Official Osprey thread

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Just ordered Yarmuk. That's that done then.

[Meneldil]

I'm thinking about ordering either Viking Longship or Saxon fortifications. Are these 2 worth it ?

[King Henry V]

I just received my first Osprey book (upon reading it realised it was my second, I also have Anglo-Saxon Thegn 449-1066). IT'S BLOODY TINY! 48 BLOODY PAGES! 4 of which have no information value at all and another 7 have only timelines for which I could have easily gone on the net to find out. AND TO THINK THAT I PAID ALMOST EIGHT BLOODY POUNDS FOR IT!! It's bloody obscene! There are magazines which have more information, and are half the price of this book. Although useful for the BTW mod and for writing my story in the Mead Hall, I don't think I'll be rushing to buy those again in a hurry.

[cegorach]

They are small, but usually very useful.

Generally campaign books are better to read, but honestly it is good to choose something you don't know well enough.

Besides some are really bad - now I know that buying something like British army 1660 - 17?? (don't remember well enough) isn't good at all.

Of course from my point of view, but fortunatelly I had opportunity to see the book for long enough not to waste my money to get it.

Regards Cegorach

[Kraxis]

If you don't like the 48 pagers, keep clear of Men At Arms. THey are usually that short.

[Steppe Merc]

I finally got Sassanian Men at Arms. It was good, but not enough plates, and they focused on what I thought was the wrong thing. All save I think two had females in it (sure show one, or two but that was overkill), and only a few battle plates. The one thing I didn't like was that for the plate on the cover, they made a Savarn with a weapon they had no arcealogical evidence for, when they could have just shown him with a lance, or bow!

And I'm not sure if I like Angus' current style when compared with the Late Byzantines and the Russians.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Yes I have noticed a distinct change of style too....he's gone from the more refined to charcoal-style pencils, which makes them a look a little bit blurry. I have no real problems with it, but it would be true to say they don't look as clean and crisp, though if this is a move he's had to make in his old age (he's 75 now guys) to help him prolong his drawing them I'm all for it. Hell, he still pisses all over the other artists from an extremely big height.

I too am annoyed greatly by the decision to reduce Warrior and Elite plates from 10 and 12 respectively to 8, the same as MAA. I mean why are we still paying £2 more for Pete's sake?!? I know they still have the larger number of pages but that extra price was really all about the extra plates. Shame on Osprey.

[Kraxis]

Yes, I think we have to settle our mind to the fact that Angus might soon lay down his pen and enjoy his otium.

But BKB, I mentioned those two other artists that are good, and they are honestly very good. Richard and Adam Hook are good enough to take up the mantle as top artists if Angus retires.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Yes they are good though I personally think Wayne Reynolds is Osprey's best artist after Angus. He has the action, though lacks realism. Graham Turner is also very good. I also think Peter Dennis' artwork in his Fortress books are superb, he always throws in a couple of great little sieges amongst the static building plates.

I'm personally hoping he doesn't hang up his pen for a while yet though, he's still an amazing artist.

[Steppe Merc]

I was disapointed by the less plates. I mean, at least count the two spread plate as one!

And I still think he's good, but I might prefer a more relesitc style of new artist that is like Angus older stuff (Vikins and Russian). And I would like to know whether it was Angus or the author that had the genius idea to make up what an weapon would look like...

[Kraxis]

Yes they are good though I personally think Wayne Reynolds is Osprey's best artist after Angus. He has the action, though lacks realism.

ARGH!!! You have got to be kidding me! Reynolds is awful... All those screaming heads with mouths more open than possible and teeth like needles. No thank you... It simply makes the otherwise quite inspiring action look silly and cartoonish.
The plates were a major letdown in Warrior Monks. Sure they let me see the action and how they looked, but as soon as it got closeup I didn't get that feeling of being there, becasue it was silly.

Actually Angus has made a mediocre performance. In Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC the figures look squat and a little blurry. They actually look like they were made for 4:3 format but in the real world it was widescreen. But even this is better than many others. And The Samurai is absolute perfection from him. He shows how facial expression should be presented there. and goes to extreme lengths to present details in the armour.

Don't know Graham or Dennis, could you point me towards some of their works?

[The Marcher Lord]

Hey, lets not forget the female Osprey artists! I think Christa Hook does some top notch work, take a look at Late Roman Cavalryman amongst many others. I first noticed her for the plates in Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45. For me her characters are easily equal to, if not frequently better than, McBride's. Trouble with McBride's characters is that they always have that really chunky muscle bound and faintly cartoonish look to them. They look like they have all been pumping iron down the gymnasium and eating too much spinach.

My collection of Ospreys is about 12 years old now and covers all of the ancient stuff as well as some 17th c (mostly ECW stuff), Napoleonic (anything naval + Peninsular war) aviation and maritime/naval titles. Osprey have put a curse on my wallet and I wish they would slow down their publication rate of new titles Future purchases will probably include Japanese Fortified Temples and Monasteries and Romano-Byzantine Armies

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I think what people overlook with McBride is the essence of his drawings. He's not the most realistic, but he captures the action and feel of the period he's depicting like no other artist can. His pictures convery the most truest sense of realism in that they actually like like something that's come right out of the age in question. They're not just static characters; his work brings them to life. No other artist can touch him in that respect. It will be an extremely sad day when he decides to hang up his pencils.

[Steppe Merc]

Marcher Lord, I agree that his earlier stuff is far to muscelly. That's what I liked about what I now call his "Golden Age": both Russians, Late Byzantines, Attilla and the Nomad Hordes etc. Even his pre Golden Age stuff like the Parthian and Sassanian, Celts and other stuff is far more relistic. But when you look at say Early Byzantines...

[cegorach]

First part of my 'Grand Delivery' has arrived on Thursday.

Ukrainian Armies 1914-55 - not bad, it improved my knowledge about Polish history which is always a very good thing. The author doesn't try to explain complicated ethnic situation in western Ukraine, though ( no mention that Lviv was only 7% Ukrainian in 1918) and it is a mistake in my opinion - Polish Armies 1569-1696 were much better when it comes to such details.
Still good idea to buy it.


Ninja from Warrior series - honestly I left it for later - untill other 'japanese' books arrive.

Dunbar 1650 - very good choice.
It adds more historical heroes to my resources + one new unit as well.
The book convinced me to prepare Scots in bonnets animations as well.
And I thought that Montrose was a better commander - he loses 2 command stars as result of his performance in 1650. Shame.

Lepanto 1571 - worse than Dungar, but still good.
It gives you a good idea about galleys at that time + several new heroes for Venice, Genoa, Spain, the Ottomans and Pope are always welcome.

Regards Cegorach

[edyzmedieval]

Good news for me and congrats for Cegorach.

This week my second set will arrive and I cannot wait to buy another one. '

I need the Byzantine books for the RTW and MTW mod.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

This thread features a stunning amount of Osprey scans plus other pics including Angus' from the Warlords Blandford Press book. Well worth checking out if you don't have the books although it may spoil the surprise.

[edyzmedieval]

Who cares?!

I'll still buy the books. For the info.

[cegorach]

Grand delivery part two

Campaign
The Armada Campaign 1588
Poland 1939


Essential Histories
The French Religious Wars 1562–1598
The Thirty Years' War 1618–1648
The French Wars 1667–1714


Men-at-Arms

Henry VIII's Army
The English Civil War Armies
The Wild Geese
New Model Army 1645–60
Louis XIV's Army
The Swiss at War 1300–1500
Armies of the Ottoman Turks 1300–1774
The Venetian Empire 1200–1670


Warrior

Knight Hospitaller (2) -> for some reason I received volume 1 instead of this

Landsknecht Soldier


Overall great choice and mostly from my 'priority books'.

Now I will lock myself with these books and start doing perverted things i.e. read them all !!!

Ohhh I have to go to work tomorrow... damn it

Regards Cegorach

[edyzmedieval]

Lucky dawg!!!!!

Where are my Osprey books?!

[Steppe Merc]

Thanks for the link BKB, that could help a lot, though I wish there was one with some Concord plates...

[Steppe Merc]

Oh, are there any good books about the Muslims around 600 AD?
Or really anyone around 600 AD... I'm thinking about a mod around that era, though focusing on the East.

[Kraxis]

I have read the two New Vanguard books: German Pocket Battleships and German Destroyers. If you look back at the books I bought recently you will see I have bought several more in that style.
My sadness comes from the fact that the books are dogged with several faults in the info (such as Graf Spee dying at Coronel, noted twice in one book in fact) and the very impersonal and quite bland illustrations. They are done very crisply with a computer, but that takes away a lot of the life in the few 'live shots' there are. Most are just profile and plan shots of the ships, with a central twopage cutout. The best of the books is by far the absolutely beautiful photos of the ships, covering basically every page. Damn, even the rather boring pocket battleships are in fact beautiful in the photos.

The books contain a lot of nice info, but in the case ofthe desteroyers a lot of space goes into the constructionlines of ships (Z12 laid down this date and so on) and the line of commanders for each of the ships. Factual info is nice, but this should perhaps have been noted in another way. Certainly not in a line for each individual ships covering the entire pagewidth.

[Kraxis]

Oh, are there any good books about the Muslims around 600 AD?
Or really anyone around 600 AD... I'm thinking about a mod around that era, though focusing on the East.

At best I can think of the Age of Charlemagne, or perhaps the Rome's enemies: the Germans... But neither fit well.
Yarmuk, might have a few nice illustrations of Arab armies of the time but since it is more about the battle it can't be perfect.

[Meneldil]

Steppe, try out Atilla and the Nomadic hordes. From what I've understood, it's not only about Atilla, and has info about all nomadic invasion until the Mongols.

There's also Armies of the Muslim Conquest, the Age of Charlemagne (a bit too late), and I'd say Rome's enemies : the Desert Frontier.

[sharrukin]

Oh, are there any good books about the Muslims around 600 AD?
Or really anyone around 600 AD... I'm thinking about a mod around that era, though focusing on the East.

These are some I have that cover that era and are decent.

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 247, Romano-Byzantine Armies, 4th to 9th Centuries

Osprey Warrior Series no# 15, Late Roman Cavalryman 236-565 AD (good info on the influence of Parthian-Sassanid-nomadic cavalry technology)

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 125, The Armies of Islam 7th-11th Centuries

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 255, Armies of the Muslim Conquest

Osprey Essential Histories Byzantium at War AD 600-1453

Another book which is hard to find but similar to the Osprey series is published by "A Wargames Research Group Publication" by Ian Heath, the "Armies of the Dark Ages 600-1066. It is 120+ pages covering a fair number of different groups with info and black and drawings of around a 150 troop types (no large colour plates like Osprey). It also covers army organization, tactics, strategy, dress, and weaponry.

[cegorach]

Grand delivery part 3

ONLY Scots Armies of the English Civil Wars - very good, but only one book... Honestly it took me only three evenings to read 14 from the earlier part, still it is better than nothing

[Steppe Merc]

Steppe, try out Atilla and the Nomadic hordes. From what I've understood, it's not only about Atilla, and has info about all nomadic invasion until the Mongols.

There's also Armies of the Muslim Conquest, the Age of Charlemagne (a bit too late), and I'd say Rome's enemies : the Desert Frontier.

Already got Atilla and Nomad Hordes, and it is quite excellent. Very good info, and pretty pictures.

These are some I have that cover that era and are decent.

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 247, Romano-Byzantine Armies, 4th to 9th Centuries

Osprey Warrior Series no# 15, Late Roman Cavalryman 236-565 AD (good info on the influence of Parthian-Sassanid-nomadic cavalry technology)

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 125, The Armies of Islam 7th-11th Centuries

Osprey Men-At-Arms no# 255, Armies of the Muslim Conquest

Osprey Essential Histories Byzantium at War AD 600-1453

Another book which is hard to find but similar to the Osprey series is published by "A Wargames Research Group Publication" by Ian Heath, the "Armies of the Dark Ages 600-1066. It is 120+ pages covering a fair number of different groups with info and black and drawings of around a 150 troop types (no large colour plates like Osprey). It also covers army organization, tactics, strategy, dress, and weaponry.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll look into them.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Finally a new book is unveiled by Concord in the shape of Gunpowder Armies, which covers armies from the 16-18thC. If you've seen Warlord Armies this is very much in the same mold; a book with pieces by many artists, including Richard Hook and Angus McBride, and 2 of his are pictured here. It should be out soon.

[Steppe Merc]

Looking over the Sassanian book, I wonder how much control the author has over the painter (in this case, McBride). In his comments on the plates, he is always pointing out mistakes, like "the sword would usually be longer and an inch thicker", "Romans would certaintly would have been using chainmail, not the lorica segmentata shown", "Most Kurds were lighter than the one shown", and things like that.
Were those mistakes, or what? What's the deal?