Gerry Embleton – illustratör

In the early 14th century, a new weapon entered the arsenals of European armies.This first generation of black powder weapons put fear into the heart of the enemy and in 1453 Ottoman cannon succeeded in pummelling the once-impregnable walls of Constantinople. But cannons, which are both slow and cumbersome, were difficult to use and often proved inaccurate.The first handgonnes were the answer. Easily dismissed by later historians as nothing more than crude tubes that shot wildly inaccurate lead balls, more recent research has revealed the true accuracy of the medieval handgonne together with its penetrative power.This volume, complete with detailed illustrations and colour photographs of reconstructed handgonnes, reveals the true history of what could easily have been the most revolutionary weapon in history: a must for medieval enthusiasts and re-enactors.

The Bulgars were a Turkic people who established a state north of the Black Sea.In the late 500s and early 600s AD their state fragmented under pressure from the Khazars; one group moved south into what became Bulgaria, but the rest moved north during the 7th and 8th centuries to the basin of the Volga river. There they remained under Khazar domination until the Khazar Khanate was defeated by Kievan Russia in 965.In the 1220s they managed to maul Genghis Khan’s Mongols, who returned to devastate their towns in revenge. By the 1350s and onwards, they were caught in the middle between the Tatar Golden Horde and the Christian Russian principalities. A new city then rose from the ashes – Kazan, originally called New Bulgar – and the successor Islamic Khanate of Kazan resisted the Russians until falling to Ivan the Terrible in 1552.The dress, armament, armour and fighting methods of the Volga Bulgars during this momentous period are explored in this fully illustrated study.

Mercenaries were a common feature throughout most of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, and had been known far earlier.But nowhere did such a sophisticated system of hiring, payment and organisation of mercenaries develop as it did in Italy. The condottiere – whose name came from the condotta or contract between himself and his employer – was the result. Whether commander or humble trooper, the condottiere was a complete professional. His skill has never been doubted, but his loyalty and dedication to a particular cause often has.David Nicolle provides a fascinating exploration of the condottiere; his roles, arms and equipment.

King John the Good of France was captured by the English at the battle of Poitiers in 1356.His 14-year-old son Philip fought valiantly by his side until the bitter end, and as soon as he was in a position to do so, King John rewarded his son's courage and devotion by designating him Duke of Burgundy, a title that by chance had just become extinct.Philip was the first of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy and this fascinating text by Nicholas Michael examines the functioning and organisation of the Burgundian armies from the beginning of his reign until the time of the last of the Valois Dukes; Charles the Bold.

Almost continual warfare raged in Europe during the period 1300-1500.These wars were the furnaces in which many of the modern European nations were forged. Parallel with this emergence of the nations came the development of national armies to protect the newly-won borders and independence, yet throughout this period the old feudal method of raising an army persisted.This fascinating study by Terence Wise explores the organisation, weapons and equipment of the armies who fought across medieval Europe, from the Hundred Years War to the fight against the Moors in Spain and the French invasion of Italy.

The English military ascendancy which lasted from the mid-14th to the early 15th century was founded upon defensive tactics based on the use of the longbow.This weapon, distinctive in that it was used by English forces alone, was probably the most effective missile weapon of the Late Middle Ages. Its arrow had the same penetrative ability as a modern day bullet and the bow's rate of fire was not equalled by any weapon used by English forces until the adoption of the Lee Enfield rifle at the beginning of the 20th century.Featuring illustrations throughout, this is an in-depth exploration of the life of an English longbowman.

The Imperial German Army began the Great War as the most professionally impressive conscript force in the world.This fascinating book by Donald Fosten and Robert Marrion explores in great detail the organisation, tactics, weapons, uniforms, equipment and origins of this army that fought in World War I from its start in 1914 to their ultimate defeat in 1918. Numerous contemporary photographs serve to illustrate this engaging and informative text which covers such wide-ranging topics as conscription, artillery and the army veterinary service.Eight full page colour plates by military artist Gerry Embleton, together with extensive commentaries provide a wealth of information concerning the uniforms and equipment of troops from a variety of services.

A highly illustrated study of the Dutch struggle for independence from Spain, ideal for enthusiasts of 16th and 17th century warfare and the development of military strategy.The 80 Years' War (also known as the Dutch War of Independence) was the foundation of Dutch nationhood, and during the course of the conflict one of its main leaders – Maurice of Orange-Nassau – created an army and a tactical system that became a model throughout Europe.This study, the first of a two-part series, focuses on the Dutch infantry. It examines how Maurice of Orange-Nassau attracted volunteers and students from across Europe, introduced innovative new training methods such as common drill movements, and standardised the organisation and payment system of the army to make it more than a match for the occupying Spanish. His successes inspired officers and generals across the continent to copy his methods, including many English officers who went on to fight in the English Civil Wars.Featuring full-colour artwork and rare period illustrations, this book examines how the Dutch infantry was transformed into a fighting force able to defeat the might of Imperial Spain.

For the best part of three centuries the 'corsairs' or pirates from the 'Barbary' coasts of North Africa dominated the Western and Central Mediterranean.They made forays far into the Atlantic, preying on the shipping and coastal settlements across Christian Europe, ranging from Greece to West Africa and the British Isles. In the absence of organized European navies they seldom faced serious opposition, and the scope of their raiding was remarkable. As well as piracy and slave-raiding they fought as privateers, sharing their spoils with the rulers of the port-cities that provided them with ships, men, and a ready market.This book examines their development and their style of fighting, chronicles their achievements and failures, and illustrates their appearance and that of their ships, explaining why they were so feared and effective.

Much myth and fantasy surrounds the events of the Wars of the Roses: a bloody and prolonged dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster.Terence Wise's fascinating text lays bare the real story, and examines the armies, liveries and badges of the conflict. The author's readable account provides a comprehensive guide as to who fought whom, where, when, why and for what, from the origins of the Wars to such famous battles as Tewkesbury and Bosworth.The accompanying photographs, illustrations and colour plates by Gerry Embleton clearly detail the arms, armour and standards of the time.

The Landsknechts were German mercenaries who served during the reigns of Maximilian I and Charles V in the sixteenth century.Having signed up, these Landsknechts were read a very detailed code of conduct, organised into companies, paid one month in advance, and sent into battle. Their major weapon was the pike, which could be up to 18 feet in length, but those whose duty it was to advance in the front line carried instead the fearsome Zweihänder; an enormous battle-sword around 66 inches in length.Douglas Miller describes in detail the organisation, tactics, weapons, uniforms and history of these remarkable soldiers.

The Saxons, Vikings and Normans who inhabited the medieval world were a good deal more advanced than some writings would have us believe.This fascinating book by Terence Wise explores the history, organization, clothing, equipment and weapons of Saxon, Viking and Norman peoples, covering wide-ranging topics such as Anglo-Saxon shields, Viking raiding ships and the organization of Norman armies.The absorbing and readable text is enriched by numerous illustrations and museum photographs with commentaries, plus eight superbly drawn full page colour plates by renowned military artist Gerry Embleton.

A concise introduction to the organization, responsibilities, uniforms, and insignia of the German Police under the Nazi regime.Following Adolf Hitler's rise to power, the previously decentralized provincial police system was unified into a single state apparatus, integrated at the command levels with the SS. Despite central control, the police were divided into a complex array of departments and functions, each with its own uniform distinctions.The book explores the roles and appearances of various branches, including Police Generals, rural constables, transport policemen, and factory watchmen.

The wars between whites and Native Americans, the most famous of which were fought on the great Western plains between 1860 and 1890, were among the most tragic of all conflicts ever fought.To the victor went no less than the complete domination of the continent, to the loser total extinction. Accustomed only to small scale skirmishing and raiding, the Native Americans were doomed from the start. They had never fought a European-style war with its constant pressure and co-ordinated strategies.Philip Katcher details the armies of both sides, paying particular attention to their organisation and uniforms.

In the early crusades men of all ranks from all over Europe took the cross and went to fight Islam as volunteers.Some went out of religious fervour, others to escape the plagues and famine which were rife at the time, still others in search of land or a fortune in loot. Fighting alongside all of these were the armies raised in Outremer, the Holy Land itself.Together they waged a bloody religious war, the participants of which included such forces as the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, and the Byzantine Army.

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.

Of all the world's seaborne military organizations, the British Royal Navy is perhaps the most prestigious.Protector of the British Empire and defender of British freedom, it has provided the template on which nearly all other national navies have modelled themselves. This book explores the changes in the uniforms of the Royal Navy from the 18th century to 1970.It includes details from the dress regulations as laid down in the first official illustrated text on the topic, which dated from 1825, up through the present day, and addresses all variations for climate, rank, and equipment requirements.

‘There never was so fine an American army,’ wrote second-lieutenant, John Sedgwick, in describing the troops under Major-General Zachary Taylor in 1846.Another then second-lieutenant, destined to see many more armies; U.S. Grant, also thought highly of them: ‘The rank and file were probably inferior … to the volunteers that participated in all the later battles of the war; but they were brave men, and then drill and discipline brought out all there was in them.’ Philip Katcher writes the story of the regulars and volunteers who fought in the Mexican-American War, detailing the infantry, cavalry, artillery and staff of both the American and Mexican armies.

A concise, illustrated study of the troops of Nassau and Oldenburg.On 14 October 1808, Napoleon persuaded Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg to join the Confederation of the Rhine by the Treaty of Erfurt – the military contingent to be maintained by the duchy was set at an infantry battalion of 800 men in six companies. Similarly, Friedrich August, Herzog of Nassau, was charged under the terms of the treaty with co-ordinating and organising the military efforts of all the tiny states of its neighbours. In this fine addition to Osprey's Men-at-Arms series, Otto von Pivka details the campaign history and uniforms of Napoleon's Nassau and Oldenburg allied troops.

On the 24 April 1855, Colonel Carmichael Smyth held a parade of the ninety skirmishers of the 3rd Light Cavalry of the Bengal Army at Meerut, some 30 miles from Delhi.The disastrous events that followed sparked an almost wholesale mutiny of the Honourable East India Company's Bengal Native Army. Had the ensuing uprising succeeded, it would have threatened the validity of the entire British Empire. As it was the Mutiny witnessed several tragic and bloody events, from the original incident in Meerut to the horrifying siege of Cawnpore.Christopher Wilkinson-Latham details the history of the conflict, from its beginnings to ultimate resolution.

Between 1869 and 1874, Edward Cardwell, Gladstone's Secretary for War, undertook major reforms to modernise the British Army.The Crimean War, and campaigns in India, had revealed serious administrative and command shortcomings. Cardwell's legislation was aimed at curing these faults and served as the foundation of a new-style army. His successors put into practice further improvements in tactics, training and command structure and by the outbreak of war in 1914, the British Army had developed into one of the best professional fighting forces in Europe.This book details the development, composition and uniforms of this 'new' army.

During the 14th and 15th centuries military tactics in Europe underwent a period of sustained transformation of which the outcome was the rejuvenation of the footsoldier as the major tactical unit.One nation alone stands principally responsible for this development – the Swiss Confederation. For centuries the mounted knights had 'ridden roughshod over the populations of Europe'. It was in the Swiss halberdier and later the pikeman that the mounted men-at-arms were to meet their match.This absorbing text by Douglas Miller provides an account of rise of the Swiss army to its tactical zenith, beginning with the classic encounter at Morgarten.

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.

These vigorous northern 'barbarians' were the destroyers of the Western Empire of Rome.It was they who delivered the coup de grâce to the dying colossus in the south, subsequently creating medieval Europe, the feudal system and chivalry. Their direct descendants were the knights and men-at-arms. In every sense, they were the creators of the modern world; it is ironic that many people know virtually nothing about them.This book explores the history, weapons and dress of the Germanics and Dacians who fought Rome two thousand years before our time.

To celebrate the 450th title in the Men-at-Arms series, this book examines in unprecedented depth the units and the uniforms of a still-controversial army: the many thousands of American colonists who chose to fight for King George during the Revolution.As well as the better-known corps from the Atlantic seaboard, the author covers the units raised for service against the Spanish in the Floridas, the Caribbean islands and Central America. The text is illustrated with portraits, photographs of rare surviving artefacts, and with color reconstructions by Gerry Embleton, the respected expert on 18th century American forces whose work has been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute.A fascinating overview of a forgotten piece of history, this is the story of the American volunteers for the British cause during the American Revolutionary War.

What a scene!'' wrote Horace Walpole. ''An army in the night dragging itself up a precipice by stumps of trees to assault a town and attack an enemy strongly entrenched and double in numbers!''In one short sharp exchange of fire Major-General James Wolfe''s men tumbled the Marquis de Montcalm''s French army into bloody ruin. Sir John Fortescue famously described it as the ''most perfect volley ever fired on a battlefield''.In this compact, illustrated guide, Stuart Reid details how one of the British Army''s consummate professionals literally beat the King''s enemies before breakfast and in so doing decided the fate of a continent.

The Seven Years'' War in Germany was characterised by an increasing use of ''light'' troops in conjunction with regular infantry and cavalry as part of an ongoing evolution in military tactics.This book draws attention to these tactical developments and also provides an analysis of the allied army that fought alongside Frederick the Great in Germany. Composed of troops from the electorate of Hanover and contingents from Hessen-Kassel, Brunswick and Prussia, this force was funded by Britain and led by a Prussian officer, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.Later, British troops joined this army as it operated throughout western Germany, and together the allied army won a great victory at the famous battle of Minden in 1759.

The struggle of the Allied forces against the French at the crossroads of Quatre Bras set the stage for the battle of Waterloo that followed.To commemorate the 2015 bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, one of the defining campaigns in European History, Osprey replaced its single volume Campaign title covering the whole of the battle with three highly detailed volumes.Based on new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts these volumes will provide a comprehensive resource for every aspect of the battle. The first of this trilogy details the battle of Quatre Bras where an initial 8,000 Allied troops faced 48,000 men of the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Ney. Realising his error, Wellington concentrated his troops at the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras where they just managed to hold off Ney’s attacks. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate but, unable to link up with Blücher’s Prussians, Wellington retreated back along the road to Brussels to new positions at Waterloo.Featuring extensive photographs, full colour artworks, maps and bird’s-eye-views, this first instalment is not to be missed.

The struggle of the Allied forces against the French at the crossroads of Quatre Bras set the stage for the battle of Waterloo that followed.To commemorate the 2015 bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, one of the defining campaigns in European History, Osprey replaced its single volume Campaign title covering the whole of the battle with three highly detailed volumes.Based on new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts these volumes will provide a comprehensive resource for every aspect of the battle. The first of this trilogy details the battle of Quatre Bras where an initial 8,000 Allied troops faced 48,000 men of the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Ney. Realising his error, Wellington concentrated his troops at the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras where they just managed to hold off Ney''s attacks. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate but, unable to link up with Blücher''s Prussians, Wellington retreated back along the road to Brussels to new positions at Waterloo.Featuring extensive photographs, full colour artworks, maps and bird''s-eye-views, this first instalment is not to be missed.