Armies of the Khmer Empire - 10/10

 I am still unable to actually do much painting and gaming at the moment as my stupid back is still giving me extreme grief. Hopefully my recent MRI scan will reveal what I know already, that it is f****d!

Moving on. This is a crackingly good book.

Armies, Allies and Enemies of the Khmer Empire (Volume 1: The Khmer Empire and its Army 802–1430 CE) by Mark G. Fry is one of the latest titles in Helion’s ‘A Time of Knights 400CE–1453CE’ series. As the title suggests, this volume turns the spotlight firmly on the Khmer Empire and, in particular, the army that helped sustain it.

For many readers, the Khmer Empire may immediately bring to mind the great towers and carvings of Angkor Wat. This book makes it clear that there was far more to the empire than monumental architecture. Fry presents the Khmer as a military power with a sophisticated, varied, and highly adaptable fighting force, and he does so in a way that is lively and easy to follow.

The book focuses on the empire’s great period of expansion and influence, from 802 to 1430 CE. Rather than simply moving through a list of rulers, battles, and dates, Fry explains how the Khmer army actually worked. One of the strongest parts of the book is the way it breaks down the different elements of the force, from elite palace guards to the peasant levies who formed such an important part of the army. The discussion of weapons is equally engaging, covering everything from composite bows to early black-powder weapons and elephant-mounted ballistae. Elephants receive plenty of attention too, with two chapters looking at Khmer war elephants and their practical uses, including their carrying capacity. Fry also gives a clear sense of the difficulties commanders faced when campaigning through the demanding, monsoon-shaped landscape of mainland Southeast Asia.

For me, the visual material is one of the book’s biggest strengths. The cover gives a good indication of what to expect inside, but the specially commissioned colour plates are even better: vivid, carefully researched, and full of character. They draw heavily on the bas-reliefs of Angkorian temples, which gives them a strong sense of authenticity. These are supported by a generous selection of black-and-white images, many showing temple details that help ground the reconstructions in real evidence.

Anyone interested in historical wargaming, miniature painting, or military reconstruction will find a great deal to enjoy here. The book includes useful detail on armour, clothing, weapons, and organisation, making it easy to imagine how these forces might look on the tabletop or in a modelling project. I can actually remember when a newly-available range of Khmer miniatures appeared perhaps in the 80's? For a time they were a super army, but I have no idea who made the figures.

Overall, Armies, Allies and Enemies of the Khmer Empire is an accessible and rewarding read. It manages to be informative without becoming heavy or overly academic, so it should appeal to casual history readers as well as dedicated wargamers and enthusiasts. If you are looking to move beyond the familiar world of medieval Europe and explore a very different military tradition, this is an excellent place to begin.

And yes, there are elephants — which certainly does not hurt. 

ISBN:978-1-804519-95-0                243 pages          Soft covers

Regiment La Tour d’Auvergne - UPDATED PHOTOS

The regiment in action with some jazzing up from AI

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 Régiment de La Tour d'Auvergne was a light infantry regiment created by Napoleon Bonaparte in September 1805. Its first colonel was Godefroy Maurice Marie Joseph de La Tour d'Auvergne (1805–1808 I think). He was a Royalist who had reconciled with the Empire. Composed primarily of Austrian prisoners of war and men of various nationalities, it served under the French in Italy and Spain before being renamed the 1er Régiment Étranger (1st Foreign Regiment) in 1811. 

It doesn't fit in with the rest of my French, who are primarily organised for 1806–1808 in Northern Europe, but I was attracted to the regiment. 

Another review, this time of something a bit different but no less interesting...

 

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 review.

 

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

Sassanid Commanders

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....

Another Gem from Bruno

 

Bruno Mugnai’s Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV, Volume 9: The Swedish Army, 1655–1700 is a hefty tome but less a heavy academic slog and more a sharply focused visual guide to one of early modern Europe’s most effective armies. The writing gets to the point quickly, explaining how the Swedish military worked in practice without drowning the reader in theory or debate. You come away with a clear sense of how the allotment system functioned, why those famous blue coats mattered, and how Sweden’s growing preference for hard hitting shock tactics shaped its battlefield reputation. The sections on weapons and equipment are especially useful, covering the shift to flintlock muskets, the continued presence of pikes, and artillery designed for speed rather than brute force.

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

Sassanids (99%) Finished!

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.

 Elite cavalry (lances need adding)

Slingers, heavy infantry and behind them levy infantry.

Close up of the Neyze-Daran heavy infantry. Shields still to add, planted in a row to their front.

More heavy cavalry.

 

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.

Three units of Clibinarii.

A few more armoured cavalry.

Horse archers

The entire host arrayed for battle.

So there you have it. Very colourful, plentiful and hopefully in the future successful. I am very pleased with the way they’ve turned out, especially the basing which I think I have got right. Now I just need to relearn ‘Sword and Spear’ in preparation for a game.

I must say a big thanks to Barry for kick starting the painting on this project.