Angus McBride – illustratör

An in-depth and fully illustrated examination of Charlemagne's military and empire - and his opponents - from the 8th century to the 10th century AD.Most historians agree that the Carolingian Age, from the 8th to 10th centuries AD, represented one of the most important turning points in European history. It can be said with some certainty that early Carolingian military success was built on good leadership, adequate administration, and troops whose morale was almost consistently superb. It is also clear that the Carolingian army managed to adapt itself to face many and differing foes. This absorbing text by David Nicolle explores the organisation and history of the Carolingian Empire during the age of one of history's most romanticised and heroic figures - Charlemagne.

Zulu military organisation was extremely sophisticated.Warriors were organised into regiments with some form of basic uniform and shields were state-manufactured and owned. Yet, in spite of this sophistication, firearms were ill understood, and between 1816 and 1906 the Zulus maintained their primary reliance on hand-to-hand fighting.In this book Ian Knight investigates Zulu weaponry in detail, and also their society, beliefs and rituals, particularly with regard to ceremonies conducted before and after battles. Tactics, dress and customs are also carefully examined, making this a thorough account of the Zulu warrior.

Despite the small geographic extent of Normandy its people played a crucial role in the history of the medieval world.Ferocity, boundless energy, cunning and a capacity for leadership were their heritage, to which modern scholars would add supreme adaptability and a simple piety. Their amazing military successes resulted from careful planning, speed of movement, decisiveness, daring and sheer ruthlessness. Added to this was a strong business sense and an appreciation of the value of money.Veteran Osprey author David Nicolle describes the history, arms and armour of the remarkable Normans in this fascinating volume.

While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries which followed.Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear. This second of two books covers the period which saw both expansion in the Baltic, and long wars born of the attempt to bring Scandinavia under a single monarchy - the Union of Kalmar.In the North, as elsewhere, the perfection of plate armour could not prevent the steady decline in the importance of the 15th century mounted knight in favour of the well armed infantryman.

This book describes and illustrates the armour, weapons, fortifications and ships of one of the least-known phases of the Medieval Crusades.The expeditions by Scandinavian Catholics against the pagan peoples to the east of the Baltic Sea, resulted in clashes with the Eastern Orthodox Russian princes of Novgorod and Muscovy. From isolated castles built in this bleak wilderness of forests, lakes and bogs, the small garrisons struggled equally against the enemy and the harsh terrain and climate.The text is illustrated with photographs of rare museum relics and of castles, and spirited colour plates by Angus McBride.

While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries that followed.Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear - due partly to their remoteness, climate and terrain, but partly to their long freedom from the feudal system of other kingdoms.This book explains the special nature of Scandinavian armies, shaped by the relative weakness of kings and aristocrats, and the contrasts between the separate nations of the North.

In Europe the Mamluks of Egypt are remembered as so-called 'Slave Kings' who drove out the Crusaders from the Holy Land; but they were far more than that.Though its frontiers barely changed, the Mamluk Sultanate remained a 'great power' for two and a half centuries. Its armies were the culmination of a military tradition stretching back to the 8th century, and provided a model for the early Ottoman Empire, whose own armies reached the gates of Vienna only twelve years after the Mamluks were overthrown.This absorbing text by David Nicolle explores the organisation and tactics of these fascinating people.

After disastrous defeats at the hands of the Mongols in the 13th century, the Russian principalities became vassals of the Khans of the Golden Horde for more then 200 years.At the same time the western princes faced the German crusaders of the Teutonic Order. Remarkably, Russia responded with a new surge of military vigour. Eventually, freedom from the 'Mongol yoke' coincided with a degree of unity around a powerful new state - Muscovy. This exciting chapter of history is illustrated with rare early paintings, photos, diagrams, and eight plates reconstructing the mixed influences of East and West in the appearance of Russian warriors.

The 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was almost as varied as modern America.Alongside Slavs lived Lithuanians and other Balts, Germans, Tatars, Armenian merchants, Jewish traders, and even a remarkably large populations of Scots. This variety of cultures had a strong influence on the Polish army. Along with the predominantly Polish and Lithuanian 'winged' hussars served numerous foreigners from both within and outside the Commonwealth: Tatars and Cossacks, Wallachians, Transylvanians, Moldavians, Hungarians, Serbians and Albanians; and from the West, French, Italians, Dutch, Walloons, Swedes and Scots.Richard Brzezinski's companion volume to Men-at-Arms 184 completes his fascinating examination of Polish armies from 1569-1696.

Few people will realise that at one time the Polish state was one of Europe's great powers.One of the chief instruments of her success was undoubtedly her army, which though small can claim many accomplishments and major successes in the 16th and 17th centuries. Richard Brzezinski redresses this imbalance by providing a portrait of Polish armies from 1569-1696, detailing their history, organisation, arms, armour, insignia and dress, accompanied by numerous illustrations and eight superb full page colour plates by Angus McBride.

Of all the conquerors who swept out of Central Asia, two names stand out in European memory – Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan the Mongol.Both are remembered for massacres and devastation; yet whereas Genghis is also famous for the laws he imposed on half of Asia and for the trade which flourished under Mongol rule, Attila's notoriety seems unrelieved by positive achievements. But what was Attila's short-lived empire really like? What happened to the Huns afterwards, and what role did the nomads of Central Asia play in the centuries between Attila and Genghis Khan?This concise guide explores the nomad hordes, how they were organised and how they fought.

A fully-illustrated, in-depth exploration of early Islamic military forces, their weapons and armour, and the conflicts in which they fought.During the Middle Ages, Islam was Christian Europe's only civilised and most troublesome neighbour; the Middle Ages saw almost continual strife between these two distinct cultures. By the time the Frankish Crusaders reached the Middle East at the end of the 11th century, Islam had already incorporated three major races: Arabs, Persians and Turks, each of which contributed different strengths to the armoury of Islam. This title explores the organisation, uniforms and equipment of the armies of Islam from the 7th to 11th centuries, backed by illustrations, museum photographs and eight full page colour plates by popular Osprey artist Angus McBride.

Though for centuries fighting was considered primarily a man's job, the world wars of the 20th century demanded women's involvement in the war effort.By World War II women were playing a major auxiliary role in all branches of the armed forces. From the daring female fighter pilots of besieged Russia to the heroic American nurses on the front line, this book looks at the vital jobs that women undertook at a time of national crisis. Numerous fascinating photos and eight full colour plates detail the uniforms and equipment of the British, American German and Russian women who participated in this global conflict.

An illustrated study of the fighting men of the Hussite Wars in 15th-century Bohemia, a significant transition point in medieval history.In 1415, the judicial murder of the religious reformer Jan Hus sparked a major uprising in Bohemia. His death led within a few years to the 'Hussite' revolution against the monarchy, the German aristocracy and the Church establishment. In this book, Stephen Turnbull examines how the largely peasant Hussite armies successfully defied a series of international 'crusades' for two decades. He details how the Hussites owed many of their victories to the charismatic general Jan Zizka, and his novel tactical methods based on the use of 'war wagons'. Fully illustrated with archive photography and specially commissioned colour artwork, this book investigates a remarkable episode in medieval warfare, which is remembered not only as the Czech national epic, but as an important forerunner to the wars of the Reformation the following century.

Featuring superb illustrations throughout, this compact volume examines the battle between the Teutonic Knights and the Russian city-state of Novgorod, led by its inspirational leader Alexandre Nevskii.The Teutonic Knights were a powerful military order, backed with the crusading zeal of Europe, the blessing of the Pope and the support of the Holy Roman Emperor. This battle, although little-known in the west, was important in the history of the medieval eastern crusades, the Teutonic defeat having a serious effect on future events.David Nicolle's excellent text examines the Crusade against Novgorod and the fierce fighting around the frozen shores of Lake Peipus.

The Byzantines had a remarkably sophisticated approach to politics and military strategy.Unlike most of their contemporaries, they learnt very early in their history that winning a battle did not necessarily win a war, and they frequently bought off their enemies with treaties and bribes rather than squander men and matériel in potentially fruitless campaigns. The Byzantine army of the 10th and early 11th centuries, at the height of its power and efficiency, was the best-organised, best-trained, best-equipped and highest-paid in the known world.This splendid book by Ian Heath examines the Byzantine Armies from 886-1118, including the lusty, hard-fighting, hard-drinking 'barbarian' Varangian guard.

A slim, illustrated volume on the two key battles of William Wallace, the legendary Scottish rebel.The death of the last of the Scottish royal house of Canmore in 1290 triggered a succession crisis. Attempts to undermine Scottish independence by King Edward I of England sparked open rebellion culminating in an English defeat at the hands of William Wallace at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Edward gathered an army, marched north and at Falkirk on 22 July 1298 he brought Wallace’s army to battle. Amid accusations of treachery, Wallace’s spearmen were slaughtered by Edward’s longbowmen, then charged by the English cavalry and almost annihilated. Complete with illustrations, including bird's eye view maps of each battle, Peter Armstrong details the events up until Wallace was captured and executed in 1305, and demonstrates that the flame of rebellion he had ignited could not be extinguished.

France was to call up a total of 1,600,000 men during the Napoleonic Wars, of whom a mere 600,000 were to survive.For those conscripted into service, one of the better fates would be recruitment as a cavalryman. Napoleon's dragoons were not just any band of individuals sorted and labelled cavalrymen; they were mounted infantrymen, trained to be adept with both musket and sabre, and proud of that distinction. Originally mounted for the sake of mobility but generally fighting on foot, they evolved into an army equally at home sabring at the charge as firing dismounted.

Owing to the heavy casualties suffered by the carabiniers in the 1809 campaign, the Emperor decreed that they should be armoured to the same advantage as the cuirassiers.In this way the two corps drew together in being the only troops of the Grande Armeé who were armoured, while at the same time they diverged in breaking away from their traditionally similar dress. Emir Bukhari thoroughly examines the uniforms and equipment of Napoleon's cuirassiers and carabiniers, in a text complemented throughout by numerous illustrations and diagrams including eight full page colour plates by the ever popular Angus McBride.

Tamerlane or Timur-i-Lenk ('Timur the Lame') is one of the most extraordinary conquerors in history.In the late 14th century his armies seized huge territories from the borders of Mongolia to Palestine and Anatolia. His passage was marked by massacres that outdid even those of the Mongols for sheer savagery. Timur's career was unequalled since Alexander the Great in terms of constant battlefield success. Only in his youth, while recovering his family estates south of Samarqand, did he face occasional defeat.This is the remarkable story of Timur and details the organisation, tactics, arms and armour of his all-conquering army.

In the centuries following the first expeditions down the great rivers of northern Russia by Viking traders and adventurers, the foundations for a new state were laid.Many influences combined in this colourful culture which grew up first around the great cities of Kiev and Novgorod – Scandinavian, Finnish, Slav, steppe Turkish, Byzantine. By the time of the Mongol invasions of the 12th century the small enclaves of the old pagan Rus', tolerated by the Khazar Khans for their commercial usefulness, had evolved into a Christian nation.Its story is told here in fascinating detail, and illustrated with striking colour reconstructions of the warriors themselves.

By the end of the nineteenth century the fame of the Zulu was world-wide, and their army was one of the few non-European military organisations to have become the subject of serious historical study.Their very name is still synonymous with bravery, discipline and military skill. This excellent addition to Osprey's Men-at-Arms series tells the story of the Zulus at war, from their rise to unrivalled power under the fearsome Shaka to the final devastating defeat against the British at Ulundi, detailing Zulu weapons and tactics, and the famous battles in which they fought.

A fully-illustrated history of Anglo-Saxon England and its conflicts, including the Celts, Picts, Irish, and Vikings, from the 6th through to the 11th century AD.The Arthurian Age; the Celtic Twilight; the Dark Ages; the Birth of England; these are the powerfully romantic names often given to one of the most confused yet vital periods in British history. It is an era upon which rival Celtic and English nationalisms frequently fought. It was also a period of settlement, and of the sword. This absorbing volume by David Nicolle transports us to an England shrouded in mystery and beset by savage conflict, a land which played host to one of the most enduring figures of our history – Arthur.

The very name El Cid sums up much of the special character of medieval Spanish warfare.It comes from the Arabic al sayyid, master or chieftain, and seems to have been given to Rodrigo de Vivar by his Muslim foes. But was it given in recognition of El Cid's victories against Islam in the 'Reconquista' – or because this Castilian nobleman was as content to serve beside the Muslims as to fight them?The story of the Christian conquest of the Iberian peninsula which gave rise to the legend of El Cid, is here examined by David Nicolle, who outlines the history, tactics, arms and armour of the period.

In this worthy addition to the Elite series, Ian Heath transports us to the time of the Vikings examining their epic journeys and the ships they made them in.Their methods of warfare are covered, including the organisation of their armies and tactics employed, their appearance and equipment and the general history of these fascinating warrior-explorers. His authoritative text is backed by many fine illustrations and photographs including 12 stunning full colour plates by Angus McBride, one of the world's most respected military artists.

A compact, illustrated account of the most decisive battle in Japanese history.Fought against the ritualised and colourful backdrop of Samurai life, Sekigahara was the culmination of a long-standing power struggle between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hashiba Hideyoshi, two of the most powerful men in Japan. Armies of the two sides met on the plain of Sekigahara on 21 October 1600, in thick fog and deep mud. By the end of the day 40,000 heads had been taken and Ieyasu was master of Japan. Within three years the Emperor would grant him the title he sought – Shogun.This title describes the campaign leading up to this great battle and examines Sekigahara, including the forces and personalities of the two major sides and that of the turncoat Kobayakawa Hideaki.

The high point of medieval Islamic expansion was the 700-year presence of the 'Moors' in Spain and Portugal.The Arab and Berber conquest was followed by the establishment of a richly distinct culture in Andalusia, where for a while Muslim and Christian co-operated as often as they fought. The rise and fall of successive Islamic dynasties brought new invaders, fragmentation and disunity; and the growing Christian kingdoms to the north eventually doomed the amirate of Granada, the last Moorish bastion, which fell to the Castilians in 1492.The colourful armies of Western Islam are described and illustrated here in fascinating detail.

From the 13th century until early in the 17th century the Border Marches of England and Scotland were torn by a vicious and almost continuous cycle of raid, reprisal and blood feud.The Border Reiver was a professional cattle thief, a guerrilla soldier skilled at raiding, tracking and ambush and a well-organised 'gangster'. Including eight superb full page colour plates by Angus McBride, as well as numerous other illustrations, this text by Keith Durham explores the colourful history of these remarkable people.

An insightful exploration of Russian military forces through the 16th and 17th centuries, accompanied by accurate, detailed illustrations.It is generally assumed that the military reforms which propelled Russia into the modern world were due solely to the genius of Peter the Great. In fact, his reforms were built upon changes that had taken place during the previous 200 years, since the creation in 1550 of Russia’s first full-time military force – the streltsi – by Ivan IV the Terrible. This account traces Russia’s armies from that beginning, through the creation of paid regular regiments from 1630, up to the reign of Peter the Great. It is illustrated with rare early drawings, photos of surviving artifacts, and dazzling colour reconstructions of military costumes.