Featured battle : Breitenfeld 1631

Part of The Thirty Years War

Date : 17 September 1631

King Gustavus ll headed the Swedish/Saxon army which outnumbered the Catholic League army under Count Tilly. However the Saxon contingent were raw inexperienced troops. Tilly chose the ground and arranged his force in a traditional way. Gustavus was an innovative commander who brought a new arrangement to the battlefield. The battle looked lost to the Swedes when Tilly's men broke the Saxons who fled the field. But the flexibility and all-arms set up enabled the Swedes to counter attack successfully, now against superior numbers, and to win a decisive victory.

Britain's Desert War in Egypt and Libya 1940-1942

David Braddockl
This is a text book written for officers studying for Staff College and Promotion examinations. It is a concise account of a very significant part of our military history, covering, as it does, the North African campaign from 1940 to 1942. Each battle, advance and retreat is covered and the book finishes at the battle of El Alamein. It is an engaging and eminently readable account which, when I had finished it, I wished it had continued all the way to the end of the North African campaign.
The focus is on senior officer ranks in their administration especially command and control and shows clearly how it differed from commander to commander.
There are a few photographs and many useful maps placed appropriately throughout the text. At the end of the book are some supportive appendices including quite a tough set of questions for any readers who really want to challenge themselves.
David Braddock’s book was written with a serious purpose and it is a great pleasure to read. This book is superb and we highly recommend it.

Pen & Sword Military, 2019