Osprey Military Campaign S.

2 primary works

New Orleans 1815

by Tim Pickles

Published 27 January 1994

The conflict that broke out in 1812 seemed born of an almost subconscious desire for a war to complete the separation of America from England begun by the War of Independence. The war when it came was bloody and hard fought. In one last attempt to break the deadlock the British sent Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham to capture New Orleans. The troops he commanded were elite, veteran regiments. Andrew Jackson, leading the defenders, commanded a mixed force including militia, free Negro battalions, Indians and a group of local pirates. This title describes how this mixed force decisively defeated the British veterans in a battle that has become part of American legend.

Malta 1565

by Tim Pickles

Published 15 January 1998

The epic siege of the island fortress of the Knights Hospitaller by the huge Turkish Army of the Emperor Suliman is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the western world. The Turks amassed an army of 30,000 men, which doubled as the siege dragged on. The knights facing them totalled 500, along with 4,000 Maltese levies and 4,500 other troops. Tim Pickles describes how despite constant pounding by the massive Turkish guns and heavy casualties, the Knights managed to hold out.

The epic siege of the island fortress of the Knights Hospitaller by the huge Turkish Army of the Emperor Suliman is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the western world. The Turks amassed an army of 30,000 men, which doubled as the siege dragged on. The knights facing them totalled 500, along with 4,000 Maltese levies and 4,500 other troops. Tim Pickles describes how despite constant pounding by the massive Turkish guns and heavy casualties, the Knights managed to hold out. The siege lasted from the end of May until September, when a Spanish army relieved the island. In scenes of brutal combat, the Turks lost over 24,000 men as they were consistently repulsed from the fortress walls. Both sides accepted no quarter: at one point the Turks nailed the decapitated bodies of their enemies to crosses and let them float over to the Christian side, while in return Malta's defenders executed their Turkish prisoners and fired their heads from cannon. This campaign also witnessed many acts of individual bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, and these are brought to life in the six specially commissioned battlescene plates. Tim Pickles' account of the siege is extremely interesting and readable - an excellent book.