2012 will be a good year for Napoleonic books from Osprey so I thought I’d let you have a sneak preview of some of the titles we have coming next year. No doubt there will be the odd howl of rage at something we have missed (we’ll get to them) but I hope they will be drowned out by the rousing huzzahs in appreciation of what is to follow.
Lets start in the USA with two titles from the War of 1812 (not strictly Napoleonic I know):
Forts of the War of 1812 (Fortress) will be out in February 2012 and cover the US fortifications at Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, Fort McHenry in Baltimore and Castle William in New York as well as the British defences at Halifax and at their main centre of power at Quebec. Some of the lesser known forts will also be featured. Written by René Chartrand this should be a fantastic addition to the Fortress series. Following this in March 2012 is Great Lakes Warships 1812-1815 as part of the New Vanguard series. Mark Lardas will be using the latest archaeological findings alongside his own research to present a summary of the design, development and operational use of the freshwater ships of both sides.
Now into the Napoleonics proper:
In March we have a new Men-at-Arms coming out titled Napoleon’s Swiss Troops. David Greentree has used years of research in Swiss archives and museums to bring together the combat history of Napoleon’s Swiss regiments with the usual fantastic full-colour artwork and illustrations of the uniforms, kit and equipment. Then in April comes another title in the series within a series from Ronald Pawly and Patrice Courcelle. Napoleon’s Dragoons of the Imperial Guard, the personal regiment of the Empress Josephine, present at Wagram and Waterloo amongst other battles.
Staying with the cavalry we have Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry Tactics in August with Philip Haythornwaite taking on the French cuirassiers, and their British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian counterparts. The tactics books have proved to be an enormous success and this will blend the usual research from contemporary drill manuals and first-hand accounts with diagrams, relevant paintings and prints as well as specially prepared colour plates from Adam Hook. It will be the first volume of a two-part study of cavalry tactics, to be followed later by the light cavalry.
We’ve been looking for a decent Napoleonic title for the Raid series and we think we’ve found one. Oldest Allies – Alcantra 1809 will come out in September 2012 and covers the incursion of the Loyal Lusitanian Legion into Estramadura and the subsequent efforts of Marshal Victor to remove them. René Chartrand will shed new light on one of the many forgotten parts of the Peninsular War that are often overshadowed by the campaigns of Wellington.
In the Campaign series you will be very pleased to hear that we are going to be doing Borodino and Napoleon’s Russian disaster. Written by Philip Haythornwaite with illustrations by Peter Dennis the book will cover the entirety of Napoleon’s Russian adventure, with the battle as the focal point.
And now for something a bit special. Incomparable is the story of France’s 9th Light Infantry. With Napoleon at Marengo, where they saved the day until the final Waterloo campaign their story is the story of the General, Consul and Emperor and his soldiers. Terry Crowdy uses unpublished archive sources and first-hand accounts to bring to life the story of the men and officers of the regiment as they fought their way round Europe until the bitter end. Out in September, this should be a fantastic addition to your shelves of hardbacks (or ebook reader).
Last but definitely not least we come to Field of Glory Napoleonic brought to you by the team at Slitherine. The main rule book will be out in March followed by only two more hardback volumes later in the year. These completely original rules have undergone extensive play-testing by an army of beta-testers and will feature the usual superior production values, Osprey artwork and Peter Dennis front-covers.
I hope this gives Napoleonic enthusiasts something to look forward to next year. We are currently looking at titles for 2013 so watch out for more news on them.