Raffaele Ruggeri – Illustratör

This fully illustrated study assesses the armies of Poland at war in the first half of the 16th century, during the transition from feudal to standing forces.Against a background of almost continual warfare, the 80 years after 1492 witnessed the slow transformation of Polish forces from feudal levies to standing armies. The bloody struggle between Poles, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Muscovites, Cossacks, Turks and Tatars culminated in the Union of Lublin in 1569, uniting the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.This crucial period in Polish military history saw the introduction and development of famous troop categories such as the Polish hussars, and a tactical transformation with the introduction of foot and mounted hand-gunners to replace crossbowmen. Drawing upon a wealth of sources, the author explains Polish armies' methods of recruitment; their organizational structure, and that of units of different troop categories; their weapons, armour and equipment; and their strategies and tactics.In this engaging book, specially commissioned artwork and rare illustrations combine with authoritative text to bring this under-researched subject to life for an English-language audience.

Nicknamed the 'Libyan Desert Taxi Service' by the SAS, the Long Range Desert Group was tasked with strategic reconnaissance and raiding operations deep inside the enemy-held deserts of North Africa.Armed with light weapons only, and equipped with specially converted light cars and trucks capable of withstanding the harsh conditions, the LRDG quickly proved it could operate in parts of the desert which other troops, including the enemy, found impassable. This Warrior title examines the soldiers of the LRDG from the group's formation, through training, to combat in vast, lonely, and deadly deserts of North Africa.

At its height the Roman Empire stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, maintained by an army of modest size but great diversity.In popular culture these soldiers are often portrayed in a generic fashion, but continuing research indicates significant variations in Roman armour and equipment not only between different legions and the provincially-raised auxiliary cohorts that made up half of the army, but also between different regions within the empire.With reference to up-to-date archaeological and documentary evidence Dr D'Amato investigates how Roman Army units in the Western provinces were equipped, exploring the local influences and traditions that caused the variations in attire.

With decades of research to draw from Philip Jowett explores this extraordinary David-and-Goliath conflict, where the rag-tag Igbo tribal army of secessionist Biafra faced off against the Nigerian Federal forces.It was an African war that captured the attention of the western media, with individual commanders such as Biafran leader Colonel Ojukwu and Federal Colonel Adekunle becoming familiar figures across the globe. The Nigerian forces easily outnumbered their opponents and benefitted from British and Soviet equipment, yet against all the odds the Biafrans held out for two and a half years, inflicting many setbacks on the Federal forces before their eventual surrender in 1970.Specially commissioned artwork and historical photos, including some from respected Italian war photographer Romano Ganoni, reflect the diverse array of uniforms and equipment on both sides, with images ranging from Sandhurst-educated officers in immaculate uniform to ragged militiamen armed with World War II kit.

Featuring full-colour artwork, this book examines the variation of equipment and uniforms between different military units, and in armies stationed in different regions of the Empire. Between the reigns of Augustus and Septimius Severus, the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire frequently saw brutal fighting: most notably during the conquest of Dacia by Trajan, the suppression of the Great Revolt in Judea and intermittent clashes with Rome's great rival Parthia. In these wars, Roman soldiers had to fight in a range of different climates and terrains, from the deserts of the Middle East to the islands of the eastern Mediterranean.Using evidence drawn from recent archaeological finds at the time of publication, this book paints a vivid portrait of Roman army units in the Eastern provinces in the first two centuries of the Imperial period. It is ideal for anyone interested in ancient warfare, in particular modellers, re-enactors and wargamers.

'General Leclerc' was the nom de guerre adopted by the Gaullist officer Philippe de Hautcloque, to protect his family in occupied France.He became France's foremost fighting commander, and his armored division (the '2e DB') its most famous formation. Starting as a small scratch force of mostly African troops organised and led by Leclerc in French Equatorial Africa, it achieved early success raiding Italian and German positions in co-operation with Britain’s Long Range Desert Group. Following the Allied victory in North Africa it was expanded and reorganised as a US Army-style armoured division, with American tanks and other armoured vehicles. Shipped to the UK, in spring 1944, it was assigned to Patton's US Third Army, landing in time for the Normandy breakout and being given the honour of liberating Paris in August 1944. Combining a thorough analysis of their combat and organisation with detailed colour plates of their uniforms and equipment, this is the fascinating story of Free France’s most effective fighting force.

The appearance of Roman soldiers in the 3rd century AD has long been a matter of debate and uncertainty, largely thanks to the collapse of central control and perpetual civil war between the assassination of Severus Alexander in 235 and the accession of the great Diocletian in 284. During those years no fewer than 51 men were proclaimed as emperors, some lasting only a few days. Despite this apparent chaos, however, the garrisons of the Western Provinces held together, by means of localized organization and the recruitment of 'barbarians' to fill the ranks. They still constituted an army in being when Diocletian took over and began the widespread reforms that rebuilt the Empire – though an Empire that their forefathers would hardly have recognized.Fully illustrated with specially chosen colour plates, this book reveals the uniforms, equipment and deployments of Roman soldiers in the most chaotic years of the Empire.

Caesar's governorship of Cisalpine Gaul gave him the opportunity to demonstrate the greatness of his character to the people of Rome through the subjugation of those outside Rome’s borders.Well-armed and armoured, the Roman Army of the late Republic was trained to operate within self-supporting legions, with auxiliaries employed in roles the legions lacked such as light troops or cavalry. The Roman legions were in many ways a modern force, with formations designed around tactical goals and held together by discipline, training and common purpose.The armies fielded by the tribes of Gaul were for the most part lightly armed and armoured, with fine cavalry and a well-deserved reputation for ferocity. As might be expected from a region made up of different tribes with a range of needs and interests, there was no consensus on how to make war – battle was an opportunity to prove their personal courage and skill, raising their status in the eyes of friends and foes alike.Fully illustrated, this study investigates the Roman and Gallic forces pitched into combat in three battles: Bibracte (58 BC), Sabis (57 BC) and Gergovia/Alesia (52 BC). Although charismatic Gallic leaders did rise up – notably Dumnorix of the Aedui and later Vercingetorix of the Arverni – and proved to be men capable of bringing together forces that had the prospect of checking Caesar’s ambitions in the bloodiest of ways, it would not be enough. For Caesar his war against the Gauls provided him with enormous power and the springboard he needed to make Rome his own, though his many domestic enemies would ensure that he did not long enjoy his success.

In the early 1880s, Britain intervened in independent Egypt and seized control of the Suez Canal.British forces were soon deployed to Egypt’s southern colony, the Sudan, where they confronted a determined and capable foe amid some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain. In 1881 an Islamic fundamentalist revolt had broken out, led by a religious teacher named Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who proclaimed himself al-Mahdi, ‘The Guided One’. In 1884, Mahdist forces besieged the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.Colonel Charles Gordon was sent to the city with orders to evacuate British personnel, but refused to leave. Although the British despatched a relief column to rescue Gordon, the Mahdists stormed Khartoum in January 1885 and he was killed. British troops abandoned much of the Sudan, but renewed their efforts to reconquer it in the late 1890s, in a bloody campaign that would decide the region’s fate for generations.Written by leading expert Ian Knight, this fully illustrated study examines the evolving forces, weapons and tactics employed by both sides in the Sudan, notably at the battles of Abu Klea (16–18 January 1885), Tofrek (22 March 1885) and Atbara (8 April 1898).

Fully illustrated, this book casts light on the utility and role of the German and British cavalry in the early stages of World War I on the Western Front.In the early months of World War I, before the fighting degenerated into static trench warfare, there was a brief period of mobile combat as the German Army advanced through Belgium and northern France, forcing the French and British forces facing them to retreat. Both sides in the escalating conflict deployed substantial numbers of cavalry units to screen their infantry forces, conduct reconnaissance and harness their superior mobility to undertake aggressive combat operations. In the summer of 1914, the British cavalry had the difficult task of covering the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force and the German cavalry, the equally demanding task, after weeks of combat and forced marches, of maintaining contact with a rapidly retiring enemy.In this book a comparative assessment is made of each side’s doctrine, organization, equipment and training, followed by a detailed analysis of their actual performance in three key encounter actions: Casteau/Soignies (22 August), Cérizy/Moÿ (28 August) and Le Montcel/Frétoy (7 September). This analysis is supported by carefully chosen photographs and specially commissioned full-colour artwork and maps.

Richly illustrated, this title describes Anglo-Saxon monarchs, warlords and their warriors and households in Anglo-Saxon Britain, from the first post-Roman mercenaries to the Norman Conquest.In a country fragmented by Roman withdrawal during the 5th century AD, the employment of Germanic mercenaries by local rulers in Anglo-Saxon Britain was commonplace. These mercenaries became settlers, forcing Romano-British communities into Wales and the West Country. Against a background of spreading Christianity, the struggles of rival British and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were exploited by the Vikings, but eventually contained by the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred of Wessex. His descendants unified the country during the 10th century, however, subsequent weak rule saw its 25-year incorporation into a Danish empire before it finally fell to the Norman invasion of 1066.Scholars of the early Church have long known that the term ‘Dark Ages’ for the 5th to 11th centuries in Britain refers only to a lack of written sources, and gives a false impression of material culture. The Anglo-Saxon warrior elite were equipped with magnificent armour, influenced by the cultures of the late Romans, the Scandinavian Vendel people, the Frankish Merovingians, Carolingians and Ottonians, and also the Vikings. In this volume, co-authors Raffaele D’Amato and Stephen Pollington access their extended knowledge to paint a vivid picture of the kings and warlords of the time with the aid of colour illustrations, rare photos and the latest archaeological research.

A fully illustrated account of the large-scale reformation of the Roman Army from the reign of Diocletian to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476.After the 50-year chaos of the mid-3rd century AD, Emperor Diocletian (r. AD 284–305) and his successor, Constantine I (r. AD 306–37), the first Christian emperor, undertook major administrative reforms to reflect new realities and improve defensive strategy. These changes saw the Roman Army completely reorganized, with its old structure of legions and auxiliary units giving way to central mobile field armies and various classes of garrison troops. In addition, the Army also began recruiting ‘allied barbarians’ in ever-increasing numbers and even promoted some to the level of senior command. Roman military expert Raffaele D’Amato draws on the latest archaeological and written evidence to explore this turbulent final period of the Western Empire. Illustrated with photographs and drawings of surviving artefacts and imagery, this latest entry in a series charting the Roman Army’s evolution also features eight newly commissioned colour plates depicting the uniforms and weaponry of Rome’s reformed military.

This absorbing study describes and illustrates the Indian Army forces that fought in five wars during the second half of the 20th century.The Indian Army is the world’s largest volunteer army, with an enviable history and tradition of valour and gallantry. It was involved in warfare soon after India’s independence and has fought five wars between 1947 and 1999, notably against Pakistan (1947–48, 1965, 1971 and 1999) but also against China (1962). Besides these, the Indian Army has been involved in smaller internal conflicts and counter-insurgency operations, some of which continue. The Indian Army has also carried out two military interventions overseas, namely in the Maldives (1988) and in Sri Lanka (1987–90).The troops who fought in these operations, culminating in 1999’s Kargil War against Pakistan, are described and illustrated in this book, written by an Indian Army veteran. The Indian Army’s evolving uniforms, insignia and personal equipment are depicted in photographs, some previously unpublished, and eight plates of original colour artwork. The book is an important contribution to our understanding of the Indian Army’s contribution to global military history since Independence in 1947.

This fully illustrated account assesses the Soviet and German foot soldiers who fought in Operation Bagration, Stalin’s bid to drive the Axis forces from Soviet territory in World War II.In the summer of 1944, the Red Army launched Operation Bagration, aiming to liberate Belarus and cripple the Wehrmacht’s Eastern Front capability. In just five weeks, Soviet forces reached the gates of Warsaw, inflicting catastrophic losses on the Germans – over 300,000 men, a toll even greater than Stalingrad.In this study, Jacek Zabielski assesses the infantrymen fighting on both sides in the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive, the battle for Minsk and the struggle for Vilnius. He highlights how, seeking to conduct high-tempo operations reminiscent of the German Blitzkrieg doctrine of 1939–41, the Red Army concentrated its forces to achieve decisive breakthroughs, pursuing the destruction of Axis forces despite enormous casualties. In contrast, the Wehrmacht was in rapid decline. Hitler’s increasing unwillingness to delegate decision-making to field commanders hampered German effectiveness, while years of relentless combat had depleted their ranks of experienced junior officers and NCOs.The war’s end was still many months away, but Operation Bagration made Soviet victory inevitable, setting the stage for the Red Army’s advance into East Prussia, the Baltic and South-eastern Europe.

This fully illustrated volume describes and illustrates the soldiers who garrisoned the Roman Empire’s eastern provinces in the 4th and 5th centuries.After the 50-year chaos of the mid-3rd century AD, Emperor Diocletian (r. AD 284–305) and his successor, Constantine I (r. AD 306–37), the first Christian emperor, undertook major administrative reforms to reflect new realities and improve defensive strategy. These changes saw the Roman Army completely reorganized, with its old structure of legions and auxiliary units giving way to central mobile field armies and various classes of garrison troops. In addition, the Army also began recruiting ‘allied barbarians’ in ever-increasing numbers, some of whom rose to positions of supreme command.In this book, Doctor Raffaele D’Amato draws on the latest archaeological and extensive material from the unique Notitia Dignitatum to explore the armies associated with the Roman Empire’s eastern provinces in the two centuries before the demise of Emperor Romulus Augustus in 476. Illustrated with photographs and drawings of surviving artefacts and imagery, this latest entry in a series charting the Roman Army’s evolution also features eight newly commissioned colour plates.

In this fully illustrated study, a renowned authority on Britain’s Royal Marines Commandos surveys one of the most transformational periods in the history of this elite unit.From the dangerous humanitarian and security mission Operation Haven in the aftermath of the 1990–91 Gulf War, through battles in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan to Kyiv and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commandos have been frequently called upon. These deployments have led to new uniforms, weapons, equipment, tactics and organization, and ultimately the formation of the Future Commando Force in 2020.It is those changes that are at the forefront of this book, in which authoritative text and vivid specially commissioned artwork convey the evolution of the Royal Marines Commandos’ uniforms, insignia, weapons and equipment since 1991. Be it in landing craft, small boats, helicopters, parachutes, jetpacks or by climbing and yomping, they appear where their adversaries least expect them, but first, they must pass the Commando Course and earn the coveted green beret.

Between 1845 and 1872, various groups of Maori were involved in a series of wars of resistance against British settlers.The Maori had a fierce and long-established warrior tradition and subduing them took a lengthy British Army commitment, only surpassed in the Victorian period by that on the North-West Frontier of India. Warfare had been endemic in pre-colonial New Zealand and Maori groups maintained fortified villages or pas.By the 1860s many Maori had acquired firearms and had perfected their bush-warfare tactics. In the last phase of the wars a religious movement, Pai Maarire (‘Hau Hau’), inspired remarkable guerrilla leaders such as Te Kooti Arikirangi to renewed resistance.Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and fascinating early photographs, this book tells the parallel stories of the fierce Maori resistance to British colonial expansion, and of the adaptation of British and local New Zealand forces to bush fighting.

In the 1970s, during the ruinous 30-year dictatorship of General Mobutu, periodic rebellions led to the hasty insertion once again of Belgian and French paratroops to save European lives.From the mid-1990s the country split again, becoming the battleground for the largest African war in history, as armies and rebel groups from Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia and other countries crossed into the Congo to support one side or the other, or simply to loot the rich resources. Major operations ended – or paused – in 2002, but the old hatreds and constant lure of the Congo's natural resources continue to boil over into periodic outbreaks.Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and rare photographs, this is the harrowing story of the wars that ravaged the Congo for four decades.

The dilemma of the young Italian kingdom and the experience of her army in the Great War were unique among the combatant nations.Late to enter the war against the Central Powers, she faced a massively defended Austro-Hungarian front in the north, including strong mountain features, as well as distractions in the Balkans and a simultaneous rebellion in her Libyan colony. Costly and repeated battles on the Isonzo front culminated in the disaster of Caporetto in October 1917, followed by a remarkable revival and eventual victory in 1918. This concise study describes and illustrates the Italian Army's campaigns, organisation, uniforms, weapons and equipment – including the famous 'death companies' and Arditi assault troops.

Mention of the Zulu War of 1879 inevitably conjures up images of the redcoats at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.It is often forgotten that the limited number of Imperial troops available led to the raising of several thousand local troops from Natal, Cape Colony and beyond. Typified by hard-riding white frontiersmen and lightly armed African infantry, these units made up for the British Army's severe shortage of cavalry scouts and local knowledge.Ian Castle's concise study of their organisation, uniforms, weapons, and campaign service covers a far wider range of units than ever previously published; it is illustrated with rare photographs and vivid colour plates.

One of the least-published campaigns of the Great War was that fought in East Africa by forces of colonial troops – British Empire, Belgian, Portuguese and German.Short of resources, many European, African and Indian soldiers recorded epics of endurance as they hunted the outnumbered but brilliantly led German colonial forces across a disease-ridden wilderness. The achievements of Paul von Lettow Vorbeck – the last German commander in the field to lay down his arms – brought him fame and respect comparable to that won by Rommel in World War II.The events and the forces are described here in concise detail, and illustrated with rare photographs and striking colour artworks.

Their lifestyle of hunting for sport and profit honed the Boers' skills of field-craft, horsemanship, and marksmanship, making them a formidable force in the field and well suited to guerrilla operations.This book describes the life and combat experiences of a typical Boer in this key period. Using meticulously researched analysis and comment, and the experiences of a composite character, Johannes de Bruyn, a revealing portrait of Boer life and military operations is drawn. The actions at Laing's Neck, Majuba, the Zulu Civil War and the Second Anglo-Boer War are covered in this packed and informative treatment.

Following the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, the US Cavalry were called into action again with the declaration of war against Spain in 1898.In the years that followed, cavalrymen saw action in a wide variety of theaters. This title takes a close look at the formation and experiences of the average cavalryman in this fascinating period of change and development, and also considers the cavalry officer corps.Numerous developments in dress, training, equipment, weaponry and tactics are all covered here.

Less well known than the Zulu of South Africa, the warriors of East Africa had just as fearsome a reputation.The prowess of the lion-hunting Masai deterred all foreign penetration for most of the 19th century. The Ngoni, driven north by the Zulu, revolutionized warfare in the region; the HeHe put up fierce resistance to German colonisers. The Ruga-Ruga produced two formidable warlords and adorned themselves with bloody trophies. The Nandi showed reckless bravery even against machine guns, and the Turkana dominated one of the most pitiless wildernesses in all of Africa.This fascinating study, illustrated with rare early drawings and meticulous colour plates, covers these six most prominent tribes.

In the face of Soviet invasion in 1939–40, and once again in 1941–44, the armies raised by Finland – a tiny nation of only 4 million people - astonished the world by their effective resistance.At the end of both these campaigns – the Winter War, and the Continuation War – the fiercely patriotic defiance of vastly stronger Soviet forces by Marshal Mannerheim's soldiers won their country a unique prize: although forced to accept harsh terms, Finland was never occupied by the Red Army, and retained its independence.This book explains and illustrates, for the first time in English, the organization, uniforms, equipment and tactics of Finland's defenders.

A concise history of the service records and combat experience of the African American troops who rose above discrimination to fight for the Allied cause and paved the way for integrated armed forces.About half a million African Americans served overseas during World War II, almost all in segregated second-line units. This artificially limited their potential contribution, but their work - especially along the logistic lifelines of the fighting divisions - was vital. This book summarizes the service of these men and women; and it also focuses on the small proportion who, remarkably, overcame prejudicial barriers to reach the battlefields in combat units of the US forces and Coast Guard.Their story is illustrated with wartime photographs, and color plates - including portraits of the most outstanding African Americans, the true heirs of the old “Buffalo Soldiers.”

'Were it not for the Navajo Code Talkers the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima and other places' (Anonymous, Marine Corps signal officer).Ed Gilbert uses personal interviews with veterans to tell their fascinating story.Beginning with the first operational use of Native American languages in World War I, he explores how in World War II the US again came to employ this subtle, but powerful 'weapon.' Despite all efforts, the Japanese were never able to decode their messages and the Navajo code talkers contributed significantly to US victories in the Pacific. Approximately 400 Navajos served in this crucial role.Their legend of the 'code talker' has been celebrated by Hollywood in films, such as Windtalkers, and this book reveals the real-life story of their extraordinary involvement in World War II.

One of the most prestigious and versatile units of the British armed forces, the Royal Marine Commandos served in many theatres worldwide, performing a number of conventional and specialised roles.During the period covered in this account, conscription to the Royal Marines came to an end and the unit became a professional and dedicated force, with a tough recruitment programme and a focus on teamwork. This book provides a detailed look at the service life of a Royal Marine Commando in a time of great change, exploring the developments that took place in recruitment, training, equipment, weaponry, dress and tactical deployment in the post-World War II period.

The soldiers of the Afrikakorps considered themselves as part of an elite, a highly select group that had no equal, not only in the German Army, but in the rest of the world.Under the leadership of one of the war's most famous commanders, Erwin Rommel, the Afrikakorps grew to include a broad range of armour, infantry, artillery, anti-tank, engineer, communications, supply, medical and service elements.This book explores the experiences of the German Afrikakorps soldier during the North Africa campaign, from the Korps' arrival in–theatre in February 1941 to its eventual surrender in Tunisia in May 1943, with a particular focus on the intense period of warfare in the Western Desert between 1941 and 1942.