Sunday 3 February 2013

Books of the War of the Spanish Succession

A couple of books arrived this week, one from Amazon and the other from Caliver Books.  Geoff has been slowly building up a French army for this period using Roundway figures and I had not really paid much attention to it, until now.  So, I thought I'd get a few books on the period to see how it went (I have form in that direction).

Actually Steve the Wargamer's WSS project pages have provided very useful information (including comparisions between different figure manufacturers) and pointed me in the right direction.  The first was the David Chandler book The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough, which is mainly about organisation and tactics although it does list every engagement in an Appendix (not bad second hand for £10 plus p+p).
The other book that arrived was CS Grant's Armies and Uniforms of Marlborough's Wars Vol 1.  This is an excellent book with very fine illustrations mainly by Bob Marrion and includes comprehensive tables of coat colours and facings for what appears to be all of the regiments of Austria, Bavaria, England (Britain after the Treaty and Acts of Union of 1707, technically), Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Prussia.
It all looks very interesting although I'd hoped that Spain would be included in this book (I've never had any Spanish troops, nor fielded the redcoats for that matter).  However, puchasing Vol 2, to get information on the Spanish armies as well as other minor states, will be no hardship if it is as good as this volume, I think.

4 comments:

Ray Rousell said...

Two excellent books, the Grant book is a great uniform guide, it cannot be bettered!

The Wishful Wargamer said...

Cheers Ray - Vol 2 will be ordered soon!

laboratore said...

I recommend you this book about the spanish armies in the SSW

http://www.revistatenea.es/revistaatenea/revista/articulos/GestionNoticias_7357_ESP.asp

http://www.revistatenea.es/RevistaAtenea/REVISTA/galeria/PortadaGaleriaWeb.asp?vReportajeBusqueda=5

Regards

marinergrim said...

There are several very nice phamplets avaible from Caliver Books on differnt armies of the WSS. Excellent source of information. Also CD of uniforms from Baccus - well worth the money.
For a general history I ould highly reccommend trying to get hold of the volumes by Trevalyn - well written with excellent maps.