I picked up two small battalions of this unit off fleabay, and after a bit of tidying up, reorganisation and rebasing, I now have one battalion of 36, my normal size for a French unit, with a few figures spare to do some skirmisher bases. With a few exceptions these are all Victrix plastic figures. The photos are rubbish but the lighting wasn't good this afternoon as we were hit by a massive thunder storm.
I’ll health means the best I can manage at the moment are more book reviews. The Military Organisation of Moldavia & Wallachia in the Phanariot Era, 1709–1821 is a tightly focused study that shines a light on a part of early modern military history that is often overlooked. Rather than dealing in grand campaigns, Claudiu-Ion Neagoe focuses on how these two principalities actually raised, structured, and maintained their forces under Ottoman influence. I should say from the outset that this was a topic completely new to me, and I found the book a real eye opener as well as a genuinely enjoyable read.
One of the book’s main strengths is the way it handles the hybrid nature of military organisation. The armies described are neither fully traditional nor fully modern, instead drawing on local levies, mercenary elements, and Ottoman-inspired structures. The result is a layered system that feels both practical and unstable, especially in times of crisis. This comes across clearly in the wide variety of troop types shown in the eight splendid full colour plates. The book also includes a good number of contemporary black and white illustrations, along with numerous charts and tables detailing army composition. Together, these make it much easier to grasp how the forces were organised.
Another important theme is the financial burden of warfare. The author shows how military obligations were closely tied to taxation and administration, with the Phanariot rulers often struggling to balance defence needs against economic realities. That gives the reader, or at least it gave me, a much clearer sense of why military effectiveness could be so inconsistent.
The discussion of irregular troops and militia forces is also especially engaging. These units, while not always reliable, were vital to regional defence and internal control, showing how warfare in this setting was as much about policing and authority as it was about success on the battlefield.
Overall, this is a concise but well-researched and well-presented work. The translation, too, is very well done indeed. This book may not overwhelm the reader with narrative drama, but it will reward anyone interested in the mechanics of military systems and the realities behind lesser-known European forces of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
ISBN:978-1-804518-19-9 220 pages Softcover
The Kingdom Torn Apart: The Finnish War of 1808–1809 by Erik Hornborg, translated by Erik Faithfull, is number 161 in Helion’s From Reason to Revolution 1721–1815 series. I have a real soft spot for neglected history, and conflicts do not come much more overlooked than the Finnish War of 1808–1809. This new English translation is a genuine treat for readers who like their Napoleonic history far from the familiar theatres of Spain or Central Europe. Hornborg takes us into the frozen north and shows that this is far more than a minor sideshow: it is the story of how the Swedish Empire stumbled badly and lost its eastern buffer, Finland, to Russia.
It is gritty, compelling material. After a strong introduction setting out the road to war, Hornborg leads the reader through retreats in waist-deep snow, desperate rearguard actions, and the stubborn resilience of Finnish soldiers who were badly let down by decision-makers in Stockholm. He also examines the organisation, training, troop quality, and tactical doctrines of both armies in useful detail. Then there is the surrender of Sveaborg: the strongest fortress in the North simply capitulating. Hornborg explores the how and why of that collapse with real analytical force and a strong sense of tragedy.
Why give it shelf space? Helion has produced the book to a very high standard. The translation reads smoothly, without the stiffness that can sometimes blunt the impact of older military histories. The maps are especially helpful, making it much easier to track regiments through what can be a confusing and fragmented campaign. The volume is also generously illustrated, with colour and black-and-white images of key figures, Finnish uniforms, reconstructed galleys, and present-day battlefield photographs with troop movements overlaid. Several appendices add real value, particularly the material on Finnish troop strength at the outbreak of war and the Sveaborg garrison. Above all, the book offers a forensic account of how a 600-year-old kingdom unravelled in just eighteen months.
This is an excellent read for anyone who wants to step outside the usual Waterloo-centric bubble. As a wargamer I can see a massive amount of potential for this campaign; indeed readers of this blog will be aware of my collection of miniatures for this war and the games played. The overall storey is a bleak one, albeit fascinating, and highly informative, while also explaining why the map of Scandinavia looks the way it does today.
ISBN: 978-1-804519-86-8 267 pages Paperback
This week I finally managed to get some additional command bases done for the new Sassanid host. I only had a couple plus a king on his hefalump so these four will balance things out appropriately.
Mainly Aventine Miniatures apart from one Perry plastic armoured horse. There might be an odd A&A guy in there as well.
I am now looking forward to giving their baptism of fire some time soon....
What really makes the book stand out, though, is the artwork. The colour plates are crisp and full of practical detail, showing soldiers as they actually appeared on campaign rather than as parade ground figures. Infantry look worn but functional, officers are marked by subtle signs of rank rather than flashy excess, and the cavalry clearly lean toward swords and close combat instead of pistol fire. The captions do a lot of quiet work here, drawing attention to small but telling details like hats, cartridge boxes, and differences between units.
That said, the book doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. If you’re after deep campaign narratives or detailed operational analysis, you may feel it ends just as it gets interesting. But that limitation feels deliberate. As an accessible, visually driven introduction to the Carolean army, it does exactly what it sets out to do—and does it very well.
I have absolutely no intention of launching myself down the rabbit hole of a late seventeenth century Swedish army. Where would it end.....?
ISBN: 978-1-806720-84-2 315 Pages Softback
A few more flags (as many as I can muster) and finish replacing all the spears and lances and these are (almost) ready to go. Two more elephants, half a dozen command bases and some large shields for the infantry or archers to hide behind and its ready to rumble. I have a funny feeling I have some foor archers somewhere, but I wont look TOO hard!
Most of these minis are Aventine, with some A&A and even Gripping Beast IIRC. For the record I HATE shield transfers, It is a job best conducted by workhouse inmates as an alternative to picking Oakham! So, here is the Sassanid army eagerly awaiting the chance to take on my Late Romans.
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| Elite cavalry (lances need adding) |
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| Slingers, heavy infantry and behind them levy infantry. |
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| Close up of the Neyze-Daran heavy infantry. Shields still to add, planted in a row to their front. |
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| More heavy cavalry. |
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| Elephants. To maintain the same frontage as all the other units two elephants make a unit. I have one command elephant and another normal one to do. |
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| Three units of Clibinarii. |
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| A few more armoured cavalry. |
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| Horse archers |
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| The entire host arrayed for battle. |
Well, on the off chance that I have any Parsi readers (or Iranian too I suppose) I thought I’d wish happy new year to them. Most of the people I know in Bangalore are Parsi, followed by Christian, Muslim and Hindu with one Jain thrown in to the mix. We’ve been over there a couple times when we enjoyed this celebration, as being Parsi there are no constraints where booze and food are concerned. (I did draw the line at sheep’s 🧠 until I had a taste, and they’re actually rather tasty 🤤).
Anyway, spurred on by the theme, in the darkness that is the space under my games table I brought out a long-forgotten project - my almost finished, but not really, Sassanid army in 28mm.
Having laid them all out there’s not that much to do apart from zillions of shield transfers to cut out 😱and stick on, lots of banners and flags/pennants to add, and the basing to tart up. The figures need the odd bit of touching up and some lances replaced but I shall get these finished in the coming week I hope. Then I can arrange for them to meet my Late Romans for a game.
