Osprey Elite Series SC (1984-2008 OSPREY) comic books 2004

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

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 102 - 1st printing. "Santa Anna's Mexican Army 1821-48!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Bill Younghusband. Detailed information on the Mexican Army which fought the Texans in the 1830s, and the US Army in its first important foreign war ten years later, is notoriously elusive. In this ground-breaking book an internationally respected military historian presents a mass of new information from Mexican archives and a variety of other contemporary sources. For the first time the armies of the notorious General Santa Anna are explained coherently for the English-speaking reader, and their frequently changing and unevenly issued uniforms are illustrated with early prints, portraits, photos of rare surviving items, and meticulous colour reconstructions. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Volume 103 - 1st printing. "Vietnam ANZACs!"By Kevin Lyles. The part played by Australian and New Zealand troops in the Vietnam War is sometimes overlooked; but it is generally accepted that the 'Diggers' and 'Kiwis' were among the most effective and professional troops involved. Drawing upon the ANZACs' long experience in the jungles of South East Asia, the men of the Task Force used their expertise in patrol tactics to great effect to frustrate Viet Cong operations. Meanwhile the ANZACs' small and isolated adviser teams spent ten years passing on their skills all over South Vietnam, and in the process four were awarded the supreme decoration for valour - the Victoria Cross. This book pays tribute to their military prowess, and describes and illustrates their uniforms and equipment in unprecedented detail. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Very Fine $4.50

Add to cart Very Fine $4.50

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Add to cart Fine $2.80

Volume 104 - 1st printing. "Britain's Air Defences 1939-45!" Written by Alfred Price. Art by Darko Pavlovic. German daylight raids on Britain began in the summer of 1940. They were expected and the country had been preparing for quite some time. Searchlights were in place, Fighter Command had been expanded, and anti-aircraft guns were being manufactured. It was from these first preparations that Britain developed tactics to counter the many air raids over the following years. This book shows how Britain prepared for air raids in the run up to the war and details all the tactics that were developed during the war to counter the many aerial attacks. Among the defence systems covered are anti-aircraft guns, barrage balloons and the RADAR system. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 105 - 1st printing. "World War II Infantry Tactics!" Written by Stephen Bull. Art by Mike Chappell and Brian Delf. Despite all technological advances, final mastery of any battlefield depends upon the tight-knit group of footsoldiers trained to manoeuvre, shoot and dig in. This first of a two-part study examines the methods by which the Western infantry of World War II - the German, British and US armies - actually brought their firepower to bear. Drawing upon period training manuals for the evolving theory, and on personal memoirs for the individual practice, this first book covers the organization and tactics of the squad of ten or a dozen men, and the platoon of three or four squads. The text is illustrated with contemporary photographs and diagrams, and with colour plates bringing to life the movement of soldiers on the battlefield. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

Volume 106 - 1st printing. "Wehrmacht Combat Helmets 1933-45!" Written by Brian C Bell . Art by Kevin Lyles. The German Stahlhelm is perhaps the most recognizable image of World War II. Manufactured in its millions, it was used or copied by many countries. It is still one of the most collected relics of the war; but despite its relative availability, prices have reached levels that challenge collectors to protect themselves by acquiring in-depth knowledge. This book, by a collector of 30 years' standing, offers a detailed masterclass in the patterns, component parts and finishes of the combat helmets used by the German Army, Navy and Air Force. It is illustrated with a superb selection of rare period photos, colour photos of collected examples, and striking colour paintings Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 107 - 1st printing. "Buffalo Soldiers 1866-91!" Written by Ron Field. Art by Richard Hook. African-American soldiers played a decisive role in the US Army on the western frontier during the Plains Wars. First authorised by Congress in July 1866, they were organised into two cavalry and four infantry regiments, which were commanded by white officers. All were quickly nicknamed the 'Buffalo Soldiers' by their Cheyenne and Comanche enemies. These brave soldiers fought many native tribes over the years, including the warriors of Sitting Bull and Geronimo. This book tells the story of these buffalo soldiers who, until the early 1890s, constituted 20 per cent of all active forces on duty in the American West. 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

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

Volume 111 - 1st printing. "Heroes of the Soviet Union 1941-45!" Written by Henry Sakaida. Art by Christa Hook. The Great Patriotic War began on 22 June 1941, when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. Over 10 million Soviet soldiers took part in the war and of those about 12,600 earned the Soviet Union's highest military award - the Hero of the Soviet Union - for deeds of great daring and self sacrifice. This book covers the male recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union award during the Great Patriotic War. Snipers, fighter pilots, partisans and spies are all included, together with the famous aces Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, who both gained the award an amazing three times. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

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 $7.00

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

Volume 114 - 1st printing. "Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40!" Written by Gordon Williamson. Art by Ramiro Bujeiro. In 1939 a new grade in the Iron Cross series was introduced, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). It was awarded for a variety of reasons, from skilled leadership to a single act of extreme gallantry, and was bestowed across all ranks, grades, and branches of service. As the war progresed, further distinctions were created for bestowal on existing winners, namely Oak-Leaves (Eichenlaub); Oak-Leaves with Swords (Eichenlaub und Schwertern); and Oak-Leaves with Swords and Diamonds (Eichenlaub, Schwerter und Brillanten). This book, the first in a sequence of four, covers winners of the Knights Cross and the Oak-Leaves distinction in the period 1939-40. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $17.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

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.

Add to cart Near Mint $8.00

Volume 116 - 1st printing. "Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters Part 2!" Written by Ronald Pawly. Art by Patrice Courcelle. Following Elite 115 - which described the composition of Napoleon's military and civil 'households', and Marshal Berthier's army general headquarters - this title offers an intimate glimpse of the Emperor's entourage in the field. Centred on the Waterloo campaign in 1815, it draws comparisons with his earlier triumphs. From the testimony of his trusted servants, the text draws a vivid picture of his daily routines on the march. Of particular interest are new details of Napoleon's tented camp HQ from 1812; and a further selection of the striking uniforms worn by his closest attendants. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 117 - 1st printing. "US World War II Amphibious Tactics!" Written by Gordon L Rottman. Art by Peter Dennis. The US armed forces were responsible for many tactical innovations during the years 1941-45, but in no field was US mastery more complete than amphibious warfare. In the vast, almost empty battlefield of the Pacific the US Navy and Marine Corps were obliged to develop every aspect of the amphibious assault landing in painstaking detail, from the design of many new types of vessel, down to the tactics of the rifle platoon hitting the beach, and the logistic system without which they could not have fought their way inland. This fascinating study offers a clear, succinct explanation of every phase of these operations as they evolved during the war years, illustrated with detailed color plates and photographs. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $7.00

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 $7.00

Volume 121 - 1st printing. "Ancient Siege Warfare!" Written by Duncan B Campbell. Art by Adam Hook. Sieges played a central role in many conflicts of the ancient world and generals, including Darius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Scipio Africanus successfully used siegecraft to gain their objectives. As siege tactics became integral to success in war, generals employed the minds of engineers and scientists to develop tactics which ranged from penetrating the defences or blockading the city through to tricks and deception. This fascinating study tracks developments in siege warfare from Ancient Persia in the 6th century BC through to the Roman sieges of the second century BC, describing the range of equipment and techniques which evolved during this period. Softcover, 64 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.