I have always been interested in the Thirty Years War but have always found the books available fall short and deal mainly with the politics of the period rather than the nuts and bolts side of history. This one does fit the bill very neatly. I have a liking for Tilly and Pappenheim and so took a chance on this and wasn't disappointed. Chapters on Clothing, Pay and Rations, Tactics, arming the soldiers, Civilians and soldiers all make very useful reading for the reenactor and wargamer. Soon is the anniversary of the Thirty Years War in 2018 so this kind of book will be essential reading to those recreating the armies of the time. It does cover more than just the Bavarian army and compares it to the practices in Swedish and other armies. All in all highy recommended.
At first I was a little disappointed with the book but now I'm into it I am far happier and it is certainly worth getting for TYW fans. maybe some colour illustrations would have been nice......?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the book contains surprisingly little about Bavarian army, while the author write about "Clothing, Pay and Rations, Tactics, arming the soldiers" much is about other armies while information about Bavarians is missing. But the missing information is in sources listed at the end of the book so why not include it.German too much work to read for English author?
ReplyDeleteDoes the book have any specific information about the catholic league uniforms? I'm interested in ordering it, but I'm afraid to find only a description of period civilian clothing in the chapter dealing with the soldiers' dress.
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