The Founding of the Swiss Militarry System 1300–1400

 

Albert Winkler’s The Founding of the Swiss Military System, 1300–1400 is one of those history books that might look super serious on the cover— but once you get into it, it is actually a really approachable deep dive into how the early Swiss basically reinvented the idea of infantry warfare.

This is not a dry academic slog. Winkler writes like someone who genuinely enjoys explaining why a bunch of alpine farmers suddenly became Europe’s most annoying problem for mounted knights. The whole thing feels like a guided tour through four key battles, each with its own flavour; Morgarten, with its chaotic ambush energy, Laupen,  Sempach and Näfels. There is even a chapter on a subject I knew absolutely nothing about, ‘The Gugler Invasion’, where the Swiss faced the prospect of meeting the famed English longbowmen in battle when, in 1375 the latter invaded (unsuccessfully) Swiss lands before withdrawing due, among other things, to lack of shelter, provisions, the weather (it being Christmas) and several Swiss successes in a number of ambushes, raids and other small actions.

Winkler ties all of the narrative together into an account of how the Swiss Confederation was forming politically, which makes the battles feel like part of a bigger picture rather than isolated medieval dust ups. Winkler has a knack for explaining why Swiss infantry mattered without drowning you in jargon, and he is honest about the myths — the heroic stories, the patriotic retellings — and is good at separating legend from what actually happened. The pacing is quick and I never felt stuck in a swamp of footnotes.

The book is well served with a large number of contemporary black and white illustrations, a couple of photos of surviving weaponry and some useful maps. The super colour images on the front and back covers are striking in their simplicity.

If you are into medieval warfare, Swiss history, this book is great. It is compact, readable, and surprisingly lively for a study of fourteenth century battles. Plus, it gives you a solid sense of how a group of small mountain communities ended up shaping European military tactics for generations.

ISBN: 978-1-806720-66-8 119 pages Paperback

English Armies in France During the `Hundred Years' War

 English Armies in France During the Hundred Years’ War, 1337–1453 offers a detailed account of England’s military presence in France. Rather than concentrating solely on celebrated battles, Peter Hoskins examines how soldiers were recruited, how campaigns were sustained, what life was like in garrisons, and the practical experiences of men serving in the field.

The book effectively explains the systems used to assemble, provision, and support armies operating overseas. These discussions reveal the remarkably extensive organisation that underpinned England’s military achievements during the Hundred Years’ War.

Ten specially commissioned, full-page colour plates depict the range of troops found in the army, from commanders to the lowliest foot soldiers. These plates really ‘pop’, providing a superb visual guide to the army’s composition, and each is supported by its own commentary. Hidden towards the back of the book is another piece of original artwork: a French hand gunner lurking behind his pavise – what else? Finally, there are a couple of contemporary colour images taken from fifteenth-century scrolls, along with a dizzying number of black-and-white photographs of surviving and reproduction arms, armour, and weaponry. All this splendid imagery is underpinned by solid research, making the volume approachable for the general reader while retaining its value for dedicated students of medieval warfare.

I strongly recommend this book as a worthy contribution to the A Time of Knights series.

ISBN: 978-1-804519-97-4 157 Pages Paperback

A little progress as my mojo is returning….

If anyone is still checking in the tumbleweed city that has been this blog, well, times they are a changin'. Okay, slowly does it. I managed to focus on a selection of command stands and other ephemera that I unearthed from beneath the disaster area that passes for my painting station. 

So here they are.

Two shots of a new Argentine commander and two Brazillians for my War of the Triple Alliance project.

A selection of generals for my 1807–1809 Russian Napoleonic project.

A lone Napoleonic Swedish ADC

French generals June 1940. Divisional command base for the 1st DCM.

Lastly some civilian bits for my Italian Wars armies. Well, the woman doing a belly dance is maybe better placed elsewhere, but the stocks and garotte are good for my Spanish.

The camera on my phone is not its best these days but even now it can pick out the bits I missed!

1500 Posts 🥳💥🥳🎉🍾🎊

This is my 1,500th post, which in a little over 16 years is okay I guess although things have been very quiet of late. Fingers crossed things will improve….

Hooray for me and thanks to everyone for reading my stuff.

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