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Anniversaries for today :
Welcome to Clash of Steel!
Featured battle : Valvassone
Part of The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Date : 16 March 1797
A rearguard action by the Austrians retreating from Italy after Mantua. Attempting to hold up the French while other units crossed the Tagliamento river. Although massively outnumbered the Austrians managed to extract most of their troops and lost only six guns in the process.
Featured image :
English Civil War Foote
A pikeman and a musketeer from the 17th century. The pikeman in this picture actually holds a halberd, which would have been particularly effective against mounted opponents. He is also armed with a mortuary sword hanging to his left, and is protected by a pikeman's back and breast armour with a pot morion helmet. The musketeer in the left of the picture shows the much lighter arms of this branch. His only protection is his buff coat and his weapons. He carries the match-lock musket of the time, with a rapier for close combat and the powder charges and priming flask can clearly be seen. The event was an archelogical open day on The Mount, York, where evidence of a Civil War battery or sconce had been found prior to building work.
Gallery updated : 2022-04-04 08:33:43
Featured review :
Warships of the Napoleonic Era
Robert Gardiner
I happily confess to being a fan of Gardiner's work. His 'Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars' is a favourite of mine. This book follows the same format, a little over twelve inches square, which allows for some stunning illustrations. The content covers ships of Britain, other European powers and the U.S.A although the bulk of the text is of the Royal Navy. The writing is fluid and most readable for both the person who wants it as a reference book and a cover to cover reader like me. All through one feels the authority of the author is based on thorough research, and, for anyone who wants to go further, there is an extensive list of sources. As an aside almost all of the line drawings would allow an experienced boat modeller to create precise replicas.
This is a superb book which I cannot recommend too highly.
Seaforth Publishing, Pen & Sword Ltd., 2011
Reviewed : 2016-06-13 19:38:19
