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The military I.D. disc is one of the most personal artefacts associated with the German military in general, and collecting German militaria in particular. Incisive and authoritative, this book explores the I.D. disc, from its practical use to collecting desirability.

This superb and comprehensive book details the foreign units which formed such an important part of Napoleon's forces. It examines each non-French unit in turn, giving an overview of the unit's origins, its organizational and combat history, its uniforms and standards, and details of the unit's eventual fate. Colourful accounts, taken from contemporary reports and memoirs, emphasize the qualities of the unit and throw light on what life was like for many of the foreign soldiers recruited into th...

Drawing on primary sources, the author describes the campaigns in the Peninsula and later into France and thence on to Waterloo through the records of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment. The diary of Lieutenant Charles Crowe of the 2nd Battalion proves the most helpful and graphic but the records of others help fill in the gaps. The result is a rich portrait of the period which brings to life the routine of everyday campaigning.

Throughout the relatively short yet highly distinguished history of theRoyal Air Force there has been a tendency for the men and women of the Service to be overshadowed by the glamour of the aircraft.Nonetheless it is surprising that there has never before been a complete record of the uniforms and badges of the RAF and its predecessor, the Royal Flying Corps. Malcolm Hobart and Pen and Sword Books have cooperated to rectify this serious omission with this superbly colour illustrated and compreh...

The book re-evaluates both the plug bayonet as a weapon and its implementation which fundamentally changed how it impacted both the formation and tactics of all armies of the long seventeen century. The plug bayonets reputation was marred by General Hugh Mackay following his defeat at the Battle of Killiekrankie on the 27th July 1689 when he supposedly stated: 'his men were defeated by an unforeseen technical flaw in their weaponry [plug bayonet]'. This view of the plug bayonet has been re-itera...

The history, concept, the mechanics and the operation of the German 4x4 during the Second World War. Conceived by Ferdindand Porsche and constructed by Volkswagen, the Type 82 Kubelwagen and its amphibian cousin Schwimmwagen Type 128/166 were to the Germans what the Jeep was to Allies and has been largely used during the Second World War, for example in the heavy winter from the East front and in the torrid heat of the Libyan desert. Simplicity and reliability were the key words to their success...

It is extraordinary that so little has been published about the workmen of the Armourers' Company of London and their products. Not only does an extensive archive survive for the Company but also a rich profusion of makers', guild, arsenal and government marks on the very large quantity of their surviving armour. Perhaps the principal reason for this is the prejudice of armour scholars over the years. This is not the 'armour of Kings and captains' to which most scholarly effort has been devoted,...

Recently Japanese swords have gained enormous popularity as art objects with collectors and enthusiasts around the world, but until now much of the most detailed information on the subject has been available only in Japanese. This comprehensive guide to the appreciation and appraisal of the blades of Japanese swords provides, at last, all the background that readers need to become true connoisseurs. The book is organized along historical lines for the sake of clarity and convenience, and...

Reproductions of the 40 chromolithographs depicting the Orders, Batons and Medals presented to the Duke by the grateful governments of all the major nations in Europe who were Britain's allies in the defeat of Napoleon, are accompanied in this book by short explanatory notes on the circumstances of each award, and a general introduction. Among the most prestigious honours bestowed on the Duke were Britains's Most Noble Order of the Garter, Imperial Russia's Military Order of St George, Spain's O...

The First World War touched every community and almost every home in the UK. In its wake, it left behind memories and mementos of loved ones. For every casualty there was a scar, for every death there was grief. Often the only tangible connection with those who fought, whether they survived the horrors of that brutal conflict or remained in some foreign field, are the artefacts still held, so dearly, by their families. Some might still possess the death pennies, or memorial plaques, or fathers,...