Tuesday 5 November 2019

The Campaigns of Sir William Waller 1642-45

Another superb offering in the ever-expanding Century of the Soldier series from Helion by one of their regular authors Laurence Spring. I wouldn’t claim to be especially knowledgeable when it comes to the English Civil Wars beyond a lifelong interest that has for some reason never become more than a passing one. In that context then this book is excellent although I’m sure it’ll satisfy a broad spectrum of readers many of whom will be more (not difficult) expert than I. It whet my appetite for the subject and certainly rekindled my interest in the period as a whole. In fact it’s the sort of book that from a wargaming perspective is dangerous for the bank balance, or might be if I had any money in it! The book is well written and covers Waller’s campaigns in detail, including Roundway Down, Cheriton, Cropredy Bridge, Second Newbury and the 1644 campaign around Oxford. The text is well referenced and supported by numerous black and white contemporary illustrations, present day photographs and some nice maps. The central eight pages are a set of sumptuous original colour plates of uniforms and flags by talented artist Mark Allen. In addition there are a couple of useful appendices, in particular the one covering the logistics required to keep the army in the field. Recommended.

1 comment:

  1. That looks interesting. It’s a period that has s9me draw for me. So I better not pick it up or I’ll have another new project that I don’t need.

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