"Danes, Norwegian and Ottomans - Oh, My!" Topic

For Christmas this year, I bought 3 books that were on the list – "Kongens Klaeder" by Karsten Skjold Petersen (available here: gad.dk/kongens-klaeder ) and 2 books in English – "The Napoleonic Ottoman Army" by C. Flaherty and "Danish and Norwegian Armies in the Napoleonic Wars" by G. Street, both published by Caliver Books – caliverbooks.com .

"Kongens Klaeder" ("The King's Clothes") is a mammoth book – 715 pages – on the Danish and Norwegian uniforms from 1765-1816 (roughly the 7YW to the end of the Napoleonic Wars) written by one of the curators of the Danish Defense Museum. It is THE book on the subject and covers every unit in detail down to buttons and piping. The book is profusely illustrated and is a masterpiece of book making as well. If you are interested in the Napoleonic Danes or Norwegians, this is THE book to get.

Along the same lines, the new book published by Caliver books and written by George Street is probably the best wargaming book in English on the Danish and Norwegian Nap. armies, though he makes the same mistake that most researchers on the Norwegian Nap. army make by commenting that the Norwegian grenadiers wore bearskins, without citing any evidence. Actually, the evidence doesn't exist that the Norwegian grenadiers were ever issued bearskins during the 1808 war with Sweden but might (and I stress 'might') have been issued them after the war. These were withdrawn and the grenadiers were issued shakos in 1810. Other than that minor quibble, this book does what it proclaims to do – it gives the wargamer adequate info to organize and paint the Danish and/or Norwegian armies of the Napoleonic period. However, I would take issue with one statement in which the author states that the Norwegian dragoons were trained to fight on foot and on horseback, that is true; however, records indicate that they were designed to be used as battle cavalry, the fact that they weren't doesn't detract from the fact that their training was primarily on horseback. However, it must be stressed that the terrain in Norway wasn't conducive to cavalry charges.

The book on the Ottomans is the best source wargamers have so far on the regular Ottoman Napoleonic army and Flaherty does an impressive job of gathering info on every branch of the Ottomans during the Napoleonic period (loose term). Profusely illustrated and well worth the money for anyone contemplating getting started on the Ottomans, it is an awesome book.

All in all, the three books are great additions to the growing library of uniform books.

Happy gaming!

Thanks for the information.

The book "kongens Klæder" do contain uniform detaol from ca 1660 to 1815, and i am painting in the moment danes and norwegians from GNW and WSS from this book.
It is really magnificient.

The grenadiers in the norwegian army in the nap wars had the 1789 grenadierhat, which looked like a russian hat, until 1810. From this year they used the normal infantry hat, but with a white feather with blue top.

Well, your post did cause me to go look up the Danish and Norwegian book…and then I see Helion is coming up with a Danish army series as well. Good time for Napoleonic gamers!

Drat! Danes and Norwegian Armies title looks like yet another book to add to my buy list.

Thank you for the overview of the Books, had to order the one on uniforms: Kongens klæder :)

What Napoleonic battles involved the Ottomans?

The Russians fought the Ottomans from 1807 to, I think, 1810.

Russo-Turkish War of 1806-12 by Alexander Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky
1806
Capture of Kotin and Bender
Action on the Ialomita River
Action at Ismail
1807
Actions Turbat & Giugiu
Blockcade of Ismail
Action at Obilesti
Action at Ismail
Assault at Akhalkalaki
Blockade of Poti
Actions at Gumri
Naval action at Tenedos
Naval battle at the Dardanelles
Naval battle at Mount Athos
1808
Coup d'état in Constantinople
1809
Assault on Girgiu
Siege of Braila
Actions in Serbia
Assault on Kladovo
Battle at Rassevat (Rasova)
Siege of Silistra
capture of Ismail
Actions in Serbia & Wallachia
Battle of Tartaritza
Capture of Braila
Capture of Poti
Taking of Anapa
1810
Siege & capture of Silistra
Failure at Varna & Ruse
Battle of Derekoy
Battle of Batin
Capture of Ruse & Giurgiu
Capture of Dudu
Actions of Zuccato
Siezure of Banya
Actions at Jasika & Varvarino
Capture of Gurgusovsty
battle of Akhalkalaki
Siege of Akhaltsikhe
Naval raid on Trabzon
failed attack on Trabzon
Capture of Sukhum Kale
1811
Capture of Lovech
Battle of Ruse
Actions on the banks of the Danube
Capture of Lom Palanka
Surrounding of the Turkish army at Ruse
Action at Kalafat
Capture of Akhalkalaki
Various Black Sea fleet actions

Note 1810 & 1811 the Persians were also involved in the Georgia area