Osprey Campaign Series SC (1990-2011 OSPREY) comic books 1992-1994

Volume 7 - 2nd and later printings. "Alexander 334-323 BC!" By John Warry. Alexander of Macedonia was undoubtedly one of the greatest generals of all time. This book, by John Warry, an expert on the warfare of the Classical world, examines the principle battles of Alexander's campaigns in detail. The battles of the Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela, Hydaspes and the difficult siege of Tyre are all discussed at length. These careful studies shed light on Macedonian tactics: in particular the combination of armoured infantry phalanx with fast-moving cavalry. The men and equipment of both Alexander and his Persian enemies are also examined, providing a comprehensive insight into Alexander's life and military actions. 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.

Regular Edition - Volume 13 - 1st printing. "Hastings 1066!" By Christopher Gravett. Very few battles of the medieval period can be regarded as decisive but Hastings was certainly one of them. Fought on 14th October 1066 between Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, king of England, the outcome irrevocably changed the course of English history. William's victory was largely due to the tactical superiority of his forces: not only did he possess infantry and cavalry, but also a significant number of archers or crossbowmen, to whose withering fire the English could make little reply. The eventual death of King Harold prompted an English collapse - the successful outcome ensuring William's accession to the English throne. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Regular Edition - Volume 13 - 2nd and later printings. "Hastings 1066!" By Christopher Gravett. Very few battles of the medieval period can be regarded as decisive but Hastings was certainly one of them. Fought on 14th October 1066 between Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, king of England, the outcome irrevocably changed the course of English history. William's victory was largely due to the tactical superiority of his forces: not only did he possess infantry and cavalry, but also a significant number of archers or crossbowmen, to whose withering fire the English could make little reply. The eventual death of King Harold prompted an English collapse - the successful outcome ensuring William's accession to the English throne. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 14 - 1st printing. "Zulu War 1879!" By Ian Castle, and Ian Knight. In the late 1870s the British Imperial administration in the Cape colony in southern Africa began to view the Zulu kingdom as a challenge to its authority.To contain this perceived threat, the British engineered a war. The early campaigns went terribly wrong, with the decisive Zulu victory at Isandlwana. Ultimately however, the British won the war. The Zulus, primarily reliant on their skill with the stabbing spear, had no real defence or retaliation against the massed firepower of professional British soldiers. Ian Castle examines the British-Zulu war and its two key battles, Isandlwana and Khambula, with excellent black and white photographs accompanying the clear and detailed text. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 15 - 1st printing. " Waterloo 1815!" By Geoffrey Wootten. Waterloo holds a special place among the great battles of history. The climax of more than twenty years of war, it was indeed a close-run affair, matching two of the world's greatest generals - Napoleon and Wellington. This volume covers the entire campaign including the battles of Quatre Bras, Ligny and Wavre, with five full-colour maps and three highly detailed bird's eye views showing decisive moments in the action. An excellent sense of the closeness of the battle is communicated - Wellington himself claimed it was the nearest thing you ever saw in your life - and this gripping account shows the full justice of that statement. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 16 - 1st printing. " Kursk 1943!" By Mark Healy. In the summer of 1943 the German army stood poised for a major offensive. The attack was aimed at the Kursk salient, which the Germans intended to isolate, trapping large numbers of Russian troops and paving the way for the decisive campaign to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. By the time of the attack, the Russians had turned the salient into a mass of defensive positions. In the following decisive clash, the Soviets bled Germany's vital Panzer forces white and finally took the initiative. The counter-offensive which followed began an advance that would end in the ruins of Berlin. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 17 - 1st printing. "Chickamauga 1863!" By James Arnold. By the Autumn of 1863 the Confederacy was in dire straits. In a colossal gamble, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stripped forces from all the major Confederate armies to reinforce the Army of Tennessee in a last ditch attempt to crush the Union. On 19th September the Confederates attacked the Union army along Chickamauga creek south of Chattanooga. On the second day of bloody fighting the entire Union right collapsed and the army retreated headlong for Chattanooga, all except General George H. Thomas' Corps who fought on doggedly until nightfall delaying the confederate advance, saving the Union and earning his fame as the Rock of Chickamauga. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 18 - 1st printing. "Guadalcanal 1942!" By Joseph Mueller. On what was a virtually unheard of Pacific island, the United States shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility. In the first American amphibious assault of the Second World War, the US Marines and Army halted the apparently irresistible Japanese advance in its tracks. Over 30,000 American and Japanese casualties were suffered in five months of bitter fighting. From the ranks of the units that contested this campaign a seasoned fighting force of US veterans was created that would, island by island, sweep the Japanese back across the Pacific. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 19 - 1st printing. "Hattin 1187!" By David Nicolle. In 1187, Christian Europe was shaken by events in the Middle East. This volume tells the story of those momentous months - the campaign leading to the Muslim capture of Jerusalem after the disastrous Crusader defeat at Hattin where, in a two day running battle on the waterless plateau between Saffuriya and Tiberias, beneath a burning sun, Saladin's troops destroyed the Christian army. The disaster at Hattin resulted in the collapse of the kingdom of Jerusalem and sparked off the Third Crusade under Richard I 'Coeur de Lion'. This book examines Hattin in detail and looks at the consequences of the battle. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 20 - 1st printing. " Jena 1806!" By David Chandler. Forewarned of Prussia's intention to declare war on France, Napoleon decided to strike first with a bold advance from Wurzburg into Saxony. On 14 October the double battle was fought: Napoleon with 96,000 men and 120 guns engaged and heavily defeated Prince Hohenlohe and General Ruchel. The decisive engagement was fought further north where Marshal Davout with 27,000 men and 40 guns routed the main Prussian army under Frederick William IV and the Duke of Brunswick. This title examines these two battles, Jena and Auerstadt in detail, showing clearly the swiftness with which Napoleon dealt Prussia's military machine a severe blow. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 20 - 2nd and later printings. " Jena 1806!" By David Chandler. Forewarned of Prussia's intention to declare war on France, Napoleon decided to strike first with a bold advance from Wurzburg into Saxony. On 14 October the double battle was fought: Napoleon with 96,000 men and 120 guns engaged and heavily defeated Prince Hohenlohe and General Ruchel. The decisive engagement was fought further north where Marshal Davout with 27,000 men and 40 guns routed the main Prussian army under Frederick William IV and the Duke of Brunswick. This title examines these two battles, Jena and Auerstadt in detail, showing clearly the swiftness with which Napoleon dealt Prussia's military machine a severe blow. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 21 - 1st printing. " Gravelotte-St-Privat 1870!" By Philipp Elliot-Wright. Gravelotte-St-Privat was probably the hardest fought of all the battles of the Franco-Prussian War. Attacked by superior Prussian forces from both the First and Second armies, Marshal Bazaine's French Army of the Rhine inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Prussian's before finally being forced to retreat into the fortress city of Metz. Unable to break out and with no hope of relief Bazaine's army grimly held on to the end of the war. French failure at Gravelotte-St-Privat led directly to their final defeat at Sedan, the collapse of Napoleon III's regime and the proclamation of the German Empire. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 22 - 1st printing. "Qadesh 1300 BC!" By Mark Healy. The earliest battle in history which can be reconstructed in detail, Qadesh pitted the two great warriors of the age against each other, Muwatallish of Hatti and the great warrior-Pharaoh Rameses II. With the Hittites gaining the initial advantage, all seemed lost until Rameses himself led his personal followers into the fray. However, in spite of the appearance of Egyptian reinforcements, the bravery of the pharaoh and the tactically superior showing of the Egyptian chariotry, the dislocation of his army frustrated the Pharaoh's wider strategic aspirations. Mark Healy recounts the course of this key battle, which could so easily have gone either way. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 23 - 1st printing. " Khartoum 1885!" By Donald Featherstone. Early in 1881 unrest in the Sudan began to crystallise around Mohammed Ibn Ahmed el-Sayyid Abdullah. Proclaiming himself the long-expected Madhi, the Guided One of the Prophet, he preached that the Sudan was to be purged of its Egyptian oppressors. Drawn in by the Egyptian failure to deal with the situation, the British sent General Gordon to organise an evacuation. On reaching Khartoum however, General Gordon believed, incorrectly, that the Madhi could be reasoned with. Instead of negotiating, the Madhi besieged the town for 317 days. This title looks in particular, although not exclusively, at the battles fought by the British columns sent to relieve Khartoum. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 24 - 1st printing. " Arnhem 1944!" By Stephen Badsey. Market Garden' was one of the most audacious, and ultimately controversial, operations of the Second World War - a joint penetration, by an armoured column and a large-scale airborne drop, to punch a decisive hole in the German defences. If it had succeeeded, the war could have ended in 1944. Yet the two-pronged attack failed in its objectives. This book details how, instead of being relieved after 48 hours as expected, British paratroopers were cut off for nine days. Facing two unexpected SS Panzer divisions the Allies were eventually evacuated across the Rhine after putting up an incredible fight: of the 10,000 men involved less than 2,000 survived. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 25 - 1st printing. " Leipzig 1813!" By Peter Hofschröer. The battle of Leipzig was, in terms of the number of combatants involved, the largest engagement of the entire Napoleonic Wars. It was the only battle of the wars in which all Allied armies (including even the Swedes) fielded troops against Napoleon. Peter Hofschroer looks at the run-up to this crucial encounter as well as the battle itself. A wealth of background information is chronicled, including the strategies of both sides and detailed information on each of the combatant forces. The numerous battles leading up to Leipzig are also discussed, providing a fascinating and illuminating overview of the whole campaign. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 26 - 1st printing. "Vicksburg 1863!" By Alan Hankinson. The 1863 Vicksburg campaign was to prove decisive to the outcome of the American Civil War. Known as the 'Gibraltar of the West', Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. In a masterly campaign Grant used riverboats and steamers to land his army south of the city. He then defeated the armies of Generals 'Joe' Johnston and John C. Pemberton. Pemberton allowed his force to become bottled up in Vicksburg and after an epic 47-day siege he was forced to surrender the remnants of his force to Grant on 4 July 1863, one day after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 27 - 1st printing. " Tel El-Kebir 1882!" By Donald Featherstone. In 1881, the Egyptian army mutinied against the Khedive of Egypt and forced him to appoint Said Ahmed Arabi as Minister of War. In March 1882, Arabi was made a Pasha and from this time on acted as a dictator. Arabi demanded that the foreigners be driven out of Egypt and called for the massacre of Christians. This prompted an armed British response, first in the form of a naval bombardment of Alexandria, and then as an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Wolseley. This book explores the entire campaign, including Sir Wolseley's 'textbook' operation that was planned and executed with masterly competence. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 28 - 1st printing. " New Orleans 1815!" By Tim Pickles. The conflict that broke out in 1812 seemed born of an almost subconscious desire for a war to complete the separation of America from England begun by the War of Independence. The war when it came was bloody and hard fought. In one last attempt to break the deadlock the British sent Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham to capture New Orleans. The troops he commanded were elite, veteran regiments. Andrew Jackson, leading the defenders, commanded a mixed force including militia, free Negro battalions, Indians and a group of local pirates. This title describes how this mixed force decisively defeated the British veterans in a battle that has become part of American legend. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 29 - 1st printing. " Omdurman 1898!" By Donald Featherstone. This volume tells the story of the conquest of the Dervish Empire, culminating at Omdurman: one of the great desert battles in the imperial drama of the Victorian era. This dramatic conflict witnessed hordes of native warriors set against British discipline and firepower, gunboats on the Nile, a dramatic cavalry charge and Kitchener, the Sirdar, as conqueror. This books explores the events, weaponry and leaders of both sides, and accompanying illustrations and colourful graphics bring the whole campaign vividly to life. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $18.95.

Volume 30 - 1st printing. " Midway 1942!" By Mark Healy. One of the most important naval battles in history, Midway was fought barely six months after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The badly damaged USS Yorktown was repaired in just 48 hours and with Enterprise and Hornet set out to meet the Japanese. In a battle marked by great heroism on both sides the United States dealt a devastating blow to the Imperial Japanese Fleet sinking four of her most powerful carriers. In this superbly illustrated volume Mark Healy tells the whole story; espionage, daring, luck and extreme heroism. A fascinating read supplemented by genuine photographs of the battle in progress. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 31 - 1st printing. " Yarmuk AD 636!" By David Nicolle. In 636 AD, after protracted skirmishing and minor engagements the Arab and Byzantine armies faced each other on the banks of the Yarmuk river. The Byzantines were initially successful, driving back the Arab right wing. Finally, though, the Arab counter-attacks broke the Byzantine lines and the subsequent pursuit became a rout. The awful fate of the fleeing Byzantine soldiers was remembered for several generations until it was recorded in early Islamic histories. David Nicolle not only looks at the battle itself but also the whole decisive Arab campaign - from the Muslim invasion of 633/4 to the fall of Byzantine Syria. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 32 - 1st printing. " Antietam 1862!" By Norman Stevens. Antietam was one of the critical battles of the American Civil War. The fortunes of the South were riding high after the resounding victory at Second Manassas. While Bragg and Kirby Smith invaded Kentucky, Lee's invasion of Maryland was intended to maintain the Southern offensive momentum and to win the recognition of the European powers. But his bold plan was compromised - and at the Antietam River the Army of Northern Virginia was fighting for its very life. This title examines the build-up to Hooker's attack, and details the famous clashes at Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 33 - 1st printing. " Aspern & Wagram 1809!" By Ian Castle. The 1809 campaign on the Danube was to break the spell of Napoleon's invincibility. Indeed Wagram - the largest battle in history at the time - was Napoleon's revenge for his first personal defeat on the battlefield - at Aspern - Essling. In gaining this revenge the French commander was not wholly successful. Although the French won the battle as the Austrians eventually quit the field, the victory was an extremely hollow one. Both these epic battles are expertly described by Ian Castle, chronicling the many changes of fortune as each side captured, lost, then recaptured key positions. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 34 - 1st printing. " Poltava 1709!" By Angus Konstam. Poltava marked the demise of Sweden as a European great power and the rise of Russia. In 1707, the seemingly invincible Charles XII led his army deep into Russia. It was to prove his undoing - the long march eroded the fighting strength of the invaders; a vital supply convoy was lost; and the winter of 1708/9 was the worst in living memory. Drawing upon primary source material previously unseen in the west, Angus Konstam recounts the events, looking in particular at how this battle led to the destruction of the Swedish Army. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 35 - 1st printing. " Plassey 1757!" By Peter Harrington. After relatively lowly beginnings as a writer in the East India Company, Robert Clive rose to be perhaps the most important single figure in the history of British involvement in India. At Plassey on 23 June 1757 Clive's 3,500 native and East India Company troops faced an army of 50,000 under the French supported nawab Siraj-ud-daula. Having succeeded in keeping his powder dry in a torrential rainstorm, Clive's guns were able to open a murderous fire on the enemy. Siraj-ud-daula's attack was beaten off and the counter-attack which Clive launched swept the field; with only the French gunners fighting to the last. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 36 - 1st printing. " Cannae 216 BC!" By Mark Healy. Cannae is rightly regarded as one of the greatest battles of military history. Hannibal's stratagem has become a model of the perfectly fought battle and is studied in detail at military academies around the world. At Cannae the Romans confronted Hannibal with an army of 80,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. Hannibal faced them with 40,000 foot and 10,000 horse. The engagement that followed was a masterpiece of battlefield control. By the end of the conflict the Romans had lost 47,500 infantry and 2,700 cavalry killed and a further 19,300 captured. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.

Volume 37 - 1st printing. " Boston 1775!" By Brendan Morrissey. The British assault on Breed's Hill and the burning of Charlestown were the first major battles of the American Revolution; after the events at Boston there was no turning back. This detailed text by Brendan Morrissey explores the opposing commanders and forces involved, whilst describing how the sparks at Lexington and Concord ignited the smouldering resentment of the Colonists into the flame of a rebellion. Colonist militia were pitted against British Redcoats in a series of struggles which led the British to evacuate Boston and to George Washington taking command of the fledgling American army. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $19.95.