Napoleonic Christmas Gifts!

 Every year for at least three decades, we have a "pre-Christmas" with our good friends, the Hopkins family. Both Cindee and Bob are teachers (Cindee, English and Social studies, Bob Mathematics and Statistics). in our local regional school system. Indeed, both of my daughters had each of them as teachers. Although they are largely retired now, Bob still teaches a few classes of remedial Math and Bio statistics at nearby Western Connecticut State University. Bob took advantage of semi retirement and nearly free tutition as a faculty member at WCSU to get a Master's degree in History, just because he wanted to; he wrote hos thesis on the role of electricity in World War 1. Both of them love history in much the same way that I do (and the Empress does not; the dogs are her thing!).

    Anyway, it is always a "pre-Christmas", because Bob's birthday falls on Christmas Day. Knowing my love of both history and books, they almost always give me books for Christmas. Indeed, Bob has been know to check my library to see what I don't already have! I always look forward to their gifts especially, and I never know what they will find. This years items were especially apt...

Another biography of Napoleon?  yes indeed. Reading the preface and the last few pages suggest that Zamoyski is likely to give about a balance account of this complex man and his life as it is possible to achieve.; I look forward to reading it... most likely on vacation!

These books were a complete surprise. While I have excellent references on the Austrian Army already, browsing the pages shows that they still have things to offer me. I believe these have been translated (quite well) from Italian;p the first edition printing was just in September, 2018. This volume has extensive information on the organization of the Austrian Infantry, large color blocks illustrating all of the Austrian facing colors, and a stylized illustration of the uniform of each and every regiment. It does not give details as to the variations for NCO's, officers, or musicians, though. It lists the huigh ranking officers of each unit, a campiagn history foer each, and also has colorful maps illustrating the recruiting district(Kreis) for each uinit. There are even a few illustrations of Tyrolean Rebels!

Once again similar in format, this book includes many illustrations of the uniforms of various Landwehr, the Erzherzog Karl Legion, Freikorps, and Hungarian Insurrectio. Also included is the initial Order of Battle for January 1809, at which point the decision to go to war with France had been made. Unfortunately, like its companion volumes, there is neither illustrations nor description of any flags or standards. 

Similar in format to the infantry volume, the uniform of each and every Austrian Cavalry unit is illustrated... including each of the Hussar regiments. There is also a section on the rebellion in the Tyrol, and a listing of the composition of the Grenadier battalions (necessary if you want to worry about the facing colors within each battalion. Curiously, neither book illustrates or discusses the back of the Austrian Grenadier bearskins, a controversial subject. The technical support arms are especially well covered and illustrated, which is very welcome. 

    In summary, these books (each 100 to 115 pages long) make a worthwhile addition to the library of a wargamer interested in the Austrian Army; ion particular there is information about the irregular forces that is lacking or hard to find, and abundant if stylized uniform illustrations (as well as some color prints from Knoetel and Ottenfeld). I personally wish they chose to include a lot less minute organizational details, and instead covered the uniforms in more detail as to the dress of other ranks, as well as including flag information. Also, why not cover the whole of the era from 1792 or so to 1815?  It probably would have taken another volume, but have made the work even more useful. 

Publishers website:  http://www.soldiershop.com/index.php

Is in Italian, and showing a focus on Italian subjects; well worth a browse as it seems likely more an more titles will be translated into English like these.