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....