Another Gem from Bruno

 

Bruno Mugnai’s Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV, Volume 1: 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.

Nowruz Mubarek and some Associated Little Men (work in progress)

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.

Japanese Military Uniforms 1841–1929

This volume in the Asia@War Series offers a fascinating look at the development of Japanese military uniforms during one of the most transformative periods in Japan’s history. Covering the years from the late Tokugawa era through to the early twentieth century, the book traces how Japan’s armed forces evolved visually and structurally as the country modernised and emerged as a major military power.

One of the most interesting sections focuses on the final decades of the Shogunate. Here the author explores the mix of traditional Japanese dress and early Western military influence that began appearing in the 1840s and 1850s. These uniforms reflect a military establishment in transition, experimenting with foreign styles while still rooted in older traditions.

The book then moves into the dramatic changes that followed the Meiji Restoration. During this period Japan rapidly restructured its military along European lines, and the uniforms documented here show clear influences from French and later German designs. Nakanishi does a good job highlighting how these imported styles were adapted to Japanese needs, producing distinctive uniforms that blended Western military fashion with local practicality.

Another key section covers the period around the Russo-Japanese War. By this point Japan had developed a professional modern army, and the uniforms illustrated in the book reflect a force that had come into its own. Field uniforms, parade dress, and specialist equipment are all examined, showing the increasing sophistication of the Japanese military establishment.

Visually, the book is one of the strongest entries in the series. The numerous and detailed colour illustrations provide clear views of different ranks, branches, and uniform variations. For readers interested in military history, wargaming, or historical modelling, these plates are particularly useful for understanding how uniforms changed over time.

Overall, this is a concise but informative study that successfully captures the evolution of Japanese military dress from the twilight of the samurai age to the modern army of the early twentieth century. Accessible and lavishly illustrated, it’s an enjoyable and useful reference for anyone interested in the military history of Japan. 

Of course, this volume will be invaluable for anyone motivated by my recent reviews of Sunstruck Giant, covering the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 to dig deep into the uniforms of the Japanese armed forces. I include myself in that category......

ISBN: 978-1-804517-73-4                        88 Pages                          Paperback

The Russian History of the War of 1813, Vol 2

 

This large second volume of Modest Ivanovich Bogdanovich’s The Russian History of the War of 1813 carries on the job of telling the story of the campaign from a point of view we don’t get nearly often enough. A lot of the credit has to go to Peter G. A. Phillips’ translation, which manages to keep the nineteenth century feel of the original without making it heavy or hard work to read.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is how clearly Bogdanovich explains events that are often rushed through or told mainly from French or German perspectives. Here, the Russian side of the story really comes to the fore. He walks the reader through movements, decisions, and mistakes in a calm, straightforward way, which makes the whole account feel measured and trustworthy. There is no chest beating or drama for its own sake—just a solid attempt to explain what happened and why.

The detail on operations is where the book really shines. Bogdanovich gets into the nuts and bolts of coalition warfare, showing how awkward and fragile alliances could be, and how much effort went into keeping them together. He is also very good on logistics, making it clear just how much supply problems, coordination, and sheer exhaustion shaped the campaign. Along the way, you get brief but useful glimpses of the people involved too—commanders juggling competing interests, officers adapting on the fly, and armies trying to recover after years of hard fighting.

The translation makes all of this easy to follow without sanding off the book’s original character. It still feels very much like a Russian military history written in the nineteenth century, but never in a way that feels dated or awkward. Notes and explanations are kept to a sensible minimum and tend to help rather than distract.

As one has come to expect from Helion’s Reason to Revolution series, the book itself is well put together. The maps are clear, the illustrations are relevant, and the overall presentation supports the text without turning it into something overly academic or intimidating.

If like me you are interested in the later Napoleonic Wars, coalition warfare, or Russian military history more generally, this volume is well worth your time. It fills in a lot of gaps, offers a perspective that is often pushed into the background, and does so in a way that is detailed, balanced, and genuinely engaging.

From Reason to Revolution 1722–1815 No. 156

ISBN: 978-1-804518-21-2 550 Pages Paperback

Sino-Japanese War 1894–1895

 

John Dong’s hefty second volume of Sunstruck Giant, The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 is a confident, clear-eyed continuation that picks up exactly where the first left off—immersing the reader in the closing stages of the First Sino-Japanese War with the same calm authority, sharp detail, and unshowy narrative control that made volume 1 such a pleasant surprise.

Where the first volume established the foundations such as structures, doctrines, and the contrasting cultures of two late-nineteenth-century militaries, the second moves decisively into the meat of the campaign. Dong analyses the war’s later operations with an admirable balance: he neither romanticises nor ridicules either side, and instead opts for a measured assessment grounded firmly in contemporary sources. It feels refreshingly even-handed.

The real strength of this volume is how Dong explains both success and failure without resorting to simple caricatures. Japanese efficiency is not portrayed as an inevitability, nor is Qing collapse treated as pre-ordained. Instead, Dong takes the reader through the unravelling of systems—logistics under strain, command structures buckling, political interference compounding battlefield weaknesses. His analysis of decision-making at the operational level is one of the book’s real highlights.

As in the first volume, the battles are described cleanly and without clutter. There is enough tactical detail to give the wargamer or military historian something to chew on, but never so much that the wider picture becomes obscured. The final chapters, dealing with the campaign’s aftermath and the broader consequences for East Asia, are particularly effective—crisp, confident, and never slipping into textbook detachment.

Production-wise, Helion continue to play to their strengths. The maps are clear, the colour plates are as one would expect, being vividly colourful and full of action. The black and white illustrations are numerous and well chosen, and the overall presentation supports rather than overwhelms the narrative.

In short, this volume is a worthy continuation of what the first started: a thoughtful, well-constructed, and highly readable account of a war that deserves far more attention than it has traditionally received. Dong closes out his study with assurance and insight, making this pair of volumes an easy recommendation for anyone interested in late-Qing military history, Meiji Japan, or the shifting balance of power that shaped modern East Asia.

ISBN:978-1-806721-53-5 430 Pages Paperback

Blitzkreig’s Got Talent🎹🎹🎵🎶🎼

Another little bit of fun – 3D resin prints. The guy singing is actually a spare gunner I found on my desk. 

I really MUST make a start on my French cavalry (11th Cuirassiers). With dismounts for everything they look a little daunting but to be honest there wont be much to them as and when I slap some paint on. 

Then, hopefully. by the end of the month I might have lost the urge to paint up zillions of my remaining 1940 French, British and Germans and start on my 'secret' project (it'll be a choice of three).