Osprey Campaign Series SC (1990-2011 OSPREY) comic books 1993

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 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 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.