Comic books in 'Sword'

4th Edition - 1st printing. Collects Orion (1992 Dark Horse) #1-6. Story and art by Shirow Masamune. In the mighty Yamata Empire, magic and technology are one and the same. Now, the Empire is preparing its ultimate feat of psycho-science: the destruction of all the negative karma in the galaxy! But will this mystical purification be the salvation of humanity--or the trigger of its ultimate destruction? Only one being can save the Empire from its folly: Susano, the God of Destruction. Wild, arrogant, and homicidal, Susano has come to teach the world the true nature of power! Shirow Masamune, creator of Appleseed, Dominion, Intron Depot, and Ghost in the Shell, has earned a huge worldwide following with his unique, eclectic, and visually stunning blend of science-fiction and fantasy. Orion is Shirow at his wildest, and is now for the first time in America published in right-to-left reading format, as originally published in Japan. Plus a variety of great bonus features: art gallery, Orion glossary, and notes on the text composed by Shirow himself! Shirow Masumune is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has been turned into two anime movies, two anime TV series, a series of prose novels, and several video games. Softcover, 5 1/2-in. x 8-in., 280 pages, B&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 6 - 1st printing. "Balaclava 1854!" By John Sweetman. The port of Balaclava was crucial in maintaining the supply lines for the Allied siege of Sevastapol. The Russian attack in October 1854 therefore posed a major threat to the survival of the Allied cause. This book examines in detail the crucial battle of Balaclava, including: the attack on the redoubts; the action of the thin red line in which an assortment of about 700 British troops, some invalids, were abandoned by their Turkish allies; the subsequent charge of the Heavy Brigade; and the most famous part of the battle: the infamous charge of the Light Brigade. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 9 - 2nd and later printings. "Agincourt 1415!" By Matthew Bennett. Agincourt is one of the most evocative names in English military history. Henry V's forces were tired, hungry, and faced a French army three to six times more numerous. However, they possessed several advantages, and English success resulted from the combination of heavily armoured men-at-arms with troops armed with the infamous longbow - the havoc this weapon wreaked was crucial. Using original fifteenth century evidence, including the surviving French battle plan and the accounts of men present in both armies, this title discusses the lead-up to the battle, the tactical dispositions of the two forces and the reasons for the ultimate English success. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 12 - 2nd and later printings. "Culloden 1746!" By Peter Harrington. Culloden marked the end of the last and greatest of the Jacobite adventures - the '45 Rebellion - in which the Highland clans challenged the power of the Hanoverian King of England. It was at Culloden that Charles Edward Stuart's army was finally defeated. His tired Highlanders had little chance against the steady infantry and heavy artillery fire of the English. Peter Harrington examines all aspects of the battle, including its background, the earlier Highlander victories, the men and commanders of both sides, and the massacre that took place in its aftermath. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 53 - 1st printing. "Granada 1492!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Angus McBride. By 1481 Granada was the last Islamic enclave in Catholic Spain. Granada's last ruler, Muhammad XII 'Boadbil', faced the might of the Spanish royal army revitalised and lavishly equipped with modern artillery. Despite this mismatch of strength it took 11 years of hard campaigning before the Spanish troops could bring their guns to bear on the walls of Granada. After this the outcome could not be long delayed. Andalusia, the physical embodiment of the flowering Islamic culture in Spain, was snuffed out. The commanders, forces, plans and campaign itself are all examined closely in this superbly illustrated account of 'Los Reyes Catolicos' greatest victory. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 56 - 1st printing. " Eggmühl 1809!" Written by Ian Castle. Art by Christa Hook. In the Spring of 1809, the Austrian army, buoyant and full of new-found patriotic fervour, rolled across the frontier with Bavaria. The time had come to exact revenge for the humiliating defeat suffered at Austerlitz. But ten days later, harassed by ceaseless rain, they were streaming back from the Abens river with Napoleon in hot pursuit. Napoleon had not been in the front line when Austria had launched its campaign - and the French and their German allies had blundered backwards and forwards across the Bavarian countryside. But, with the appearance of Napoleon, Archduke Charles lost the initiative. Based for the first time upon the Austrian primary sources, this title takes the reader through the various clashes of this significant campaign. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 66 - 1st printing. " Bosworth 1485!" Written by Christopher Gravett. Art by Graham Turner. The battle of Bosworth effectively put an end to the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses. Guiding the reader from the campaign's origins to its aftermath, and covering the commanders and forces of King Richard III and Henry Tudor, this is a complete treatment of one of the most important events in English history. Shakespeare was to immortalize the battle and Richard's death in Richard III, and the life and reign of the last Plantagenet have sparked centuries of debate. Christopher Gravett cuts through myth and propaganda as he clearly details the course of this pivotal campaign. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 83 - 1st printing. "Corunna 1809!" Written by Philip Haythornthwaite. Art by Christa Hook. The retreat to Corunna is one of the epic campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. Late in 1808 Sir John Moore found himself virtually alone with his small British army deep inside Spain. The armies of his Spanish allies had been overwhelmed and he faced a victorious French force under the Emperor Napoleon. He had little option but to order a retreat to the port of Corunna. This became the most arduous of trials with armies traversing mountainous terrain over appalling roads in the depths of winter. Somehow Moore held his outnumbered, exhausted men together as they struggled to reach safety. Finally at Corunna Moore's army turned to face its tormentors. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 86 - 1st printing. "The Armada Campaign 1588!" Written by Angus Konstam. Art by Howard Gerrard. The thwarted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada is studied here in fascinating detail. How, in a few short days, Philip II's fleet was stopped from invading England and forced into full retreat is looked at in a new and unique way. With the help of battle plans and bird's eye views of the action, leading historian Angus Konstam considers many of the intriguing questions surrounding the campaign, concluding with details of how the Armada's disastrous return voyage around Scotland and Ireland became one of the most tragic episodes in maritime history. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 101 - 1st printing. " Austerlitz 1805 !" Written by Ian Castle. Art by Christa Hook. This all-new volume chronicles the events that climaxed on the field of Austerlitz in one of the most famous battles of history. Not only was it the first campaign Napoleon waged as Emperor of France, but also the first great test for his Grande Armée. The Emperor himself regarded it as his greatest victory and it undoubtedly won him a mastery of Europe that would remain unbroken for almost a decade. Most accounts of the campaign have until now been based almost exclusively on French sources, but following extensive research in the Austrian archives Ian Castle is now able to provide a far more balanced account of Austerlitz. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 106 - 1st printing. " Culloden Moor 1746!" Written by Stuart Reid. Art by Gerry Embleton. The final demise of Jacobitism amid the slaughter of the Highland clans on a cold and damp Culloden Moor in April 1746 is undoubtedly one of the most famous battles in British military history. It has also been, until recently, one of the least understood from both a military and political perspective. In this modern and highly detailed account, this book combines a thorough understanding of 18th century tactics, an intimate knowledge of the battlefield itself and a scandalously underused archive of contemporary material from both sides to provide a detailed, accurate and dramatic account of this controversial battle. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 121 - 1st printing. "Quebec 1759!" Written by Stuart Reid. Art by Gerry Embleton. '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 book 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. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 123 - 1st printing. "Auldearn 1645!" Written by Stuart Reid. Art by Gerry Embleton. In August 1644, at the height of the First English Civil War, John Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, raised the standard of Royalist rebellion in Scotland. In a single year he won a string of remarkable victories with his army of Irish mercenaries and Highland clansmen. His victory at Auldearn, the centrepiece of his campaign, was won only after a day-long struggle and heavy casualties on both sides. This book details the remarkable sequence of victories at Tippermuir, Aberdeen, Inverlochy, Auldearn and Kilsyth that left Montrose briefly in the ascendant in Scotland. However, his decisive defeat and surrender at Philiphaugh finally crushed the Royalist cause in Scotland. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 135 - 1st printing. "Monmouth Courthouse 1778!" Written by Brendan Morrissey. Art by Adam Hook. The battle of Monmouth Courthouse was not only the last major action in the Northern theater, it was also the longest and hardest-fought engagement of the entire Revolutionary War. When the British abandoned Philadelphia to return to New York City, American troops harassed their retreat. On the morning of 28 June 1778, General Lee, George Washington's lieutenant, attacked the British rearguard but his attack went badly wrong. The British rearguard, now reinforced, threw Lee's troops into a headlong retreat. Lee was relieved of his command and Washington's Continentals then stood toe-to-toe with the British, bloodily repulsing a series of powerful attacks by crack troops. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 138 - 1st printing. "Poitiers 1356!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Graham Turner. When Edward the Black Prince marched out of Gascony in August 1356, his plan was to carry out a large-scale destructive raid into the territory of the French King, John II. On 18 September, however, he was cornered south of Poitiers by a larger French army, and was left with little option but to fight. The ensuing battle proved an unmitigated disaster for the French. Their army was butchered and the King himself captured. In this volume, Dr David Nicolle details a campaign that enhanced the reputation of the Black Prince and led King John to catastrophe. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 140 - 1st printing. "Monongahela 1754-55!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Stephen Walsh. On 9 July 1755 amid the wilderness of North America, Britain suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in her history. 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. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 141 - 1st printing. "Blenheim 1704!" Written by John Tincey. Art by Graham Turner. Combining one of history's most audacious strategic manoeuvres with perhaps the greatest military victory ever won by a British commander, the Blenheim campaign is rightly considered the pinnacle of the career of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. On 13 August 1704, Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy faced a Franco-Bavarian army threatening to knock Austria out of the War of the Spanish Succession. In a hard-fought battle Marlborough won a resounding victory, capturing Marshal Tallard and over 14,000 men. In this book John Tincey describes how Marlborough's victory crushed his enemies, shattered the myth of French invincibility and laid the foundations for two centuries of British world dominance. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 164 - 1st printing. "Otterburn 1388!" Written by Peter Armstrong. Art by Stephen Walsh. 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. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

Volume 170 - 1st printing. "Osaka 1615!" Written by Stephen Turnbull. Art by Richard Hook. In 1614-15 Osaka Castle was Japan's greatest fortification, measuring approximately 2 miles in length with walls 100 feet high. It was guarded by 100,000 samurai, determined to defend the last of the once-powerful Toyotomi clan. The castle was seemingly impenetrable; however, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the ruling dynasty, was determined to destroy this remaining threat to the Tokuwaga ruling dynasty. This book explores the bitter struggle of the Summer and Winter campaigns, which eventually saw the last great clash of the samurai and defined the balance of power in Japan for years to come. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 174 - 1st printing. "Pharsalus 48 BC!" Written by Si Sheppard. Art by Adam Hook. In 48 BC, the stage was set for the final clash of the two titans of the Roman world and the odds were heavily in Pompey's favour, with 45,000 men against Caesar's 22,000. Having the dice loaded against him, however, seems to have stimulated Caesar's genius for battle. In a brilliant display of generalship he routed his rival's larger army. Pompey's army retreated, with Caesar's army in parallel pursuit, until, their general having escaped, Pompey's men finally surrendered. Simon Sheppard expertly charts the events surrounding the Pharsalus campaign, and the seismic implications of the decisive clash between the two greatest generals of their age. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 190 - 1st printing. "Poitiers AD 732!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Graham Turner. In the early decades of the 8th century AD, Islamic forces were flooding into Europe through the Iberian peninsula, threatening Frankish and Burgundian territory and raiding it with ever-increasing ferocity. At the battle of Poitiers, also known as Tours, Christian forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel 'The Hammer' (grandfather of Charlemagne) confronted a massive invading Islamic army. The Franks were victorious, effectively halting the northward advance of Islam and preserving Christianity as the dominant faith in Europe. Expert medievalist David Nicolle draws on contemporary sources to reconstruct this turning-point battle, placing it in its historical context and reviewing its background and the subsequent historical consequences. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 191 - 1st printing. "Vienna 1683!" Written by Simon Millar. Art by Peter Dennis. The capture of the Hapsburg city of Vienna was a major strategic aspiration for the Islamic Ottoman Empire, desperate for the control that the city exercized over the Danube and the overland trade routes between southern and northern Europe. In July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a jihad and the Turkish grand vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to the city with an army of 150,000 men. In September a relieving force arrived under Polish command and joined up with the defenders to drive the Turks away. The main focus of this book is the final 15-hour battle for Vienna, which peaked with a massive charge by three divisions of Polish winged hussars. This hard-won victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which was never to threaten central Europe again. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 201 - 1st printing. "Brandy Station 1863!" Written by Dan Beattie. Art by Adam Hook. The road to Gettysburg began at Brandy Station on 9 June 1863. Early on that morning, General Pleasanton launched his men across the Rappahannock at Beverley's Ford to the north of Brandy Station and Kelly's Ford to the south. General JEB Stuart was caught unaware by these maneuvers and his lines and headquarters were nearly overrun until reinforcements helped to stabilize the situation. Following 12 hours of bitter fighting the Union forces withdrew back across the river in what was the largest and most hotly contested clash of sabres in the war. This book describes the battle with a step-by-step analysis, illustrated with detailed maps, birds-eye-views and full colour battlescene artwork. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $3.50

Volume 24 - 1st printing. "The Old Contemptibles!" Written by Michael Barthorp. Art by Pierre Turner. On 19 August 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered General von Kluck, commanding the German First Army, to 'exterminate the treacherous English and walk over General French's contemptible little Army'. The 'Old Contemptibles' adopted the aspersion like a treasured regimental title, their subsequent successes earning them a more accurate evaluation as 'the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war'. This book examines the history, organization and uniforms of the British Expeditionary Force of the early 20th century. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations, including maps, photographs, and colour plates. Softcover,64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 58 - 2nd and later printings. "The Janissaries!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Christa Hook. The Janissaries comprised an élite corps in the service of the Ottoman Empire. It was composed of war captives and Christian youths pressed into service; all of whom were converted to Islam and trained under the strictest discipline. In many ways, Jannisaries reflected Ottoman society, which was itself dominated by a military elite and where there was much greater social mobility than in Europe. On top of this, the Turks looked upon Europe much as the early Americans viewed the Western Frontier - as a land of adventure, mission and opportunity. David Nicolle examines the history, organisation, weapons and uniforms of these élite Turkish troops.. Softcover, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $3.50

Volume 71 - 1st printing. "Queen Victoria's Commanders!" Written by Michael Barthorp. Art by Douglas Anderson. Michael Barthorp's entertaining and authoritative study includes key commanders such as (India 1837-56) Charles Napier, Hugh Gough, Harry Smith; (Crimean War) Lord Raglan, James Scarlett, George Cathcart, John Pennefather; (Indian Mutiny) John Nicholson, Henry Havelock, Hope Grant, Colin Campbell; (India 1860-98) Frederick Roberts; (Africa) Robert Napier, Garnet Wolseley, Herbert Stewart, Evelyn Wood, Redvers Buller, Hector Macdonald and Herbert Kitchener - among others. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Volume 73 - 1st printing. "American Civil War Commanders Part 1!" Written by Philip Katcher. Art by Richard Hook. When the War Between the States broke out in 1861, the US Army had only four line generals - and only one of them was not a septuagenarian veteran of the War of 1812. With about one-third of all professional officers choosing to offer their swords to the South, the government's urgent need to find commanders for the vastly expanded Federal army put generals' stars on the shoulders of men of very varied backgrounds and talents. In time the shock of war would separate the born leaders from the over-promoted and the political opportunists. This first of four volumes examines the careers and often colorful personalities of nearly 30 Union generals whose service was mainly in the Eastern theater of war. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 80 - 1st printing. "The US Navy in World War II!" Written by Mark Henry. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. In 1941 the US Navy had 17 battleships - of which eight would be knocked out on the first day of the war - four aircraft carriers, and about 340,000 men including reservists. Pearl Harbor so weakened it that it was unable to prevent the Japanese capture of the Philippines and a vast sweep of Pacific islands. By 1945 it was the strongest navy the world had ever seen, with nearly 100 carriers, 41,000 aircraft and 3.3 million men; the unrivalled master of air-sea and amphibious operations, it was poised to invade Japan's home islands after reducing her fleet to scrap and her Pacific empire to impotence and starvation. This extraordinary story is illustrated here with dramatic photos, and nine meticulous colour plates showing a wide range of USN uniforms. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 86 - 1st printing. "Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms and Equipment 1937-45!" Written by Gary Nila. Art by Bill Younghusband. This long awaited title provides a fantastic reference resource on the uniforms, dress, flight gear and personal weaponry of the Imperial Japanese Navy airmen of World War II. It includes detailed descriptions of flight gear, including manufacture information, and interviews with IJN pilots such as Sakai, Komachi, Tanimizu, Kawato and Saito regarding the use of a variety of equipment are integrated into the text. Packed with great contemporary illustrations, photographs of original items, and colour pictures, this title provides a meticulously detailed examination of the dress and equipment of the Imperial Japanese Navy's aviators in World War II. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 88 - 1st printing. "American Civil War Commanders Part 2!" Written by Philip Katcher. Art by Richard Hook. The generals who led the brigades, divisions, corps and armies of the Confederacy were very largely products of the same professional backgrounds as their opponents in Union blue - indeed, many of them were former West Point classmates and brother officers in the pre-war US Army, who had served together on the frontier or in the Mexican War. In terms of field experience they were also similar to the vast majority of Union commanders - none of them had ever commanded so much as a brigade before 1861, and they had to learn by trial and error. Some whose pre-war record had promised much were to fail the test of war; some more obscure officers were to rise to the challenge remarkably. This first of two volumes devoted to the Confederate generals details the careers, personalities and appearance of 25 commanders who made their names mainly with the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern theater of war. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 93 - 1st printing. "American War of Independence Commanders!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Richard Hook. The commanders who led the opposing armies of the American War of Independence came from remarkably different backgrounds. They included not only men from Britain and America, but from Germany, France and Spain as well. Some were from the great families of the Old World, while others were frontiersmen or farmers in the New World. Despite their differing origins, all were leaders in the events that led to the establishment of the United States of America. This book details the appearance, careers and personalities of the commanders on both sides. It covers such famous figures as George Washington and Lord Cornwallis along with less well-known men such as Admiral Suffren and Bernando de Galvez. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Very Fine $4.50

Volume 94 - 1st printing. "American Civil War Commanders Part 4!" Written by Philip Katcher. Art by Richard Hook. n the Western theater of war the Confederacy had the misfortune to face, with inferior resources, some of the outstanding Union leaders early in their careers. The Southern commanders who faced Grant, Sherman and Sheridan in these campaigns were of varied backgrounds and talents: some had been sent West in disfavour, others were foolishly quarrelsome, and after A.S.Johnston's death at Shiloh there was no single figure with the authority to dominate them. Some were nevertheless of the highest class: men like Joseph E.Johnston, the cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, and the little known Patrick Cleburne and Alexander Stewart earned ungrudging respect. This book details the careers, personalities and appearance of 24 generals of the Army of Tennessee and the other Confederate commands in the West. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 97 - 1st printing. "The Kaiser's Warlords!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The turn of the 20th century saw Imperial Germany as essentially a militarist state, whose growing industrial resources and wealth were harnessed to the task of increasing German military power, at a time of aggressive expansionist diplomacy in competition with Britain and France. After her victories over Austria in the 1860s and France in 1870, Germany's General Staff enjoyed tremendous professional prestige throughout Europe, and was the model for all aspects of command and control. The German army was essentially that of Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony with smaller contingents from the lesser states. Its generals were the men who planned, initiated, and to a large extent controlled the course of World War I. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Add to cart Very Good $7.10

Volume 101 - 1st printing. "Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1792-1815!" Written by David Hollins. Art by Christopher Rothero. Throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, France's most consistent enemy on land was the Austrian Empire. Austria's huge armies played a central part in the several coalitions against France, from the 1790s, to the Austerlitz campaign of 1805, the closely-balanced battles of 1809, and the final upsurge of 1813-14. Contrary to the myth of rigid aristocratic conformity, the generals who led those armies were as diverse in origin and character as their regiments - some were princes of the blood, and some ex-rankers promoted for talent and courage. This text gives concise but fact-packed accounts of the careers of more than 30 of these men, illustrated with portraits and meticulous colour plates. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 108 - 1st printing. "Spanish Guerrillas in the Peninsular War 1808-14!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Richard Hook. Constant Spanish guerrilla activity so drained the resources and diverted the attention of the French military that Wellington was able to advance against and overcome a numerically superior enemy. So many French soldiers were being used to counter the guerrillas and the threat that they posed that less than a third of the French army could be tasked with confronting Wellington. This book brings to life, for the first time, the formation, tactics and experiences of the Spanish guerrilla forces that fought Napoleon's army. Using much previously unpublished material, it offers a vivid description of the guerrilla and his lifestyle. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

Volume 112 - 1st printing. "American Civil War Marines 1861-65!" Written by Ron Field. Art by Richard Hook. The part played in the Civil War by the small Marine Corps of the United and Confederate States is overshadowed by the confrontations of the great armies. Nevertheless, the coastal and riverine campaigns were of real importance, given the strategic significance of the Federal blockade of southern ports, and of the struggle for the Mississippi River. Marines wearing blue and grey fought in many dramatic actions afloat and ashore - ship-to-ship engagements, cutting-out expeditions, and coastal landings. This book offers a comprehensive summary of all such battles, illustrated with rare early photographs, and meticulously researched color plates detailing the often obscure minutiae of Marine uniforms and equipment. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 115 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters Part 1!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. The 'military machine' by which Napoleon and his indispensable chief of staff Marshal Berthier commanded and controlled his huge armies on campaign numbered some 1,500 officers and men, organized in the different bureaux of his military and civilian 'households' and the army general headquarters. This essential tool of the Emperor's power was designed to provide him, even in a front-line camp, with all the information, technical support and comfort that he enjoyed in his palaces. This fascinating study details the entourage which enabled Napoleon to move hundreds of thousands of troops right across Europe. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Volume 120 - 1st printing. "Mounted Archers of the Steppe 600 BC-AD 1300!" Written by Antony Karasulas. Art by Angus McBride. For more than 2,000 years hordes of mounted nomadic archers from the vastness of the steppe and from Central Asia spewed out into China, the Middle East, and Europe. Feared and reviled, they were a formidable threat to the lands they invaded. Their influence on military history is incalculable: the whole foundation of late Classical and Medieval Western and Middle Eastern military thought was based on the reality of a highly mobile, tough and unconventional foe, one which could strike almost anywhere at will and with highly effective long-range weapons. This book details the history, weapons, equipment and tactics of these fascinating warriors. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 125 - 1st printing. "Samurai Commanders Part 1!" Written by Stephen Turnbull. Art by Richard Hook. The samurai were the military elite of medieval and early modern Japan, and the men who led them were hailed as the very greatest, most heroic and most honourable of all samurai warriors. This first of two books examines the lives, equipment, battles and wider roles of the samurai commanders between 940 and 1576, the period from the emergence of the samurai to the triumph of Oda Nobunaga, who set Japan on the road to reunification. The styles of armour and weaponry of the samurai changed considerably during this time and this book visually recreates some of the most famous samurai commanders. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 130 - 1st printing. "The Mycenaeans c.1650-1100 BC!" Written by Nicolas Grguric . Art by Angus McBride. The timeless appeal of Homer's epic poem of the ancient TrojanWar, The Iliad, has meant an eduring interest in the Mycenaen age. Modern scholarship and new archaeological evidence now allows us to recontruct with reasonable confidence the appearance of this great warrior civilization, which dominated much of the eastern Mediterranean between the 16th and 12th centuries BC. We can also make deductions, from the few surviving pictorial sources, about the tactics of these armies. This absorbing text is illustrated with examples of the archaeological and pictorial evidence, and with striking colour reconstructions of light and heavy infantry and chariot warriors of the Mycenaean age. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 149 - 1st printing. "The Scottish Jacobite Army 1745-46!" Written by Stuart Reid. Art by Gary Zaboly. One of the most celebrated moments in Scottish history, the Jacobite Rising of 1745 is often romanticized. Drawing on the work of historians and a wide range of contemporary sources, Culloden expert Stuart Reid strips away the myths surrounding the events of the campaign, revealing some of the lesser known and fascinating truths about the Rising. Illustrated with contemporary sketches and meticulous full-colour reconstructions of dress and equipment, the raising of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's army is examined in detail - from its organization in regiments and their command system, to its weapons, tactical strengths and weaknesses. Softcover, 64 pages,PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $6.00

Volume 155 - 1st printing. "Roman Battle Tactics 109BC-AD313!" Written by Ross Cowan. Art by Adam Hook. How, exactly, did Rome become master of the ancient world? This book examines and illustrates the tactics employed by the legions of late Republican and early Imperial Rome, from the evidence o f ancient writers. The greatest military machine in the Western world for at least four centuries, the Roman Army was the foundation of the Western military tradition, and its doctrines were central to the later revival of trained, drilled professional armies. Here the evidence is discussed in clear detail, and brought to life with battle plans and full colour interpretations of tactical scenarios. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. "The Crimean War!" By John Sweetman. This bitter war between Russia and Turkey, aided by Britain and France, was the setting for the stuff of legends. This book details the gallant yet suicidal Charge of the Light Brigade, now immortalised in film: in the words of Tennyson, 'Into the Valley of Death rode the Six Hundred'. It relates the reports made by the first real war correspondant, William Russell of the London Times - reports which served only to highlight the army's problems - and memorialises the heroic deeds of Florence Nightingale, who struggled to save young men from the most formidable enemy in the Crimean War: not the Russians, but cholera. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $4.00

Volume 3 - 1st printing. "The Napoleonic Wars Part 1!" By Todd Fisher. While Napoleon prepared his army, on the coast of France, for an invasion of England that would never come, Russia and Austria prepared to move against his rear. Napoleon turned on the allies and crushed them in one of history's greatest campaigns. The following year, he met the legendary army of Frederick the Great and annihilated it completely. The year after it was Russia's turn again, and though the northern winter was the major foe, it could not save the Tsar. The world, and warfare, would never be the same again. The Empires of Russia, Austria, Prussia and Britain were not weak. How had Napoleon done this? Why were his methods, and his army, different? Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $14.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $3.00

Add to cart Near Mint $3.00

Volume 27 - 1st printing. "The Peloponnesian War 431-404 BC!" By Philip de Souza. It is a testament to the fascination of the subject that even today the events of the Peloponnesian War are studied for what they can teach about diplomacy, strategy and tactics. This book reveals the darker side of Classical Greek civilization. From the horrific effects of overcrowding and the plague on the population of Athens, to the vicious civil strife that often erupted in cities allied with Athens or Sparta, this volume offers vivid and at times disturbing insights into the impact of warfare on the people who are celebrated as the founders of Western civilization. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $4.00

Add to cart Near Mint $4.00

Volume 39 - 1st printing. "The Napoleanic Wars Part 4!" By Gregory Fremont-Barnes. This volume covers Napoleon's gradual fall from power, beginning in the spring of 1813, when France prepared to face the vengeance of Russia and Prussia. quickly raising new armies composed of inexperienced conscripts and invalided veterans, and with a critical shortage of cavalry, Napoleon resolved to preserve his empire in Germany, where he initially managed to achieve some hard-fought victories. When at last Austria threw in her lot with the Allies and the epic Battle of Leipzig followed, Napoleon was forced to retreat across the Rhine, there to resist the onslaught on home soil. The pressure against him proved too great, and with Paris lost and his marshals refusing to fight on, no option remained but abdication. Yet his last battle, and one of the most decisive in military history, was still to come: Waterloo. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $14.95.

Volume 45 - 1st printing. "The American Revolution 1774-1783!" By Daniel Marston. The American Revolution has been characterized politically as a united political uprising of the American colonies and militarily as a guerrilla campaign of colonists against the inflexible British military establishment. Daniel Marston argues that this belief, though widespread, is a misconception. He contends that the American Revolution, in reality, created deep political divisions in the population of the Thirteen Colonies, while militarily pitting veterans of the Seven Years' War against one another, in a conflict that combined guerrilla tactics and classic eighteenth century campaign techniques on both sides. The peace treaty of 1783 that brought an end to the war marked the formal beginning of the United States of America as an independent political entity. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 47 - 1st printing. "The French Religious Wars 1562-1598!" ByRobert Jean Knecht. The eight French Wars of Religion began in 1562 and lasted for 36 years. Although the wars were fought between Catholics and Protestants, this books draws out in full the equally important struggle for power between the king and the leading nobles, and the rivalry between the nobles themselves as they vied for control of the king. In a time when human life counted for little, the destruction reached its height in the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre when up to 10,000 Protestants lost their lives.. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $17.95.

Volume 60 - 1st printing. "The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519-1521!" By Charles M Robinson III. The Spanish conquest of Mexico was the most remarkable military expedition in history, and in achieving it, Hernan Cortes proved himself as one of the greatest generals of all time. This book explains the background of the Aztec Empire and of the Spanish presence in Mexico. It describes the lives of the Aztecs in their glittering capital and of the Europeans who learned to adapt and survive in an alien and often dangerous world. The invasion was a war between civilizations, pitting the fatalism and obsessive ritual of the Aztecs against soldiers fighting for riches, their lives, and eventually their souls. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.