"Latest Osprey MAA in the Belgian Army WW1" Topic

Just finished reading this. Knew little about the Belgians. Now know more. Would recommend! A good addition to the MAA WW1 series.

Hi Tommy

I'm quite tempted by this book – where did you get it and what price?

Thanks

Phil

Got mine from play.com

£7.49 GBP inc postage in UK

Sorry I did not like it all. Hardly any information on equipment (HMG, mortars etc.) nothing on ranks, nothing on the garde civique, nothing on the gendarmerie. Poor plates (that trench raid !!!)Every late war soldier with a helmet cover, the king with puttees ?, differences between the plates and the text (early war backpack)

I was very disappointed. A complete absence of any information on organisation below battalion level and no examination of tactics used. I'd also agree with Carlusone, the plats were pretty dire. I wish Osprey would be more consistent in their presentation; there seems to be no set format followed with their titles.

Much depends on what you are after. As an introduction to the subject (and cheap at £6.99 GBP post free from Amazon UK) I thought it was fine. In the format of MAA with only limited number of pages (40 odd) one can not expect the definitive work on the subject. Good grief… it took the great Mike Chappell at least five Osprey titles just to cover the British Army in WW1 and even then these books form only part of my collection on the British Army in the Great War. That's the fun isn't it? Start somewhere…get interested…read more? Or am I out of place among the "one stop" generation.

Yep! The trench raid illustration is horrid… but the rest are fine, especially the 1914 cavalry and the early ear infantryman with a cardboard peak on his hat. One could complain that every illustration of post 1915 infantry show them in helmet covers but are we really so slavish that we can't draw our own conclusions when we look at photographs elsewhere?

I don't game…I paint…and as such it's given me some useful starting points…especially for the early war period when GWM realse their Belgians.

If I wanted a book that went into as much detail as Carlusone desires, heavily garnished with detailed photographic illustrations and supporting text, I wouldn't look at a book that cost seven quid with less than 50 pages.

still (an I am no fan of MAA) where's a better book on the subject?

well there is a major problem with the backpack on the early war figures (both Mollo and Funcken got that also wrong)The text got it right but the illustrations got it wrong.

Agree with you Tommy, I have the book as well. A good first step , I,m collecting ww1belgians in 15mm . Jgawne I suggest you try abebooks and. Search under ww1belgium .