Автор: Christopher Gravett, Angus McBride
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 2002
isbn: 0850458366
Количество страниц: 64
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Like all warrior classes throughout history medieval knights engaged in military games, partly in preparation for war and partly for pure sport. From their often brutal origins in the 10th century to the gaudy pageantry and eventual decline of the 15th and 16th centuries, tournaments were the centre of the knightly life. The image of the armoured and surcoated knight on his caparisoned charger remains the epitome of the chivalric ideal. Christopher Gravett explores the history of the tournament from its chaotic beginnings to its more formal, 'civilised' incarnation, describing the various 'events' and equipment which came into use.
Автор: Mike Chappell
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1987
isbn: 0850457963
Количество страниц: 65
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
The British Army currently enjoys, both at home and abroad, the reputation of being one of the best in the world. Composed entirely of volunteers, its morale sustained by its curious and little-understood attitudes towards tradition, the British Army attracts respect and admiration from the military expert and the layman alike. Written and illustrated by a former British Army infantryman with 22 years' experience, this book details the Army's history, organization, uniforms and distinctions. The text is backed by numerous illustrations and photographs.
Автор: Sam Katz, Ronald Volstad
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1988
isbn: 0850458374
Количество страниц: 65
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
In 1947, when the UN partitioned Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, the true war for Israel's existence began. Throughout the War of Independence (1948), the PAL'MACH (Hebrew abbreviation for 'Strike Companies') spearheaded Israel's forces. Disbanded in 1949, the PAL'MACH was replaced by other specialist units, including paratroop forces, the GOLANI Infantry Brigade, the Naval Commandos, and territorial and other reconnaissance commando formations. An acknowledged expert on the Israeli Defence Forces, Samuel Katz presents an overview of these IDF elite units, including the mysterious SAYERET MAT'KAL, a highly classified elite unit whose exploits involve the 1972 raid on a hijacked Belgian Sabena Boeing 707.
Автор: David Nicolle, Richard Hook
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1996
isbn: 0850458544
Количество страниц: 63
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Born of a mixture of religious fervour, military ardour and political will, the Crusades ( 1095 - 1291) remain a fascinating and misunderstood aspect of medieval history. Born amid immense suffering and bloodshed the Kingdom of Jerusalem remained a battlefield for almost 200 years. The Crusades raised to campaign for it gave rise to the Military Orders of the Templars and Hopitallers as well as numerous smaller orders, and were a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders including Richard 'The Lionheart' and Saladin. David Nicolle recounts the background and events of these fundamental campaigns that scarred the Late Medieval period.
Автор: Michael Barthorp, Pierre Turner
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1989
isbn: 0850458986
Количество страниц: 66
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osprey's study of British forces from the time of the Second Boer War (1899-1902) up to World War I (1914-1918). 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.
Автор: Gordon Rottman, Ronald Volstad
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1990
isbn: 0850459486
Количество страниц: 65
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osprey's examination of the US Army's airborne division in various conflicts, such as World War II (1939-1945) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The first 50 years of the US Army airborne arm is a story of continuing battles with the nation's enemies, of battles within the Army's hierarchy, of change, and of adaptation. If there is any single attribute the airborne soldier can claim as his most sterling, it is his uncanny ability to adapt – his flexibility. The very nature of a paratrooper demands this ability to adapt. The motivation and ésprit de corps it develops within these units is something not to be taken lightly. The first class pairing of Gordon L. Rottman and Ron Volstad bring to life the history of these remarkable troops.
Автор: Philip Katcher, Richard Hook
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 2003
isbn: 1841763217
Количество страниц: 68
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osrpey's examination of the commanders of the American Civil War (1861-1865). When the War Between the States broke out in 1861, the US Army had only four line generals – and three of those were over 70 years of age and veterans of the Napoleonic period. About one in three of America's professional officers chose to serve the Confederacy, and the government's urgent need to find commanders for its vastly expanded army put stars on the shoulders of men of very varied backgrounds and talents. The trials of war would soon separate the born leaders from the over-promoted and the political opportunists. This second volume devoted to Union generals examines the careers and personalities of 25 commanders whose service was mainly, or at first, in the Western theater of war.
Автор: Philip Katcher, Richard Hook
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 2002
isbn: 1841763209
Количество страниц: 68
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osprey's study of the commanders of the American Civil War (1861-1865). 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.
Автор: Keith Roberts, Angus McBride
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 1992
isbn: 0850459036
Количество страниц: 63
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osprey's survey of British soldiers during the English Civil War (1642-1651) period. When civil war erupted in England in 1642, it quickly involved every level of society throughout the British Isles. On one side the King and his supporters fought for traditional government in Church and State. On the other, the supporters of Parliament sought radical changes in religion and economic policy, and a greater share of power at the national level. This is the first of two volumes in the Elite series exploring the recruitment, organisation, and tactics of the soldiers of the English Civil War. This book opens with an account of the origins of the military theory used by both sides, before discussing the weapons, logistics and management of the infantry throughout the Civil War campaign.
Автор: Paddy Griffith, Adam Hook
Издательство: Osprey Publishing
Год издания: 2008
isbn: 1846032903, 9781846032905
Количество страниц: 64
Язык: english
Формат: PDF (scan)
Osprey's study of desert tactics employed in North Africa during World War II (1939-1945). In 1940-43 North Africa saw the first major desert campaign by modern mechanized armies. The British, Italians, German Afrika Korps and US Army all addressed and learned from the special problems - human, logistical, mechanical and tactical - of the desert environment, most significantly a terrain empty of resources and offering little chance of concealment. Paddy Griffith traces the fast-learning development of armor, artillery and infantry tactics in this exceptional situation and illustrates it using references to the major engagements in the North African theater, which involved some of the greatest tacticians of World War II in one of the pivotal arenas.