, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and includes in his text an unprecedented amount of order of battle material. Illustrations include 229 drawings of soldiers, 58 other illustrations, and two maps.