"Thoughts on "Armies of the Napoleonic Wars"?" Topic

link

Anyone own this and can give a few thoughts?

Yes I do! All it is, is a compilation of Osprey Men-At-Arms series of booklets put into one volume. So if you have the titles already, it will be pointless getting this book as the illustrations and text are the same. Unless that is, you want to condense your library.

Paul :)

Well, I don't own /any/ Osprey books for that period, so that sounds like a fantastic deal then :)

@Weasel: I wonder if my Napoleonic AAR sparked some interest in the period?

Hello as stated this is a compendium of the Osprey books and is an excellent introduction to the period.

I find it most useful but if you want depth to a given subject then you will need specific reference sources.

Well recommended.

Chris

It's not a book I find particularly useful. It does feel like something that has been cobbled together rather than a coherent work. The illustrations are nice but don't always seem to have much relevance to the text.

It's not a book I would sit and read for pleasure nor is it a reference book that I would ever bother to refer to. My copy sits on the shelf gathering dust.

Having said that, there is not much competition out there when it comes to a general introduction to the armies of the period. Digby Smith's Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars might be worth considering: link

However, as the title suggests, this is more of a uniform guide and doesn't touch on organisation and tactics in the way the Osprey title does.

SJDonovan's opening sentence I would second 100%.

It is however remarkable value, if you have never opened an Osprey book before. It packs together several titles at a fraction of the cost. If you know your British and French and Prussians already, if you have the relevant Osprey titles, if you think you have no interest beyond these countries, then there is nothing there for you.

It could then however be seen as a "starter" or a "taster" for Austria, Russia and especially Spain/Portugal uniforms and armies. I would frankly recommend it more for the armies in which you think you have no interest therefore!

It is also interesting to see how characteristic is the work of the various illustrators. A matter of taste, some better than others but all instantly recognisable. (and far better, I think, than some of the recent comic book style, all action, frantic images in recent releases).

I was lucky enough to pick up a similar earlier compendium "Napoleon's Cavalry", all the early Osprey releases in one hardback. ……..and very cheap in a second hand bookshop

While not a definitive reference, it belongs on your shelf with others. I refer to it for overviews before I move on to buying more detailed, specialized works. And for the price, it's really worth it.

I appreciate the viewpoints.

I think in my particular situation, it will be a book to pick up.

@Shelldrake – It was definitely part of it :-)

The paperback costs more than the hardcover ?

I own it and like it.

Raylev3/Sjdonovan – My hope was mostly as a quick reference for painting, from the perspective of someone without any books on that specific topic.

I have a few other books that cover tactics and such like.

Hi Weasel. I don't think it is much use as a painting guide. There are a lot of color plates but they are not fully annotated (you don't get the detailed descriptions you would find if you bought individual Osprey uniform guides). The Digby Smith Encyclopedia will give you more information but it also can be confusing on times (in my opinion it tries to cover far too much ground and doesn't do it very well).

I think you would find it less frustrating to buy a book that covers the particular army you wish to paint rather than a more general work that covers all the major combatants.

Appreciate the feedback.

Is there anything out there that is a decent "painters guide" covering the main armies, or are individual books the better option?

As far as I know, no such book exists (which is odd because it feels like a huge gap in the market). I think individual books for the armies you are interested in are the only way to go.

As has been mentioned on another thread, the Rawkins guides, available as PDF downloads, are ridiculously good value and about as comprehensive as you are likely to find: link

I'll take a glance at that one as well.

Yeah, it does seem like an odd gap doesn't it? :)

I have it. It is not a good guide for painting uniforms. It does give a basic synopsis of how the different armies were set up.

For a one stop reference on uniforms the closest you can get is Smith's book mentioned above. It has its shortcomings and errors but is the closest to a one stop uniform guide.

I also have Smith's original book Armies of the Napoleonic Wars published in the 70's under his pen name Otto Von Pivka. It is more comprehensive and a better reference but relies more on descriptions than illustrations. Much of his later book is a rehash of write ups in this book. You may be able to find it on the second hand market.

I think it's a nice book for anyone starting out in the period or as a present for anyone interested in getting into it.

I'd have killed for something like this when I was a teenager.

There again that was about twenty years after the events mentioned in the book, or at least that's what it feels like!

Same was said for the Funken books in the 80's. Wonder how many of us Hard Corp Nap minis folks cut our painting teeth using those two books and can still remember the excitement they inspired?

Weasel- Go for it! (Like you said.) Just be mindful that there are better resources out there but until you decide on what country you enjoy the most, stick to plan "A".

Most of all, have fun painting and becoming familiar with the lexicon of the period.

v/r
Tom

Master of the World

We Shall Meet in Vienna

both campaign guides for ESR have extensive uniform painting guides included for periods and OoBs covered

other guides too

they use most of the references listed by others and include some variations too

Dye – The lexicon for sure is a challenge.

The crazy thing is that you can have a pretty solid understanding how troops actually moved and fought, what ranges different things engaged at, etc. and still be completely baffled by the names for all hte little bits of the uniform :-)

@Dye4minis – I still have my Funken books and was looking at them yesterday in fact.

@Weasel I am seriously thinking of getting this book: link

and if you want great detail on the British, then this book isone of the best (if you can find a copy that is) link

edit – ps, I just sent you an email to help