Bursting with full colour illustrations, a handy, complete guide to the Vikings, from the lives they led at home to their voyages of plunder across Europe and into America.The history of the Vikings is bloody and eventful, and Viking warriors capture the popular imagination to this day. They made history, establishing the dukedom of Normandy, providing the Byzantine Emperors' bodyguard and landing on the shores of America 500 years before Columbus.Beautiful...

The commanders who led the opposing armies of the American War of Independence came from remarkably different backgrounds.They included not only men from Britain and America, but from Germany, France and Spain as well. Some were from the great families of the "Old World", while others were frontiersmen or farmers in the "New World". Despite their differing origins, all were leaders in the events that led to the establishment of the United States of America....

When war broke out between the United States and Great Britain in 1812, neither side was prepared for the conflict, as evidenced by their respective fortifications.The most sophisticated and modern fortifications were those built by the US Corps of Engineers to protect some of the main port cities. These included Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, Fort McHenry in Baltimore and Castle William in New York. The British also heavily fortified their main harbor at Halifax an...

Alongside battlescene illustrations, maps and contemporary prints, René Chartrand examines the Anglo-Portuguese defeat of Napoleon's French forces at Bussaco.By 1810, Napoleon reigned supreme over most of continental Europe. But the Iberian Peninsula remained unsubdued, particularly Portugal, which continued to resist. Napoleon ordered Marshal Masséna to crush this resistance with the Army of Portugal. Greatly strengthened, Masséna's army would drive the Portuguese...

The second instalment in a remarkable three-part study that transformed the research material available to the English-speaking student of the Peninsular War.Most know that Wellington's Portuguese troops were praised as the 'fighting cocks' of his army; fewer appreciate that they represented between half and one-third of his entire forces. René Chartrand's primary research in Portuguese and British archives now offers a wealth of important new material on the unifo...

Following the French Revolution in 1789, members of the aristocracy were increasingly persecuted, and many of them fled abroad.These exiles became known collectively as 'émigrés', and despite initial confusions and indecision, many of them were taken into British service. This fine text by René Chartrand examines the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the Émigré troops in British service from 1793 to 1802, accompanied by plenty of illustrations including eight ...

Packed with illustrations and maps, this slim volume examines Wellington's comeback in Portugal, which ultimately led to the end of its French occupation.In October 1810 the Allied position in Portugal appeared precarious. Despite defeating Marshal Masséna's French army at Bussaco, Wellington had been forced to retreat to within a few miles of Lisbon. Here the French encountered a massive line of fortifications stretching from the River Tagus to the sea. Built amid...

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 ...

To celebrate the 450th title in the Men-at-Arms series, this book examines in unprecedented depth the units and the uniforms of a still-controversial army: the many thousands of American colonists who chose to fight for King George during the Revolution.As well as the better-known corps from the Atlantic seaboard, the author covers the units raised for service against the Spanish in the Floridas, the Caribbean islands and Central America. The text is illustrated wi...

The commanders who led the opposing armies of the American War of Independence came from remarkably different backgrounds.They included not only men from Britain and America, but from Germany, France and Spain as well. Some were from the great families of the "Old World", while others were frontiersmen or farmers in the "New World". Despite their differing origins, all were leaders in the events that led to the establishment of the United States of America....

A highly illustrated account of the battle of Talavera in 1809, one of the major battles of the Peninsular War.The battle of Talavera in 1809 was one of the major battles of the Peninsular War and Arthur Wellesley's first victory in Spain itself, following which he was created Viscount Wellington of Talavera and Wellington. Although Wellesely's forces were outnumbered, and a sizeable contingent of the Spanish ran away, he had chosen a superb defensive position and ...

Featuring information from a previously unpublished journal, an illustrated account of this strategically important battle in Canada.Louisbourg represented a major threat to Anglo-American plans to invade Canada. Bypassing it would leave an immensely powerful enemy base astride the Anglo-American lines of communication – Louisbourg had to be taken. Faced with strong beach defences and rough weather, it took six days to land the troops, and it was only due to a stro...