Stephen Walsh – illustratör

Supported by original sources and thoroughly illustrated, a detailed account of the Douglases' fight against the Percys.In his Chronicles, Froissart describes Otterburn as ‘the best fought and the most severe’ battle of his time. Fought at Redesdale in Northumberland in August 1388, the battle originated from the ongoing war between the Scots and the English following Robert Bruce’s victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314.Using all the contemporary sources, this book details the events that led up to the clash on the borders, examines the opposing armies, their weaponry and their commanders – including the Douglases on the Scots side and the Percys on the English – and gives a full account of the battle and its aftermath.

The Spanish Civil War, 1936–39, was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s.It was the first great clash of 20th-century ideologies, between the rebel Nationalist army led by General Franco (right-wing, and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), and the Republican army of the government (left-wing, and aided by the Communist Soviet Union and many volunteers from liberal democracies). Three years of widespread campaigns involved the most modern weapons available. The war was fought ruthlessly by both sides, and when the Nationalists secured victory they installed a dictatorship that lasted until November 1975 – the last such regime in Western Europe.Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this first part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Nationalist forces that strove to take control of Spain alongside their German and Italian allies.

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.

In 1912, the Balkan states formed an alliance in an effort to break free from the crumbling Ottoman Empire.Forming an army of some 645,000 troops from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. Both sides were equipped with the latest weapons technology.This book looks at the diverse and sometimes colourful uniforms worn by both sides, paying special attention to insignia, weapons and equipment. It also gives an overview of the campaigns that became a 'priming pan' of World War I.

A comprehensive guide to the armies that fought a devastating and decisive conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two World Wars of the 20th century.From the initial Greek invasion, designed to "liberate" the 100,000 ethnic Greeks that lived in Western Turkey and had done for centuries, to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's incredibly efficient formation of a national government and a regular army, this was a war that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Mediterranean to this day. It gave birth to the modern Turkish state, displacing millions and creating bitter memories of atrocities committed by both sides.Augmented with very rare photographs and beautiful illustrations, this ground-breaking title explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies, both guerrilla and conventional, that fought in this bloody war.

From the Mexican Revolution to the Zarumilla War, in the first 40 years of the 20th century the nations of Central and South America were frequently disturbed by border clashes, civil wars and revolution.Many of these conflicts became known as 'Banana Wars'. Some involved only lightly armed guerrillas, but others saw armies operating artillery and armoured vehicles, supported by aircraft and river navies. The conflicts in Honduras and Nicaragua saw the intervention of US Marines, and later wars involved armour and aircraft from the militaries of Europe.Using detailed colour plates and a wealth of contemporary photographs, this book shows the uniforms, equipment and strategies of the armies involved in these conflicts little known in the West. Covering wars crossing the length and breadth of the continent, this is the fascinating account of the wars that helped shape modern Latin America.

During the Japanese occupation of large parts of Asia and the Pacific in 1941–45, Japan raised significant numbers of troops to fight alongside them, as well as militias to guard their conquests.The total number of these soldiers is estimated at no fewer than 600,000 men. These ranged from the regular troops of Manchukuo (200,000 men), Nanking China (250,000), Thailand, and recruits from the 'puppet' Burmese Independence Army (30,000) and Indian National Army (40,000), to constabularies and spear-wielding militias in the Philippines (15,000), Borneo, Indonesia and New Guinea.Many of the recruits from former European colonies hoped for independence as part of the 'Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere' proclaimed by Japanese propaganda, but Japan's intentions were entirely cynical. They formed alliances to deny the Allied powers access to territory that they could not actually occupy, and raised these large numbers of auxiliary troops to relieve the manpower burden of occupation, or simply as 'cannon-fodder'.This extensively researched study examines each of these armies and militias in detail, exploring their history and deployment during World War II, and revealing the intricacies of their arms and equipment with stunning full-colour artwork and previously unpublished contemporary photographs.

The first illustration of a cannon in Europe can be dated quite precisely to 1326.This book explores the development of gunpowder, the earliest appearance of cast-bronze cannon in Western Europe, followed by the design and development of the wrought-iron cannon. The wrought-iron hoop-and-stave method of barrel construction was a system that came to dominate medieval artillery design both large and small until the end of the 15th century, and saw the cannon used not only as a prestige weapon, but start to be used as a practical and terrifying weapon on the medieval battlefield. In 1453, the Ottomans' conquest of Constantinople, with their extensive artillery, marked the triumph of medieval firepower.The book focuses on the technology and tactics of early European artillery on both sea and land, and assess its impact on medieval warfare.

Driven by the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the insecurities it provoked in Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi dictatorship, the Iran–Iraq War would become the largest conventional conflict of the period.Curiously little-known considering its scale and longevity, the struggle between Iran and Iraq was primarily fought along the 1,458km border in a series of battles which, despite both sides being armed with modern small arms, armour and aircraft, often degenerated into attritional struggles reminiscent of World War I. Such a comparison was underlined by frequent periods of deadlock, the extensive use of trenches by both sides, and the deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study investigates the organization, appearance and equipment of the ground forces of both sides in the Iran–Iraq War, including Iraq’s Republican Guards and Iran’s Pasdaran or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The war resulted in stalemate with some half a million dead and at least as many wounded.The financial costs incurred in waging such a long and debilitating war were one of the spurs that led Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait barely two years later, setting in motion one of the defining currents of recent Middle-Eastern history.

During the Korean War and the Vietnam War, US Navy Special Warfare units played a variety of vital combat roles amid two of the deadliest conflicts of the Cold War.In Korea, underwater demolition teams (UDTs) surveyed beaches for amphibious operations, cleared sea mines from harbors, conducted seaborne raids against inshore targets, and served as scouts for the infiltration of Korean guerrillas and British Royal Marine Commando raids along the North Korean coast. In South Vietnam, UDTs surveyed beaches and demolished Viet Cong bunkers, supply caches, and river obstacles in the Mekong Delta. The SEALs (Sea Air Land teams) deployed entire platoons into the Mekong Delta and the Rung Sat Special Zone to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Viet Cong that included ambushes, reconnaissance, and capturing leaders and supply caches. In addition, the SEALs also played important roles in the Phoenix Program and in rescuing prisoners of war.Fully illustrated throughout, this study explores how the US Navy’s specially trained naval commandos accomplished their missions in Korea and Vietnam.

This study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany’s Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, having been reduced in size and planning for modernization.Despite Stalin's murderous purges of the officer class in the 1930s, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in 1938–39 and fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). Yet, shortly after taking over half of Poland in 1939, Stalin's 'Winter War' against Finland demonstrated serious inadequacies in the Red Army's readiness for modern warfare. This would be shockingly confirmed in the first days of Operation Barbarossa.Using rare photos and detailed colour artwork, this study explores the interwar history of the Red Army, describing its campaigns, organization and uniforms, and focusing on the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.

Germany’s 30–year colonial episode in Africa, the Pacific, and her enclave in China is a relatively unexplored aspect of the country’s history.Under the young Kaiser Wilhelm II, rivalry with the old colonial powers saw the protectorates, originally established by trading companies, transformed into crown colonies garrisoned by the newly raised Schutztruppe, with support from the Imperial Navy’s Seebataillone. This book explains the organization and the operations in these colonies, including an account of the Herero campaign in Southwest Africa. Illustrated with rare photos, and with color plates detailing the uniforms of German and native troops alike, this is an authoritive description of the garrisons manning the German colonies.

The Spanish Civil War was the curtainraiser to World War II and involved a complex collection of forces, particularly on the Republican side.This title illustrates how diverse the Republican forces were, drawn from loyal elements of the Spanish army that rejected the appeal of the rebel generals, a wide range of volunteer regional units and political militias, and supported by volunteers from many other countries, including Great Britain, France and Germany, in units known as the International Brigades. The wide range of equipment and uniforms worn by these troops is revealed, as is, the organization of militias into conventional brigades and divisions.Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this second part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Republican forces and examples of their foreign comrades.

A comprehensive account of the lives of soldiers armed with this weapon, from its adoption by the English in Queen Elizabeth's reign until its replacement with the flintlock at the end of the 17th century.It was used extensively during the Armada Campaign, the English Civil War, The Restoration and the Glorious Revolution. The musketeer's experience in battle, skirmish, siege and camp saw both change and continuity during this period.The common experiences of the musketeer (including digging trenches, firing and fighting, and life on campaign) are explored in this book.

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 both Confederate and Union experts decided that specialized sharpshooter units should be formed.These highly trained marksmen served in a front-line role and, due to the technological developments of the 1850s, were equipped with weapons that could guarantee greater accuracy over increased range than traditional muskets. This title examines the recruitment, training, tactics and deployment of sharpshooters from both sides of the conflict.It also takes a close look at the specialized personal weaponry of the sharpshooter, the rifle and its accoutrements, as well as the sharpshooters' unique insignia and identification patches.

When the USA entered World War I in April 1917 her Regular Army counted just 128,000 men and lacked all the necessary equipment and training for modern trench warfare.By the Armistice of November 1918, General John J. Pershing's American Expeditionary Force in France had more than 2 million men and was holding 25 per cent of the Western Front. They had helped smash Ludendorff's brilliant Operation "Michael" in the lines before Paris; had turned onto the offensive themselves at St Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne; and if Germany had not negotiated peace with unexpected speed the US Army would have taken over from their tired Allies an even greater share of the planned 1919 campaign.This concise account of America's first world class army, its organization, uniforms, weapons and character, is illustrated with rare photos and eight full color plates.

A highly illustrated account of how Robert E. Lee turned the Confederates' fortunes around, described in vivid detail.When General Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy was in crisis. Lee changed all that in a brilliant, week-long campaign. On 26 June the Confederates struck, fighting two hard-fought battles in two days at Mechanicsville and Gaine's Mill. The ferocity of the Confederate assaults convinced McClellan that he was outnumbered. Unable to keep the Confederates at bay, the Union army was recalled to Washington. Despite losing a quarter of his men, Lee had saved Richmond, and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Army of the Potomac.This book traces the course of this short yet crucial campaign.

On 9 July 1755 amid the wilderness of North America, Britain suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in her history. This illustrated volume explores the lead-up, the battle and its far-reaching consequences.General Braddock’s army, a mixture of British regulars and American militia, was shattered, losing over 900 men from a force of 1,300. Braddock was killed and the remnants of his army rescued by his aide, Colonel George Washington. The origins of this defeat can be traced back to the death of a junior French officer little more than a year before in a relatively minor skirmish with a party of Virginian militia commanded by the same George Washington.René Chartrand examines the subsequent chain of events that ultimately sparked a world war.

Although the Chinese contribution to Allied victory in World War II is often ignored, China fought the Japanese Empire for far longer than any other belligerent nation.By the time that the Sino-Japanese War became absorbed into the wider conflict at the end of 1941, Chinese armies had already suffered huge casualties and half the country had been lost. By fighting on with Allied support, China tied down a million Japanese troops.After Japan’s defeat in 1945, China was immediately plunged back into civil war between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and Mao Tse-tung’s Communists; and the latter’s victory in 1949 changed the world for the rest of the 20th century and beyond.

A richly illustrated, slim volume on one of Scotland's most famous battles, often termed their "greatest defeat".The Scottish Army led by their courageous king, James IV, was strong in artillery and trained in new tactics from the Swiss doctrine, whereas the English Army they faced still favoured traditional tactics. Despite the strength of the Scots the English men-at-arms fought ferociously and by nightfall the field was strewn with the bodies of the Scottish nobility, and the tragic figure of the dead James IV.This book examines the strategies of the opposing armies and the significant effect of the weapons, including longbow and artillery, which they deployed.

Some of the most famous Western movies have been set against the background of the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century.Now, for the first time in English, Osprey offers a concise but fact-packed account of the events, armies, uniforms and weapons of those ten chaotic and bloody years, putting in context such famous but half-understood names as Diaz, Pancho Villa, Zapata, Madero and Huerta.The text is illustrated with many rare and fascinating period photographs, and with eight detailed color plates of orfiristas and Rurales, Maderisitas, Federales, Villistas, Zapatistas, and US volunteers and intervention troops.

An illustrated account of the fall of the American capital to the British army, which also proved a landmark in the ultimate victory of the American patriots led by George Washington.A turning point in the War of Independence, the campaign for Philadelphia set in motion a series of events leading to the defeat of the British and eventual independence for the emerging American nation. From the landing of General William Howe's army at the head of the Elk River, to his eventual capture of Philadelphia, the campaign included some fascinating battles.The initial engagement at Brandywine, the Paoli Massacre and the missed opportunity at Germantown are all examined in detail by Justin Clement, with supporting maps, original artwork and photographs. Recently discovered information about the battle of Brandywine and analysis of the major personalities involved completes this comprehensive account.

This book details the uniforms and weapons of the American, Spanish, Cuban and Filipino forces involved in the United States Army's first overseas war.In 1898 the USA took the decision to intervene in the Cuban war of independence against Spain, and to expel the last vestige of European colonial rule from the Americas. This also led to the US acquiring rule over the Philippine Islands; and there, US troops were sent into the jungle to fight a “colonial” war of their own, against Filipino insurgents unwilling to exchange one master for another.The text is illustrated with rare early photographs and color plates.

The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 led to cautious attempts to raise volunteer organisations among American men and women, to back the armed forces in the event of the USA becoming directly involved in the conflict.The attack on Pearl Harbor caused a huge surge of patriotic response, and voluntary enlistment in a wide range of armed forces auxiliary and civilian support services swelled vastly. Looking firstly at the background and general character of wartime life in the States, this book covers a number of these services, providing an interesting comparison with the conditions on the British Home Front and the experiences of other countries caught up in the war, examining organisations from the Red Cross to the Coast Guard and for the first time, containing full-colour reconstructions of over a dozen uniformed services.

A concise history of the Royal Navy's air arm during World War II, from their Arctic convoys, to the battle of Malta, and the last raids on Japan.Amazingly, the Admiralty only had 406 operational pilots and eight carriers when war broke out, but a mere six years later there were over 3,000 operational pilots and 53 aircraft carriers patrolling the seas in every theatre of the war. This book charts the rapid evolution of the Fleet Air Arm during the war as air power took over at the cutting edge of naval warfare. Mark Barber's account is highly illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned full-colour artwork and offers an overview of the British Fleet Air Arm, from recruitment and training through to combat accounts.Discover some of the most dramatic actions of the war as Royal Navy aces battled against the Axis forces scoring both the first and last kills of the war.

From the shadowy world of the CIA to the desperate actions of exiles seeking to return home, this dramatic story reveals how Cold War politics were played out on the battlefield. The landings by the Cuban exile Assault Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961 led to three days of savage but unequal combat. Before they even sailed for Cuba, a White House decision had condemned them to constant attacks by Castro's air force, which sank two of their ships loaded with vital supplies and equipment. Despite stubborn resistance to Castro's troops and tanks, and heroic sorties by Cuban and American B-26 pilots, the Brigade was strangled for lack of firepower and ammunition.Their story is illustrated with rare photos from Brigade veterans, and detailed color plates of the uniforms and insignia of both sides.

This book examines the brief but colorful history of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, and details the rich experiences of the men who fought in its ranks.Founded in May 1898 after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the unit was composed of volunteers from all walks of American life. Posted to Cuba, it fought in the battles of Las Guasimas, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. At this time, Theodore Roosevelt assumed command, and the unit became known as 'Roosevelt's Rough Riders'.Eventually withdrawn, the men returned to a hero's welcome in the US. The last veteran of the unit died in 1975, but a rich body of source material has survived, and much of this is covered in this fascinating work.

To maintain its imperial power in America, Spain built fortifications across the width of the continent.These outposts were established along Spanish borders from the late sixteenth century onwards to defend its interests against rival European powers and to suppress uprisings of the Native Americans and local population. By the eighteenth century, Spain's defenses spread from the northern area of the Gulf of Mexico through to California. Some of these imperial fortifications, such as the Alamo, played key roles in conflicts including the American Revolution and the Texan War of Independence.This book provides a cogent analysis of Spain's defensive network at the height of the country's imperial strength on the American continent. Forts covered include Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía in Texas, the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas in Florida, and the Presidio of San Diego in California.

Alex de Quesada reveals the full history of the US Coast Guard throughout World War II in this Elite title.In particular, the book draws attention to the little-known story of how the US Coast Guard ran a number of the landing craft throughout D-Day in 1944 as well as providing crucial anti-U-boat patrols throughout the war years. A number of Coast Guard servicemen were lost in these two campaigns, and their undeniable contribution to the US war effort deserves greater recognition. The Coast Guard also provided aviators and gunners to the Merchant Marine and manned Port Security Services.These roles are all fully explained and illustrated with rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork.