Have a great 2023

 

Francis Hawley

Movietone News Marston Moor

 Some old footage of the Sealed Knot back in its infancy (July1969). 

Gadebusch 1712

 Today's anniversary. Wiki. Also see below a Pdf in Danish on the battle.

Merry Christmas

 Seasons greetings. Remember if it snows make sure you get snowed in at your favourite pub!

Coming in the New Year from Stephen M. Carter

 Details here. Incidentally the cover image is the Royal English Regiment in 1673.

Denmark in the GNW (Gadebusch 1712) Pdf

 

Danish military magazine article. It's in Danish but is very well illustrated. 

Sweden and the Seven Years War

 It is hard to find much out about this. Pomeranian War

1756 Armémuseum

1985 Bath and West Show

 Thanks to Andy for this. For his history of Devereux's regiment. Sedgemoor tercentenary. I wasn't in it then I joined later that summer. ECWS did it. There was a reconstructed hamlet and a daily arena display. If you want to see photos go here

1765 Swedish

 From the Swedish Armémuseum

1765 Swedish uniforms

 More here. 

Alton 1643

 Today's anniversary. Wiki

David Morier 15th Light Dragoons

 

Kronoskaf on the regiment.

Some reading for December

 Got these from my local library loan service. I love libraries.

The Lady and the Highwaymen (1989)

 Do you remember this tv movie? Has Michael York as Charles II and has others like Oliver Reed and a young Hugh Grant. Wiki. It is based on a novel by Barbara Cartland. But if you have a fascination with bad movies it is in full on Youtube here

Irish brigade article

 Pierre-Louis Coudray discusses the inspiration behind his book More Furies than men. Here

Sweet Karoliners

 Article by Wargames Illustrated on the army of Charles XII owned by Charles Singleton. 28mm. It's a great piece. On YouTube

Philippa Gregory's new novel Dawnlands

 Thanks to Ursula for the heads up. Set in the Monmouth Rebellion. This is from her website.

The new historical novel from Philippa Gregory, the Number One bestselling author of Tidelands and Dark Tides.

The spellbinding Fairmile series continues as the fiercely independent Alinor and her family find themselves entangled in palace intrigue, political upheaval, and life-changing secrets in seventeenth-century England.

It is 1685, England is on the brink of a renewed civil war against the Stuart kings and many families are bitterly divided. Ned Ferryman cannot persuade his sister Alinor that he is right to return from America with his Pokanoket servant Rowan to join the rebel army. Instead, Alinor has been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save the queen from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.

Alinor’s son, Rob, is determined to stay clear of the war, but when he and his nephew set out to free Ned from execution for treason and Rowan from a convict deportation to Barbados, they find themselves enmeshed in the creation of an imposter Prince of Wales – a surrogate baby to the queen.

From the last battle in the desolate Somerset Levels to the hidden caves on the slave island of Barbados, this third volume of an epic story follows a family from one end of the empire to another, to find a new dawn in a world which is opening up before them with greater rewards and dangers than ever before.

Dawnlands will be out on 8 November 2022.

Grolle after film

 A successful 17th century event in the Netherlands. There are lessons to be learned from this event. Popular with UK reenactor too. 

The Three Musketeers trailer (2023)

 Stars Eva Green. 

Monmouth Rebellion novel by Gary Kearley

 A tale of loyalty, sacrifice, jealousy and betrayal set against the backdrop of the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

Nathaniel Carver and Thomas Edgecott are lifelong friends having been born within days of each other in the Dorset seaport of Lyme Regis in 1664. Nat works with his father John in the family smithy, Thomas is a shoemaker. William Pearce, a weaver from Taunton is old enough to be their father and gamekeeper Samuel White is older still, having fought with Oliver Cromwell at Marston Moor some twenty years before Nat and Thomas were born.

Nat, Thomas, John, William, Samuel and thousands of other ordinary West Country men are thrown together by the arrival of James, Duke of Monmouth, on the south coast in 1685, intent on wrestling the crown of England from his uncle, James II. The ill-fated rebellion will last for little more than three weeks but it will change all their lives forever.

The Army of Frederick the Great Christopher Duffy

 This classic work has been reprinted many times but originally came out in 1974. 

From Goodreads

It was a famous army, but it is not always understood. It was praised for introducing a revolution in the art of war and notorious for the brutality of its discipline, but how did this army really work? This is a study of the greatest army of its time by the finest historian of the wars of the 18th Century. The Prussian military machine is analyzed in detail, from top to bottom, from the mentality of the Junkers who led it to the way the men were clothed. The tactics, the recruitment, the finances of the military are laid bare. This is much more than a technical study, as we see how these regiments stood up to the test of the bloody battles of the Seven Years War and the long years of virtual imprisonment in barracks. The image of a formidable army forged by fear rather than leadership proves to be only partly true, but the tribulations of serving a hard taskmaster like Frederick the Great are well described by soldiers and observers of all ranks. The classic study of one of history's most famous armies has been heavily revised and updated through twenty more years of research and consideration. Now we can see the rise of the cavalry from the ridiculous to the superb, the once invincible infantry bleed white, and the light forces change from being negligible to being the terror of their enemies. A great army is made flesh and blood.

Leuthen 1757

 

Today's anniversary is the famous Prussian victory. Wiki

watch a clip from the 1933 movie Choral Von Leuthen

Lund 1676

 

Today's anniversary from the Scanian war..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lund

From Aleksandr Kabankov

 "Hello friends!))I present a figurine of an English Grenadier Guard during the War of the Spanish Succession.The figure is made for the company  Troop54 on a scale of 75 mm (1/22). The musket is the work of 3D master Oleg Derbasov."

Louis XV's army series by René Chartrand

 I was delighted when this series came out in the late 90s. Still rate it as very useful.

His Britannic Majesty's army in Germany Savory

 This book came out in 1966 and has been reprinted several times. Rated as a classic.

Hitting the shops from Strelets-R

 One for you 1/72 gamers. I found out the name of the artist who does the box set  - Anton Batov.

Aughrim December 3rd

 

Tudor Warfare Conference 2023

 

Nottingham Castle closes after a considerable revamp

 

Here on the BBC. Very sad.

Blog post on Pirate warfare by Rene Chartrand

Interesting article about Buccaneer and Pirate warfare in the age of Louis XIV. 

Soldier, Compagnies franches de la Marine of the Islands, 1675-76 Patrice Courcelle

Read the full blog here: https://helionbooks.wordpress.com/2022/11/21/the-armies-wars-of-the-sun-king-1643-1715-volume-5/

Buy the book here: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/the-armies-and-wars-of-the-sun-king-1643-1715-volume-5-buccaneers-and-soldiers-in-the-americas.php

The Military Experience in the Age of Reason

 If you have never read this book by Christopher Duffy I will humbly suggest you give it a read. As you can see it is available as a budget paperback so it can be acquired cheaply but that doesn't reflect the contents which are first rate. It first came out in 1987 and it's been one of my favourite books of any subject since then. It will give you an insight into the world of the Prussians and their contemporaries in a way that will enlighten you as it busts several myths such as the tyrannical drill instructor or the inept aristocratic officer. It is simply the best.

Christopher Duffy

Veteran author of the Seven Years War and Jacobite Rebellion and all round very knowledgeable chap has passed away. Wiki

Lützen 1632

 Today's anniversary is this battle of the Thirty Years War. 

Artwork by Serge Shamenkov for a forthcoming Helion book on the Battle of Lützen.

New release from Helion

 

#NewRelease

We are pleased to announce The Armies & Wars of the Sun King 1643-1715 Volume 5 is now available! 

✨ Save £5 off RRP until Monday 14th November – no code needed ✨

Buy it here: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/the-armies-and-wars-of-the-sun-king-1643-1715-volume-5-buccaneers-and-soldiers-in-the-americas.php

White Mountain 1620

 Today's anniversary is this major battle in the Thirty Years War. Wiki

Fly, bold rebellion (1683) Henry Purcell

 Here. 

Composed for King Charles II by Henry Purcell in 1683. The "Rebellion" refers to the Rye House Plot in 1683. 1. Symphony 00:01 2. Fly, Bold Rebellion 02:00 3. Rivers from Their Channels Turn’d 04:25 4. If Then We’ve Found the want of his rays 08:29 5. Come Then, Change Your Notes, disloyal crowd 12:49 6. Be Welcome Then, Great Sir 14:09 7. Welcome to All Those Wishes Fulfill’d 17:06

Under the blue flag

 Monmouth period fiction. There seems to be a lot of books aimed at the younger reader about the Rebellion around 1900. Not complaining though.

Today's anniversary

 From here

William III Landing at Brixham, Torbay, 5 November 1688

Jan Wyck (1645–1700)

National Maritime Museum

Prince William of Orange (as he then was) wears a buff coat, a gold-fringed red sash and the ribbon and Star of the Garter. The horse is wearing a blue shabracque, or blanket, with the Orange arms in gold, and stands looking towards Torbay. The portrait dominates an image showing William's landing in Torbay on 5 November 1688 with 14,000 troops for the invasion of England.

Pretenders 1972

I loved this. Had the novelisation. Big influence on my interest in the Monmouth episode. Filmed in Somerset. You can get this series on DVD but the quality is not brilliant.

 'Pretenders' premiered on 27th February 1972. The series was produced by HTV for the ITV network.

Burrow Mump Somerset

 Burrow Mump Taken by @usasjd 👌 Featured on the BBC West Instagram account.

 I went by this the other day. You can see it from Glastonbury Tor. Noticed on the Wikipedia entry about it it was occupied by Royal troops in 1685 - that would make a spectacular reenactment. Was also occupied by Royalists in the Civil War. 

Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green 1642

 The Battlefields Trust

Sunday 6th November 2022

Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green 1642

Join Charles Cordell and Simon Marsh to explore the battles and battlefields that saw the parliamentarians halt the royalist advance on London in November 1642.

For the Brentford walk meet at 10:30 at the Market Place in Brentford (TW8 8AH)

For the Turnham Green walk meet at 14:00 outside Turnham Green underground station (W4 1LR)

Each walk will last approximately 2 hours.

For contact information, and details of a John Hampden Society dinner on the evening of Saturday 6th November, please visit

https://www.battlefieldstrust.com/battlefields-events/

Sieges of Taunton 1644-5

 Interesting sieges in the Civil war. Wiki here

Taunton Castle

The Stuart Press do a good booklet on the sieges here

Robert Blake

Yesterday's trip to Taunton and Westonzoyland

 On the Monmouth Rebellion trail. Pics by my sister. The visitor's centre at Westonzoyland church is worth a visit if you are interested. Prisoners were confined there after the battle.

Taunton the town where Monmouth was crowned

Art in the Westonzoyland church which houses the centre. Prisoners were kept in the church after the battle