The holidays are here, so we hope that you take some time to host or attend a game with whatever Wargaming Santa may have brought. And if Wargaming Santa bypassed your house or left it to you to decide, On Military Matters has a sleigh-full of new items to ring in the new year. Check our website onmilitarymatters.com over the last couple weeks to see what arrived, and check out the following to see what is coming to town in the next two to three weeks.
BOOKS…
BOWMEN OF ENGLAND Reprint of a classic book by Don Featherstone. From the 12th to 15th centuries, the longbow was the weapon that changed European history more than any other. In the skilled hands of English and Welsh archers, it revolutionized all the medieval concepts and traditions of war. No other weapon dominated the battlefield as it did, and it was the winning factor in every major battle from Morlaix in 1342 to Patay in 1429.
Donald Featherstone's study of the English longbow from its early development until the Wars of the Roses is an inspiring and authentic reconstruction in human terms in an age of courage, vitality and endurance. He provides an enthralling footnote to the history of the longbow by recording the engagement in which it was last used – in France in 1940. One volume, 164 pages, 2012, U.K. new-pb $25.00 USD
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FELDGRAU 1915-16: The War and Peace Time Uniforms of the German Army – The Official Regulations of 1915-1916 From 1907-15, the uniforms of the German Army went through dramatic changes when Prussian blue was transformed into the new 'feldgrau', or field gray. The next change came in 1915 with the introduction of the new field gray wartime and peacetime uniforms. This volume combines three period volumes and each is illustrated in color and refer only to the 1915 wartime and peacetime uniforms: 1. Deutchlands Armee in feldgrauer Kriegs-und-Friedens-Uniform; 2. Feldgrau in Krieg und Frieden, Berlin 1916; 3. Die Feldgrau Friedens-und Kriegs-Bekleiding der K. Bayerischen Armee, Munich 1916. 200+ color images. One volume, 240 pages, 2011, ATGLEN, SCHIFFER BOOKS new-dj, available mid January 2012 $70.00 USD
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MATCHLOCKS TO FLINTLOCKS: Warfare in Europe and Beyond 1500-1700 In the early modern world, three dominant cultures of war were shaped by a synergy of their internal and external interactions. One was Latin Christian Western Europe. Another was Ottoman Islam. The third, no less vital for so often being overlooked, was east-central Europe: Poland/Lithuania, Livonia, Russia, and the freebooting Cossacks – a volatile mix of variations on a general Christian theme. William Urban's fascinating narrative is an integrated account of early modern war at the sharp end: of campaigns and battles, soldiers and generals. Temporally it extends from the French invasion of Italy in 1494 to Austria's Balkan victories culminating in the 1718 Treaty of Peterwardein. Geographically it covers ground from the Low Countries to the depths of the Ukraine. $50.00 USD
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CHARGING AGAINST WELLINGTON: The French Cavalry in the Peninsular War, 1807-1814 Eight pages of color plates, biblio, index. The book is divided into three sections. The first contains biographies of 80 generals who led the French cavalry, focusing on the time they served in the Peninsula and its impact on their careers. The second section looks at the ever-changing organization of the cavalry, where the various regiments and brigades were located and who commanded them. The third section looks at the service record of the 70+ French cavalry regiments that fought in Spain and Portugal. There is a table for each regiment that tracks the regiment's colonels, composition, organization, strength, and casualties while in the Peninsula, and when its various squadrons arrived and departed. 352 pages. $50.00 USD
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THE BRITISH ARMY AGAINST NAPOLEON: Facts, Lists and Trivia 1805-1815 Sixteen pages of color plates, biblio, index. McGuigan and Burnham have collected a tremendous treasure trove of information in a readily accessible form. Other books may tell you how many regiments were sent on the expedition to Hanover in 1805, but The British Army against Napoleon will tell you where every single regiment in the British army was stationed, who were their honorary colonels, and give you a list of all the barracks in Britain with the number of men they were designed to hold. $50.00 USD
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HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1866 IN ITALY This is a translation of the 1867 work by Alexander Hold, Geschichte der Feldzugs in Italien 1866, which describes in detail the campaign of the previous year, fought between the armed forces of the Austrian empire and the kingdom of Italy in the Austrian province of Venetia and the southern Tyrol and on the Adriatic Sea. This new translation by Stuart Sutherland, who also supplies extensive explanatory notes, is an important contribution to the literature available for this most interesting and important 19th Century campaign, providing a very detailed account not only of the principal Battle of Custoza, but also the Campaign in the Tyrol, and the naval war in the Adriatic that culminated in the Battle of Lissa. $50.00 USD
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THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-1871 – Volume 1: The Campaign of Sedan, Helmuth von Moltke and the Overthrow of the Second Empire This first part of this new two-volume military history of the Franco-Prussian War presents a detailed account of the war between Germany and France. All of the battles in the opening round of the war are described in detail, including Weissenburg, Worth, Spicheren, Borny-Colombey, Mars la Tour, Gravelotte, Beaumont, and Sedan. The book ends as the Second Empire of Napoleon III lies defeated, crushed by the German armies directed by von Moltke. The author has made full use of an extensive number of German and French language sources. His detailed text is accompanied by a number of black and white illustrations and battle maps. Orders of battle are also provided. 74 black-and-white illustrations, 18 maps, bibliography, index, one volume, 356 pages, $60.00 USD
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THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-1871 – Volume 2: After Sedan Helmuth von Moltke and the Defeat of the Government of National Defense This second part of this comprehensive all-new two-volume military history of the Franco-Prussian War continues the narrative from the fall of the Second Empire until the ending of the war and the founding of a unified Germany. The war against the Government of National Defense presented quite different problems to von Moltke and his staff. Although the Siege of Paris loomed large during the second phase of the war, the author fully explores events in other parts of France, including the siege of Strasbourg, the activities of the Francs Tireurs, the investment of Metz, and the battle against the French armies of the Loire, the North, and the East. 97 black-and-white illustrations, 22 maps, bibliography, index, one volume, 356 pages, $60.00 USD
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CAPORETTO AND THE ISONZO CAMPAIGN: The Italian Front 1915-1918 The description of the Isonzo battles, battlefields, and atrocious conditions in which the soldiers lived and fought is supported by a graphic selection of original photographs that record the terrible reality of the conflict. The impact of the intervention of British, French, and German troops is covered, as are the parts played by famous individuals – among them Rommel, Mussolini, Badoglio, and Cadorna, the notorious Italian commander in chief. But it is the front-line experience of the common soldiers on both sides that is most powerfully portrayed. 130 black-and-white illustrations, bibliography, index. One volume, 208 pages, $40.00 USD
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JAPAN'S LAST BID FOR VICTORY: The Invasion of India, 1944 Original documents, published works, and personal accounts to weave together an enthralling account of some of the bitterest fighting of WWII in Burma and Kohima and Imphal in 1944. Not only does Lyman use British sources for his research but he has also included material from the Naga tribes of north-east India, on whose land these battles were fought, and from Japanese accounts, including interviews with Japanese veterans of the fighting. Thus he has been able to produce what is arguably the most balanced history of the battles that were pivotal in ending the Japanese empire. 32 black-and-white illustrations and ten maps. One volume, 304 pages, $50.00 USD
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WHILE BERLIN BURNS: The Memoirs of Hans-Georg von Studnitz From 1943 to 1945, while his world was deafened by the sounds of war as Germany fought on hopelessly, Hans-Georg von Studnitz – from his vantage point in the German Foreign Office Press and Information Section – recorded the day-to-day events in Berlin. He was in the perfect position to write such an account: he was entrusted with the drafting of Nazi political directives and was in constant touch with the foreign diplomats stationed in Berlin. This is a fascinating and comprehensive insight into life in Berlin: the bombings and its effects, the social life, the key personalities and events. Studnitz writes with the trained skill of a journalist and a political commentator, and his account has few equals in the literature of memoirs. $40.00 USD
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CHINESE HORDES AND HUMAN WAVES: A Personal Perspective of the Korean War 1950-1953 The author, then a young gunner officer, found himself in the midst of this very nasty war. He describes firsthand what it was like to be at the infamous Battle of the Hook, where U.N. troops held off massed attacks by the Communists. Few outside the war zone realized just how horrific conditions were. As a qualified Chinese interpreter and, later, a senior military intelligence officer, Parritt is well placed to analyze why the Commonwealth got involved, the mistakes and successes, and the extreme risk that the war represented. This is not only a fine memoir but a unique insight into a forgotten war. One volume, 224 pages, $40.00 USD
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MAGAZINES…
WORLD AT WAR 22: Minsk '44 The second game in Joseph Miranda's new East Front Battles series, which began with Guards Tank in issue 13 – covers the crucial exploitation phase of the great Soviet summer offensive against the Germans' Army Group Center, in June of 1944. The game utilizes the classic quad series rules' mechanics and a retreat-emphasizing differential combat system to encourage encirclement tactics, so typical of Soviet armor strategy during World War II. Minsk is a two-player (Soviet versus German) operational-level game. The game includes 228 medium-sized, die-cut counters, with the division as the primary maneuver unit, and also includes air units, untried units, blown-bridge markers, and headquarters units. The colorful map features the area of the Third Belorussian Front during Operation Bagration, with each hex representing approximately two miles across, and includes such prominent locations as Berezina and the transportation center of Minsk.
Other articles include:
* Green U.S. Forces at Kasserine, 1943. The fierce German counterattack against rookie U.S. forces in North Africa that led to Patton's promotion to army command.
* Savo Island. A revisionist interpretation of this near-miss Japanese naval victory off the coast of Guadalcanal late in 1942.
* Hitler's Military Conferences. An analysis of the procedures Hitler used to arrive at his big military decisions
One volume, 62 pages, $30.00 USD
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S&T 273 – Reichswehr & Freikorps Two-player (Soviet versus German) strategic-level game, designed by Brian Train and Ty Bomba. The game includes 176 large-sized die-cut counters, with the division as the primary maneuver unit, including infantry, naval infantry, cavalry and armored car units. The colorful map features the German/Polish border, with each hex representing approximately 15 miles across, and includes such prominent locations as Danzig, as well as various charts and tables for easy reference during play. The rules entail a variety of standard and unique rules, such as Fog of War, Port Supply, Railroad Movement, Replacements, Red Army Morale, German Sudden Death Victory Conditions, Red Army Sudden Death Victory Conditions, and the full range of historical unit types, such as the East Prussian Volunteer Light Infantry Corps and Fedotov's Detachment, etc. $30.00 USD
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DON'T FORGET THE MINIATURES RULES…
COMBAT ACTION COMMAND: WWII Miniatures Rules for 10/12mm, 15mm, & 20mm Battles Clever new set of rules offers great WWII action!
* Full color throughout, with detailed explanations of key concepts and necessary markers (can be copied)
* Command a platoon up to a company
* Geared for 15mm, but can use 10mm, 12mm, and 20mm figures – NO REBASING
* Each Team stand equals one troop squad or a single tank, vehicle, or gun
* Asymmetric turn sequence with 'CAC' interrupt allows you to size up the situation, seize initiative, and coordinate small unit attacks and defense
* Clever Data Cards for each unique Team account for training, morale, experience, and weaponry – you spend more time commanding, not stat counting
* Includes 24 Data Cards covering major U.S., German, and Soviet units, plus artillery, aircraft, AA, snipers, HQs, mortars, and specialty weapons like Molotov cocktails and sticky bombs.
* Points system for tournaments and balanced scenarios
* Two 1944 scenarios included – Saving Private Ryland (West Front) and Saving Feld Marshall Model (East Front)
* You need to provide: six-sided dice, twenty-sided dice, a scatter die, and ruler
Softcover, spiral-bound (so rules lay flat on table), one volume, 84 pages, 2011, U.S., published by On Military Matters. Order now – available early January 2012: $49.00 USD
Those of you in range of Maplewood, New Jersey, on Friday, December 30, and Saturday, December 31, can play CAC at MapleCon at the Maplewood Hobby Shop. Author Lee Sowers is running games both days.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
From all of us here at On Military Matters, we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!