Osprey Men-at-Arms Series SC (1973-2011 OSPREY) comic books 1997

Volume 302 - 1st printing. "Louis XV's Army (2)!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Eugene Leliepvre. In Louis XV's army the classification of 'French' infantry denoted troops recruited from men born and raised in France. These regiments were called, naturally enough, infanterie francaise as opposed to the mercenary 'foreign' infantry recruited elsewhere. Making up the bulk of the army, all officers and men were to be of the Roman Catholic faith, the official state religion. Regimental recruiting parties went to towns and villages looking for likely young volunteers, inducing them to enlist with the usual promises – quick money, fast women, good wines and great glory. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 304 - 1st printing. "Louis XV's Army (3)!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Eugene Leliepvre. On account of long-standing tradition as well as sheer numbers, the importance of foreign regiments in the French army had become considerable by the time of Louis XV. Since the Middle Ages, the rulers of France had called upon mercenaries from various neighbouring nations to form units which were often among the finest in the army. In this third of five volumes covering the army of Louis XV [Men-at-Arms 296, 302, 304, 308 & 313], René Chartrand examines the organisation and uniforms of the foreign infantry and artillery troops in a text containing a wealth of illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Eugène Lelièpvre. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 305 - 1st printing. "The Russian Civil War (2)!" Written by Mikhail Khvostov. Art by Andrei Karachtchouk. Soon after the 1917 February revolution, and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the White cause began to emerge and oppose the Bolsheviks. There was, however, no single, united White Army to fight the Red Army and the forces available to the Whites represented a spectrum of political factions including monarchist military organisations and social-democrats. Many of the Cossack hosts also sided with the Whites, seeing it as an opportunity to create their own independent states; others remained neutral or hostile to both sides. This fascinating text by Mikhail Khvostov examines the colourful uniforms and the equipment of the White armies of the Russian Civil War. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 306 - 1st printing. "Chinese Civil War Armies 1911–49!" Written by Philip Jowett. Art by Stephen Andrew. The fall of the Manchu Empire in 1911 ended thousands of years of Imperial rule and ushered in almost 40 years of conflict in China. From the abdication of Pu-Yi, the last emperor, the invasion of Manchuria by the Japanese, and the 'long march', to the birth of the People's Republic of China in 1949, this book looks in detail at the fighting men, and women, who fought for the communists, imperialists, republicans, nationalists, warlords and the puppet armies. The result is a comprehensive and illuminating work covering a large and complex series of combatants and conflicts. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 307 - 1st printing. "Late Imperial Chinese Armies 1520–1840!" Written by CJ Peers. Art by Christa Hook. By the end of the 18th century – following an era which had seen the world increasingly divided into colonial powers and their victims – the Ch'ing dynasty of the Manchus, who had overthrown the native Ming in the 1640s, ruled over the largest and most populous empire in the world, with territories that had doubled in size in the previous few decades. Chris Peers' engaging study of the late imperial Chinese armies from 1520 to 1840 is supported by a wealth of illustrations and photographs, including eight attractive full page colour plates by Christa Hook. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 308 - 1st printing. "Louis XV's Army (4)!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Eugene Leliepvre. The emergence of light troops at the time of Louis XV's reign is a sign of the search for better intelligence of the enemy and rapid tactical moves on battlefields. This fourth instalment of René Chartrand's review of Louis XV's army reveals an extraordinary variety of units, most now long forgotten, who had a dazzling assortment of uniforms, equipment and weapons, as is revealed by this interesting text and its numerous accompanying illustrations, which include eight full page colour plates by Eugène Lelièpvre. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

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Volume 309 - 1st printing. "The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935–36!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Raffaele Ruggeri. In October 1935 Mussolini ordered the invasion of Ethiopia from Italian-held Eritrea and Somaliland, thinking that he would easily crush an ill-prepared and badly equipped enemy. The Italians, in the face of widespread condemnation from the League of Nations, spread terror and destruction through their indiscriminate use of air power and poison gas against an enemy more used to medieval methods of warfare. David Nicolle examines in detail the units, equipment and uniforms of the forces on both sides of this conflict that unrealistically bolstered Il Duce's colonial ambitions. A great read ably supported by Raffaele Ruggeri's detailed full-page colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 310 - 1st printing. "German Medieval Armies 1000–1300!" Written by Christopher Gravett. Art by Graham Turner. In medieval Germany violence was accepted far more than in other kingdoms. Kings were recognised as guardians of order, but this had its limitations. Lords expected to use force to secure their rights or win an argument when peaceful methods were not sufficient. Christopher Gravett does a fine job of examining the organisation and campaigns of German medieval armies from 1000-1300, in a volume containing plenty of photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Graham Turner. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 311 - 1st printing. "The German Army 1939–45 (1)!" Written by Nigel Thomas. Art by Stephen Andrew. On 1 September 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, the Wehrmacht numbered 3,180,000 men. It eventually expanded to 9,500,000, and on 8-9 May 1945, the date of its unconditional surrender on the Western and Eastern Fronts, it still numbered 7,800,000. The Blitzkrieg period, from 1 September 1939 to 25 June 1940, was 10 months of almost total triumph for the Wehrmacht, as it defeated every country, except Great Britain, that took the field against it. In this first of five volumes examining the German Army of World War Two, Nigel Thomas examines the uniforms and insignia of Hitler's Blitzkrieg forces, including an overview of the Blitzkrieg campaign itself.Men-at-Arms 311, 316, 326, 330 and 336 are also available in a single volume special edition titled ‘German Army in World War II'. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 312 - 1st printing. "The Algerian War 1954–62!" Written by Martin Windrow. Art by Mike Chappell. It is hard to convey the public impact of France's war to maintain her colonial grip on Algeria; yet in the late 1950s this ugly conflict dominated Europe's media to almost the same extent as would Vietnam ten years later. It brought France to the very verge of military coup d'etat; it destroyed thousands of careers; bitterly divided the French military and political classes for a generation; and sent hundreds of thousands of European settler families into often ruinous exile. This title details the history, organisation, equipment and uniforms of the forces involved. Softcover, PC/PB&W.

Volume 313 - 1st printing. "Louis XV's Army (5)!" Written by René Chartrand. Art by Eugene Leliepvre. In 1715 France had a sizeable overseas empire in America, Africa and Asia, its colonies garrisoned by thousands of regular officers and soldiers who belonged to the Navy's colonial establishment or by the French East India Company's troops. Though these troops are not usually covered in histories of the French forces, since the end of the 17th century, they saw considerable action against the enemy overseas. This last volume in a series of five (Men-at-Arms 296, 302, 304, 308 and 313) details the uniforms, arms and accoutrements of Louis XV's colonial and naval troops. The text is accompanied by numerous photographs and illustrations, including eight full colour plates. Softcover, PC/PB&W.