Book Review: Napoleon's Elite Cavalry, Rousselot/Ryan.

This slightly larger than A-4 sized hardback is really beautiful. I picked up my copy at Partizan, 2019, from (?), for £15. 91 colour plates by Lucien Rousselot are beautifully reproduced, each accompanied by a short text by Edward Ryan. Sourced from the famous Anne S. K. Brown collection, in the U.S, plate one depicts Napoleon, after which there come four groups: the Guard Chausseurs a Cheval (27 plates), Guard Grenadiers a Cheval (13), Guard Empress Dragoons (25), and Guard Lancers (25).

Polish Lancers looking very dandy.

More dourly attired in bivouac. Still looking great!

So, whilst there's wealth of fabulous artwork, and immense amounts of uniform info' to be gleaned, this is not a comprehensive look at either Rousselot's work, nor even the cavalry of the Imperial Guard (never mind the French cavalry as a whole). As such, this is quite a specialist book. But for Napoleonic uniform addicts like me, particularly those who dig the French the most (me again!), this sort of thing is, well... essential!

The day I bought this, I took it to bed with me - that's how much I love this sort of stuff! - and it gave me several hours of intense pleasure. And all I was doing was perusing the illustrations, with a little bit of reference to the text, where particular images prompted curiosity. The multitude of images makes one doubly or trebly aware of what an enormous and complex, as well as endlessly fascinating, subject Napoleonic uniformology is.

Old Guard Chasseurs a Cheval.

Young Guard Chasseurs a Cheval.

On that first night of bliss, I only studied the first segment of images; the twenty-seven given over to the Guard Chausseurs a Cheval. Looking at the incredible paintings made me realise that, ideally, I'd like to have several versions of any given regiment, in my miniatures collections. For example, one iteration might have their pelisse worn 'properly', i.e. not in the dandy over the shoulder manner of the hussar, whilst another set might be wearing their two-tiered capes, with covers on their sabretache and busbys unadorned. 

I imagine some of these options may be covered in certain scales, most probably more so in larger scales. But they're certainly not options, at least that I'm aware of, in the scales in which I'm building forces, which are 6mm and 10mm. This prompts me to consider something I've long toyed with: sculpting and casting my own figures! I'd sooo love to do this. It's been an ambition since fairly early childhood. Perhaps this book will be the catalyst that galvanises me into action?

Trumpeters of the Empress' Dragoons, looking incredibly natty!

Or perhaps not? Witness the piles of unpainted French and Russian hordes. I struggle to get anything done half the time. Never mind ambitious stuff. It's so easy to think of great plans on the sofa. Getting up and putting them into action? Well, that's a whole 'nother ball game!

Any road, the book itself ends with this beautiful sabretache, on the back cover. Like the thing it depicts, this book is, to me at least, a precious and wonderful thing.

The End!

Book Review: Polish Guard Lancers, George Lubomski

This book is clearly a labour of love. Put together by an enthusiast who is also a re-enactor, the focus is on uniforms and equipment, as opposed to a history of the actions of the two regiments of Polish Guard Lancers. There are contemporary illustrations, modern ones, and photographs of both original and reproduction items of apparel and gear. Making this a treasure trove to those interested in this most splendid of troop types.

On that last point: the 1st and 2nd Polish Lancers of The Imperial Guard were amongst the finest looking regiments in the finest looking army, in an era that saw what many - myself included - regard as the very peak of martial finery. Or in other words, they are the most beautiful of the beautiful in an age of unparalleled beauty. To my eyes/mind, that makes them a very compelling subject. And this book allows me to wallow in that peacock splendour.

A sample page from the book. [1]

There are one or two critical observations to make: a bit on their operational histories would've been nice (but that's not really what this book intends to supply); and the whole thing has the feel of an amateur enthusiast's self-published work. If I compare it to another book I recently received for review - Toy Soldiers, by Luigi Toiati - the weight of paper, quality of photographs and illustrations, etc, are very markedly different. But despite these differences, this remains a terrific and very useful/welcome addition to my library, on a favourite topic.

The level of detail on uniforms and equipment is amazing. There are even tailor's cutting patterns for various garments, and images that show the several ways the czapka tassels and cords were worn. I have a desire to make myself some Napoleonic outfits - I can't afford to have them made for me by those folk out there who do it commercially - and a book such as this will be a terrific aid in doing so. It's also brilliant reference for the modeller/wargamer.

An oiginal kurtka. [2]

I have a load of AB Miniatures Polish Lancers in 15/18mm, which I intend to paint and base some time fairly soon. I also want to buy/build the Airfix 54mm Polish Lancer. This book will undoubtedly be a great help with these projects. For example, I was fairly gutted to discover - and I only found out when the figures (already paid for) arrived - that the beautifully sculpted AB Lancers have no plumes or cords/tassels on their czapki. I went as far as asking Tony Barton if he would produce a version with these omissions added, but... he declined! So I'll have to find a way to add them myself. This book will be a terrific help.

I've docked half a bicorne for the less than perfect print/paper/illustration qualities here on my blog, where I can deal in 'half-star' values. But over on Amazon UK I give this, and deservedly so in my view, the full five stars. I feel a trifle guilty giving it less than the full five bicornes here, to be honest, as I love it so much, and greatly admire all the work that's gone into making such a fantastic resource available.

An original czapka. [2]

Anyway, in conclusion, if you're passionately interested in this most alluring of branches of the Imperials Guard's splendid cavalry, I'd say this is an essential addition to your library.

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NOTES:

[1] The cover and numerous illustrations, such as those on this sample page, are, I believe, by the author.

 [2] I've used original examples of clothing I found on the web, and these may or may not be reproduced in Lumboski's book. They're simply used to here to illustrate the type of material the author uses.

Kit Build/Review: 54mm Airfix Napoleonics, Pt II - Imperial Guard Grenadier, 1815

Well, my 400th post on this here blog. I wanted it to be on something special, to celebrate attaining this... er, well, whatever it is... !? You probably know what I'm driving at!

This kit has a very special place in my heart, as it's a smaller version of a kit my dad built when I was a kid. A kit which was probably instrumental in fomenting my interest in the era. My dad's was the 1/12 kit, which stood on a round base. He had done, as I remember it, a very good job, if also rather basic: blocked out in the appropriate colours, with little or no shading, but very neatly painted. The face looked like it had been done in oils, and had a more detailed washed range of colours, to look lifelike, rosy cheeks, etc.

The instructions.

Unlike some of these kits, this one's only got parts for one pose. What it does have, however, by way of variety, is alternate legs - one pair in gaiters, one in trousers - and an alternate (cord/tassel-free) bearskin. I was intending to use the trousers, and not the gaiters. Perhaps on account of the fact the last figure was in gaiters. But in the end I didn't, because of issues of fit.

The two sprues.

I always dreamed of making Historex 54mm kits as a kid, which I'd see in old copies of Military Modelling. But I never did. Nor did I build any kits like these. So this is all part of an unfulfilled childhood dream finally coming to fruition. Which is rather nice! The parts are nicely sculpted, and pretty well cast, with only a little flash. Clean up was pretty easy and straightforward.

Parts separated and ready for clean up.

At this point everything's cleaned up and laid out ready for assembly, excepting the straps. I was still hoping the trousers would fit, so to speak. But whereas the gaitered legs had a corresponding male notch for the female cleft in the waistcoat, the trousered legs didn't. Something I only twigged when I went to assemble these parts.

Everything cleaned up. Thinking I'll use campaign style legs.

Once the legs, torso and head sub-assemblies were built, I cut the supplied thin styrene sheet into the strips for the straps. I make the musket strap longer than suggested, so I can add more detail, looping it over with buckles, etc. Fitting the straps is quite a tricky stage of the build. Especially when, as I usually do, you balls it up repeatedly! 

Straps cut from the very thin plastic sheet that's supplied.

By this point I've got the full figure assembled, having changed over to the gaiter-clad legs, and with straps and epaulettes all in place as well.  In the picture below I've cut his right hand off, and I'm making a wrist sized wedge to get a better angle/grip on his musket.

Wound up using the gaiter legs, and doing surgery on his right hand.

When it came time to undercoat him in Halfords grey primer, I opted to also undercoat the Hasegawa 1/72 Grant tank I've been building on my visits to the Wisbech IPMSmeetings. That'll probably appear in another post, when it's done. 

Getting ready to aerosol undercoat a few models in one go.

On this occasion I kept a couple of items - sword/bayonet scabbard, and cartridge box - separate. This was because completely assembling the previous model had made accessing certain areas very tricky. This time I wanted better access to these areas. So I decided to paint the figure pretty thoroughly, and those parts to, but whilst unattached, before bringing them all together. 

Starting to block in colours.

Whilst I'd modified the pose of the previous line Infantryman model, I was building this as suggested. But I did still want to jazz it up a little. I thought about doing him as a Dutch Grenadier (all in white, with red facings). But the desire to do it in the same pose and uniform as dad's model won out. The four mods I did were: texturing his backpack (with a heated pin); making a more detailed musket strap; improving the right hand grip on the musket;  and a pair of tiny - and I mean teeny-weeny -golden earrings, such as an old grognard might well have sported.

In this pic I'm making a tiny earring for his right ear. Can you spot it?

I forgot to take any more pics for quite a while, becaming deeply absorbed in the processes of detailing, shading, etc. The next few photos are much later, after much to-ing and fro-ing, working very slowly. The shading is starting to cover more areas: backpack, face, waistcoat and leggings, etc.

Starting to do a bit of shading.

My first attempt at attaching the cartridge box and scabbards was a bit off. The cartridge box was ok, but the sword and bayonet scabbard were unsatisfactory, and only very tenuously connects anyway. 

The sword and bayonet in fixing attempt no. 1...

In the pictures above and below I hope it can be seen that I textured the backpack, which is supplied as a very smooth boxy thing, to make it look more like a raw cowhide rucksack. I did this by heating a needle-tipped tool I made over a flame. Laborious, yes. But a great result, I think. When appropriately painted, I think it looks rather lovely!

Not sure if you can see, but I textured his backpack with a heated needle.

The last few pictures show how he was looking when I stopped, at about 11pm, having spent most of the day slowly painting him. I spent ages working very laboriously on him. Not exactly time-efficient. But enjoyable. Several areas were worked over repeatedly, such as the tunic buttons, as I kept lousing them up! 

This is how he looks at close of play today.

Still needs a little more doing...

I also removed the scabbards, retouched the areas underneath, and re-attached them, but in a better position. They're also more firmly attached as well. Although there's still a bit to do, mostly on his bearskin, such as detailing/shading the cords and tassels, and improving the grenade emblem atop it, that'll have to wait. But in conclusion, I love the kit, and have thoroughly enjoyed building and painting it.

...such as shading of his cords/tassels.

Sword/bayonet in position no. 2.

The two Airfix figures I've made so far.

Book Review: The Luftwaffe Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot's Kitbag, Mark Hillier

This is such a specialist book I almost feel it should score less on that account. But then again perhaps it should score higher for the very same reason!? In the end I went with my heart: I loved reading this and perusing the pictures. I would've given it five stars, if it weren't for the occasionally lumpen prose and too-oft sloppy (nonexistent?) editing. [1]

However, with that caveat, and half a 'star' [2] docked for those reasons, as I said, I loved this. Almost worryingly so. If I had the available funds I would definitely collect this sort of stuff. And I envy those, from whose collections many of these objects have been photographed, who can pursue such a pastime.

Model 295 goggles.

Why is WWII so endlessly fascinating? And why are the German forces, in spite of the toxic ideology they may have been fighting on behalf of [3], so seductively interesting? I think some of the answers to such questions can be found herein. 

For one thing the Germans were admirably thorough, often producing better gear than their adversaries, as Hillier readily admits when comparing certain items to their RAF equivalents. For another they were meticulous, in terms of record keeping, ID'ing stuff, and so on. Being both thorough and meticulous dignifies anything, and also creates a great sense of both order and esprit d'corps.

C'mon... there's no denying, it's a cool look!

Das richtiges Zeug?

Famous German flyer Adolf Galland.*

The latter is also enhanced by very stylish gear, and a 'knights of the [insert whatever branch of the armed services]' type approach. Images of handsome young men in knee length leather boots, in riding breeches, their jackets - often their own tailor made ones, and sometimes almost 'rock'n'roll cool leather ones - bedecked with medals, wearing silk scarves, and funky looking accoutrements, from headgear to harness, beside their steeds of the skies... it's a very seductive melange of ideas and images.

Sometimes there was a clash between form and function. For example, whilst pilots were allowed a lot of leeway in how they dressed for combat, regulations were eventually brought in to discourage the 'cavalryman of the clouds' get up, for the prosaic but very real reason that removing tight-fitting riding boots from badly burnt pilots was not efficient or pleasant. Issue boots, by comparison with the more glamorous but less practical riding boots, were designed with zips on either side.

Official issue type 4004 boots. 

In some areas the Luftwaffe copied the RAF, for example with parachute harness design. But in most they were able to surpass British achievements. Very largely this was due to prior combat experience, in The Spanish Civil War, and the Blitzkrieg campaigns in Eastern and Western Europe. As a result of these experiences things like goggles, oxygen masks, parachutes and flying suits were all amended and improved.

The text is, despite issues already mentioned, very informative. And the pictures are a goldmine for those with a borderline obsessive interest in such things. I mostly model land based mini-military stuff. But this book will help me with pilot figures. And it's just fascinating in itself.

Rank insignia of the Luftwaffe.

And in addition to all the info on uniforms and equipment, there's a fair bit of biographical info, usually given in captions to the WWII era photos. The contemporary photos of gear, mostly from private collections, are terrific. So, very niche interest, and not perfect textually, but nevertheless a fascinating, informative and highly enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Luftwaffe in WWII.

* In some posts like this I illustrate the piece with photos found in the book itself, in others, such as this, with images not in the book. 

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Hillier often refers to this book, which has a much broader remit.

NOTES: 

[1] I'd like to stress that I'm always having to revisit my posts to edit clumsy prose and correct typos, etc. I've also worked as a columnist for a music mag, and suffered both positive and negative editorial interventions. My criticisms of this aspect - sadly something that bedevils parts of military history publishing (and probably many other special interest subjects) - are neither personal nor damning. I have great respect for all those who achieve publication in this field. And very much appreciate them sharing their effort and expertise!

I also wonder, every now and then - and this book might be a case in point - if it has actually been edited at all. As some of the errors, such as repeated words or phrases, or incorrect picture caption info, are very obvious.

[2] Okay, so I have my own balkankreuz rating system (for WWII; Boney's bicornes for Napoleonic!), not the usual stars. But I'm sure you know what I mean.

[3] Whenever I discuss German armed forces in WWII I feel it's necessary to mention that my interest is not ideological, and very emphatically not so in respect of Nazism. I also feel it necessary to reiterate that for many fighting in wartime, and I'd say this was very likely to have held for most Germans in WWII, they weren't necessarily ardent ideologues, but just people caught up in events beyond their control (and comprehension), who would ultimately be fighting for their country and their comrades more than any political or other type of program.

Nostalgia/book reviews: L & F Funcken's Napoleonic Uniform Books

As a kid I'd take these wonderful books out on loan from the Cambridge Central Library, then in the Lion Yard (now the Cathedral of Capitalism known as The Grand Arcade), frequently running up fines, as I held onto them overly long, delighting in the artwork of Liliane et Fred Funcken.

Nice double page spreads as endpapers.

The fact the authors/illustrators were French added to the charm and romance. I'm not sure why, but right from the outset I was more interested in the French, first and foremost, and their allies - especially the crazy patchwork of tiny states that was to become the Confederation of the Rhine - and then the Russians, Austrians, Prussians.

The Russians.

I don't know quite how or why, but from very early on I sensed that the English and their minions were something of a sideshow. And - despite Wellington's role/achievements, or Nelson and the Navy, or even our primary contribution to the Napoleonic Wars, as bankers to the several European coalitions - I still feel this way.

It wasn't until many, many years had passed, including my near enough two-decade break from military miniatures and history, etc, that I bought these fab books for myself, at one of the wargaming shows I now ocassionally attend. I can't recall which show it was - I have a feeling it was Salute - or exactly which seller I got them from. Most likely it was either Lanchester or Meekins.

An attractively done vignette of Baron Larrey's 'flying ambulance'.

As in days of yore, it's the pics I'm primarily drawn to. Although, unlike when I was a nipper, I do now also read the text. The peacock finery of military uniformology reached a kind of apogee at this point. The Napoleonic era was and remains my favourite for martial attire. And as splendid as these books are - and what a pleasure it is to no longer rack up fines as I endlessly pore over these - I now need to supplement and extend my knowledge, so I have numerous other similar titles, including series like Osprey or Blandford, or collections of particular artists, like Rousselot.

A handy black and white 'glossary' spread. [1]

I've also learned that the Funckens worked with Hergé, producer of the fabulous Tintin series, and also a man with an avowed mission to educate youth. In the latter capacity he had the Funckens, through studio Hergé and its numerous projects, frequently producing all sorts of historical material. On one of my visits to the Waterloo battlefields I bought a rather attractive hardback that compiles a number of these works on the theme of Waterloo. It's fantastic. The only drawback is it's in French, and my French isn't exactly tres bon!

However, this post concerns their two Arms and Uniforms titles [2] on the Napoleonic Wars: Volume one covers the French army, including Napoleon and his staff, and everything else except the various formations of the Imperial Guard. Then it goes on to cover the British, Prussian and Spanish armies. Volume two starts with the Imperial Guard, and then moves on to 'Allies of the French' (from Confederation of the Rhine to Italy and Naples, etc.), and the Swedish, Austrian and Russian armies. Unsurprisingly, it's the French army that gets the fullest treatment. [3]

I absolutely love these two books, as they were a powerful part of my early interest in the period. Consequently the Funckens also have a special place on the nostalgia map of my soul!

In the foreground, a personal favourite: Eclaireur, 2nd Regt.

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NOTES:

[1] There are numerous illustrations of equipment, badges, flags, etc. Mostly in colour.

[2] The Arms and Uniforms series covered everything from the ancients, through medieval, right up to the two World Wars.

[3] As a result of this fuller coverage I've always had a soft spot for certain more obscure branches of the French military machine, from the artillery train, or the medics, to the Eclaireurs. Often based purely on the aesthetics/colour schemes of their uniforms!

Book Review: Osprey Men-at-Arms 56 - The Mexican American War, 1846-1848 - Katcher & Embleton

NB: In order not to infringe copyright, this review is illustrated with, excepting the cover image, pictures that are not from the Osprey book under review! [1]

I've had a soft spot for the Osprey Men-at-Arms titles since childhood, when I first bought a couple of the titles. When I sold off my childhood wargaming armies, I kept the Osprey books; there were just the two: numbers 55 and 64, Dragoons & Lancers, and Cuirassiers & Carabiniers, respectively, both by the exotically consmopolitan sounding team of Emir Bukhari and Angus McBride.

The series as a whole had a certain allure for me, as they combinend the fascination I've always had for military couture, and the accosciated tradition of uniform illustration, with a small and collectible format. I had loved, when even younger still, collecting Tintin and Asterix. These more martial titles had a similar appeal to my tendency to serial acquisitiveness.

A beautiful plate from volume 1 of Liliane & Fred Funcken's Arms & Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars, showing a motley and colourful collection of French Hussars.

However, it wasn't long before I also twigged that they were a potentially very costly way to gather the info I needed. Ever since that realisation, I've been very chary of buying them. Preferring instead to spend larger sums on more compressive works, like the two-volume L&F Funcken Arms & Uniforms titles (see above pic.), or the collected Rousselot plates, as a more cost-effective means to research 1st Empire uniformology.

Having returned to my childhood interests in military history and culture, in tandem with model making and wargaming - or at least figure collecting - I'm beginning to tentatively widen my interests a little, beyond the two former enclaves of Napoleonic and WWII stuff I used to concentrate on, and have returned to (as familiar first ports of call).

The American Civil War has always been another background interest of mine, but one that had lain largely unexplored, apart from a few magazine articles (for more on my obsession with certain ACW battlefield maps, see my previous posts [links to be added!]), and a couple of packs of Airfix 20mm plastic figures, one each of Confederate and Union!

A dragoon and a 1st lieutenant of infantry, wearing uniforms typical of Regular Army soldiers during the Mexican War. (Source: From H. Charles McBarron’s The American Soldier, 1847, Army Art Collection)

Looking into the ACW more deeply - I gradually acquired several books, and eventually bought and watched Ken Burns' epic and fantastic PBS series - alerted me to the Mexican American wars. Occasional references to this campaign in various places, especially the odd pic. or two, intrigued me, as the US troops were already starting to look more like they would in the ACW, whilst the Mexicans still clearly looked back to the 1st Empire of France, sartorially speaking.

This slim volume concentrates on uniform info, with only very brief summaries regarding the backgrounds of the antagonists, and, at the end of the book, a very slim synopsis of the military actions and the troops involved. I harbour a very long-standing desire, only explored in the most desultory and tentative manner as a kid many moons ago, to start sculpting and casting my own figures, and I have, more recently, entertained thoughts of starting with this conflict. Indeed, that's why I bought this book.

A number of black and white images by the artist James Walker are used in this book, although not this one (if I recall aright?), of The Battle of Chapultepec.

It's certainly a good starting place, on the subject of uniforms of the Mexican American War, but it leaves one wanting much more, and I suspect I'll use this book, and the notes it gives on sources, to find further and more unit specific ref. Gerry Embleton's artworks are very good, although not quite as much to my tastes as the work of my favourite Osprey illustrator, Angus McBride.

I'm no expert even on my chief areas of interest, such as Napoleonics, let alone in an area such as this, which is completely new to me, so I can't really judge the quality of the information in terms of accuracy, but the book certainly seems very usefully informative for a newbie like me. I do think there should be a glossary of terms as a standard feature in all such books, and sometimes Philip Katcher's writing style is less than crystalline in terms of clarity.

Gen. Winfield Scott, at the battle of Veracruz (source: Wikipedia 

commons). This is clearly before he grew to fat to sit a horse!

In addition to the standard Men-at-Arms format whereby you get eight pages of full-colour 'plates' in the centre of the book, there are numerous black and white pictures, many by an artist called James A Walker, whose work I will definitely investigate further online. There are also some interesting photos of actual weapons and uniforms, and a few of the leading figures, like US General Winfield Scott.

I got my brand new copy relatively cheap via Amazon UK's 'market-place', and think it a worthwhile addition to my militaria library. But I wouldn't say it's amazing value for money, as it's such a slight affair. I read it all the way through, sitting in a cafe one afternoon, in about 2-3 hours! So textually and visually, as informative as it is, it's really just a convenient introduction to what is undoubtedly, despite the short duration of the conflict at just two years, a much bigger subject.

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[1] I'm thinking I might well contact Osprey to ask if they'll give me permission to use a colour plate or two to better illustrate this post.