British Commanders War of Austrian Succession or 7 Years War

 

I am now back to my “normal” state after over a week of struggling with troublesome bodily parts.  Last night I completed these command figures for my Anglo-Hanoverians for the War of Austrian Succession or Seven Years War. They’re all Cran Tara miniatures and we’re really enjoyable to paint, using a mixture of contrast paints, washes and hi-lights. They work for me and I’m certainly happy with the way they’ve turned out. I completed them in several short sessions over the past four or five days. 

Down but not out 2; “A hey and a ho and a nonny nonny no”🎼

The final addition to my French War of the Polish and/Austrian succession army. The Gardes Lorraine. There is some debate about whether they really had yellow coats, but they’re my toys and the only other people I know with this unit also have it in yellow coats. Very striking they are too. Figures are  the Irish Pickets from Cran Tara, except for two or three Black Hussar minis.

My back is much better today and I can almost stand up straight and move around less painfully. Thanks for the kind words after my last post. My condition is something I’ve lived with for seven years and that’ll never go away and will get worse over time. So I’d better keep painting while I can. 

This selection of odds and ends as well as the French battalion at the top of the post were completed over the weekend and based today, all painted and based by me.

The preceding three photos are of  my Late Medieval/Early Italian Wars band. Figures from Eureka.

These gentlemen are from Colonel Bills and depict a preacher berating a couple of soldiers with better things to do than listen to him! Meant to be ECW but will do for the 30YW or even into the 1670’s.

I’ve got hold of a different grade of budgie grit for my bass which I rather like. It was one of those 3 o’clock in the morning purchases; I thought I’d ordered a 2.5 kilo bag. No. I got a 25 kilo bag that’s almost too heavy to move! Never mind I’m decanting it slowly into the Burrow and the amount of stuff I have that needs basing will soon eat through my grit supplies!

Down but not out. Part 1

Despite being hors de combat for most of last week I did manage to finish a few odd and ends over the course of a number of short trips to my painting bombsite, er my painting desk, and a most eclectic mix of stuff it is too.

Here are my British infantry for the Seven Years War. I only have a brigade of four battalions and have neither the time, money or inclination to do any more, but of course might yet buy a battalion of the new Flags of War English when they are available.  To be honest these units have never seen the light of day but now that they have a commander that will change.

“The brigade will advance!” 

My brigadier is actually the Duke of Cumberland figure from Flags of War. 

HM 20th Foot lead the way (Warlord miniatures)

HM 87th Highlanders (Minden I think, or Cran Tara)

HM 51st Foot followed by HM 12th Foot (Foundry)

That’s the end of “Down but Not Out, part 1”

By Defeating My Enemies: A review

                                       

I have to say that I am very fortunate to be asked to review new books published by Helion and Co. This one is another excellent addition to the Century of the Soldier series and to the growing catalogue of books covering the Great Northern War. 

Charles XII was, in my opinion at least, a complex and very ‘driven’ character. This new biography “By Defeating My Enemies” by Michael Glaser is No. 60 in Helion’s superb and rapidly expanding ‘Century of the Soldier’ series is I think the first such work published in English in more than a generation and goes a long way to unpicking his character in great detail. After bringing us up to speed on the growth of the Swedish empire in the 17th century, the book explores every aspect of Charles’ life as absolute monarch and as an exceptional (if not always victorious general), facing multiple foes and seemingly insurmountable odds, and sharing the depredations of campaigning with his men. We start with his early life where the author analyses how his experiences as a young man influenced him in later years. Every chapter of Charles’ military achievements is covered in great detail; his early victories, the fateful march through the Ukraine, the crushing defeat at Poltava and the many years in exile in the Ottoman Empire. The final chapters take us with Charles as he escapes from exile, his return, defeat at Ruben and his controversial death in the trenches outside Fredriksten in Norway. The analysis of this final chapter in his life is fascinating and particularly enlightening, presenting the differing views relating to the fateful shot and where it came from. I had always been of the opinion that Charles was killed by ‘friendly fire’, intentional or otherwise, but the unpicking of the evidence makes that outcome increasingly unlikely. The final chapter looks at Charles the man, and does so extremely well (so far as that is possible) covering such delicate subjects as his sexuality, religion and alcohol to name but a few.

This book is full of excellent maps, reproductions of contemporary prints and more recent black and white photos (including those of Charles’ remains when he was exhumed and X-rayed in the early 20th century). There are also a number of colour photographs of Charles’ surviving boots and uniform.

This is an excellent and scholarly book, one that is easy to read and informative. It will certainly find a place on my book shelves, as indeed it should for anybody interested in Charles and the Great Northern War. I can’t recommend it enough.

A REALLY Quiet(ish) Week....

I honest to goodness have had a very, very quiet week. Almost a fortnight even. That’s not to say I’ve neglected the hobby, far from it, but the next game I know I am involved in will be on Saturday 5 December (unless Conrad is running one of his Thursday afternoon mini games this week). Painting has slowed a little as my main job this past week has been to start another massive dig out of the box(es) of doom in time to put some surplus stuff on eBay in the run up to Christmas. So far there’s very little in the way of unpainted figures that have found their way into the Ebay box, which more than suggests that I’ve not really been ruthless enough. Guilty your honour, but there are mitigating circumstances! 

Just about the only item I’ve actually finished is this Carraccio religious wagon for my Italian Wars Venetian army. The model is from 1st Corps, the figures are either Perry or Redoubt and the decals are also from 1st Corps. I made a mess of the decals for the banner so the Madonna is actually a trimmed down flag from Pete’s Flags.

For reasons forgotten long ago I have another of these beasts which I’ll do for the Papal army, or maybe my Florentine’s.  I’ve been working on some 18thC French infantry and some commanders which will be done tomorrow I reckon. The plinths and columns for my Italian city have also been populated with a few bronze statues of Greco-Roman hero types, and a few more civilians together with a late Medieval/Renaissance  ‘band ’ are nearing completion.

The Lion from the North volume 2 reviewed.

Number 59 in Helion’s ground-breaking series ‘Century of the Soldier’ is ‘The Lion from the North, the Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War: Volume 2, 1632-1648’. I’ve been waiting (not very) patiently for the arrival of this book, by Michael Fredholm Von Essen, for what seems like a long time. Pretty much everything I’ve read about the war stops shortly after the Swedish victory and Gustavus Adolfo’s’ demise at Luthen in 1632, so it is an understatement to say that is a most welcome addition. I’m not going to regurgitate the contents page, suffice to say that the author provides us with a scholarly analysis of the development of the Swedish army under the genius administration of Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna and the military skills of his Field Marshals. This excellent book is the result of a significant amount of research judging by the impressive array of contemporary and later sources listed at its conclusion. 

Well written, impressively detailed, lavishly illustrated, with 32 colour pages showing Swedish uniforms, flags and a lovely map of ‘Germany’ and the various ‘circles’ during the period covered, this book opens up a whole new area of research in the post-Lutzen Swedish army which hitherto, to my knowledge at least, has been largely overlooked in the English language. 

Not only do we get an account of operations leading up to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, but we get, as one would expect, an informed description of the Swedish army and how it was raised, maintained, armed and organised as well as pen pictures of each of its main commanders. As a bonus there are chapters on the war against Denmark, the development of the navy and a fascinating insight into the ultimately doomed Swedish attempts at setting up and maintaining  colonies in North America and West Africa. 

The publisher, editor and the author are to be commended on producing such a fascinating and engaging book. The result is no less than outstanding for anyone interested in the Thirty Years War. 

The Army of George II 1727-1760

The Army of George II 1727-1760 by Peter Brown is the 53rd publication in Helion’s ‘From Reason to Revolution’ series. I will cut to the chase and say that I found this book to be an immensely readable and informative study of a fascinating period in the development and history of the British army. I positively galloped through it into the early hours, well beyond ‘silly o’clock’.

The book is presented in the well tried structure of the majority of Helion publications in this and many other series, and, following the introduction covers every aspect of the Army, from, for example, recruitment and training of the common soldiers, discipline, the officers, each arm of service, medical services, colours and standards and so forth. All liberally dotted with a fine array of contemporary black and white illustrations and excepts from letters and journals. In fact the use of such excepts really brings the subject, and the writers, to life. In my usual ghoulish way I found the chapters on medical services, the experience of battle and the ‘Butcher’s Bill’ especially interesting and enlightening and as ever it amazes me what officers and men endured when on campaign, in battle and it’s aftermath. The chapters covering overseas service, in North America, India and other locations as far afield as Senegal and the Caribbean provide a useful insight into what was very unpopular and hazardous (from sickness especially) service abroad, and how the army adapted to the rigours of campaigning in the forests of North America to the dusty plains of India.

The book finishes with appendices dedicated to details of regiments raised during the Seven Years War and the uniforms of infantry, horse, dragoons and American Provincials.

As with pretty much every Helion publication we are of course treated to some gorgeous colour illustrations in the shape of nine pages of paintings by Patrice Courcelle and a further seven colour pages of re-enactors in period costume.

Overall then an excellent book and a must for anyone interested in the British army of this era. I have a small British contingent for my War of the Austrian Succession/ Seven Years War collection that has yet to march out of barracks and see service. Maybe this book will be the kick up the backside I need to remedy that!