Coats of arms were at first used only by kings and princes, then by their great nobles.But by the mid-13th century arms were being used extensively by the lesser nobility, knights and those who later came to be styled gentlemen. In some countries the use of arms spread even to merchants, townspeople and the peasantry.From the mundane to the fantastic, from simple geometric patterns to elaborate mythological beasts, this fascinating work by Terence Wise expl...

The ancient warrior code which persisted in medieval Christian Europe dictated that a man's greatest virtues were physical strength, skill at arms, bravery, daring, loyalty to the chieftain and solidarity within the tribe.The primitive Church had been diametrically opposed to such ideals, however by the early 8th century the Church had grown wealthy, and the Saracen invasions of Spain and France posed a threat to that wealth. Alongside specially-commissioned artwor...

From the Liebfahne and Ordinärfahne of Austria, to the eagle and wreath of Russia, the flags of the Napoleonic Wars comprised a range of designs and colours.The second in a series of three volumes focusing on flags of the Napoleonic Wars, this book examines the patterns, colours and guidons of Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia, offering a rare glimpse into an often-overlooked subject in Napoleonic history.The text is packed with illustrations throughout,...

In the summer of 1804, the eagle was chosen as the symbol of the French Army by Napoleon himself.The Emperor's sculptor, Chaudet, made the original model, and from this were cast bronze copies in the workshop of Thomire, which would be proudly borne into battle by many a French regiment. This fascinating work by Terence Wise explores in depth the flags, colours and guidons of the Napoleonic wars, concentrating on France and her allies, and covering every faction fr...

The third of three volumes examining the flags of the Napoleonic Wars (Men-at-Arms 77, 78 & 115).Terence Wise details colours, standards and guidons of Anhalt, Kleve-Burg, Brunswick, Denmark, Finland, Hanover, Hesse, the Netherlands, Mecklenburg, Nassau, Portugal, Reuss, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & Westphalia.Ideal for vexillology enthusiasts, the text contains a plethora of illustrations including eight full page colour plates by Guido Rosignoli.

Almost continual warfare raged in Europe during the period 1300-1500.These wars were the furnaces in which many of the modern European nations were forged. Parallel with this emergence of the nations came the development of national armies to protect the newly-won borders and independence, yet throughout this period the old feudal method of raising an army persisted.This fascinating study by Terence Wise explores the organisation, weapons and equipment of t...

Napoleon Bonaparte is renowned as one of the great military commanders in history, and the central figure in so many of the events of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.Throughout the first decade of the 19th century he won battle after battle by wielding the Grande Armée decisively against the other powers of Europe – Prussia, Austria and Russia. Yet his fortunes changed in 1812 when the invasion of Russia wrecked his forces, and Napoleon suffered his fi...

A critical overview of the French infantry tactics which made them masters of Europe but eventually resulted in their defeat at Waterloo.Bonaparte's Grande Armée, one of the most renowned battle-winning machines in history, evolved from a merging of the professional army of the Ancien Régime and the volunteers and conscripts of the Revolutionary levée en masse – although the contribution of the former is often underestimated. A leading authority on the history of t...

A fully-illustrated and detailed account of this crucial moment of conflict, from origins to the battlefield today.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 w...

An authoritative history of the Knights of St. John, from Jerusalem to Malta, told by the bestselling author of The Great Siege.Known by many names through their centuries-long career, The Knights Hospitaller of Saint John dedicated themselves to defending the poor and sick. First formed in Jerusalem during the Crusades of the eleventh century, the Order of Saint John grew in wealth and power rivaled only by the Knights Templar. They survived exile from the...

Napoleon wrote "Cavalry is useful before, during and after the battle"; and so it was with his final campaign of Waterloo. Few campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars are as instructive as to the use (and mis-use) of cavalry; from the lethal French cavalry at Quatre Bras, to the initially brilliant, but ultimately badly executed, British heavies charging at Waterloo itself. Sir Evelyn Wood himself had served in the cavalry for many years and wrote extensively on the subject, his expertise brought...

The turn of the 20th century saw Imperial Germany as essentially a militarist state.Its growing industrial resources and wealth were harnessed to the task of increasing German military power, at a time of aggressive expansionist diplomacy in competition with Britain and France. After her victories over Austria in the 1860s and France in 1870, Germany's General Staff enjoyed tremendous professional prestige throughout Europe, and was the model for all aspects of com...