Want to see what people are writing about Osprey Books? Well, here are a few reviews that have come in to us over the last few weeks.

 

Campaign 286: Catalaunian Fields AD 451

This book pieces together a convincing series of events from various ancient sources to create a highly plausible scenario for what is a very complex campaign and a very poorly understood battle. He takes great care in outlining the motives of the commanders and the capability of their troops, before investigating where the battle was fought, placing it at Montgueux in Champagne between Chalôns and Troyes.

There is much to find interesting in this book for the causal and the academic reader, those unfamiliar with the true story of Attila’s campaigns will be enlightened, and those enthusiasts and students of the late Roman military will be glad to get their hands on such a thought provoking and erudite book.

Adventures in Historyland


Aircraft of the Aces 116: Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 'Udet'

The wealth and variety of detail afforded by such a background – which included action at the historic Battles of Britain, Stalingrad, Kursk, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Berlin, provides an ideal framework upon which to portray the multitude of stories, exploits and ultimate fates of the many aces who flew with JG 3. With such a rich history it is clear that the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces shows no sign of stopping and that’s great news to all.

JG 3 provides a wealth of colour schemes for the modeller and plenty of facts for the aviation historian. Long may the Osprey series continue!

Airfix Model World


Duel 65: Bf 109 E/F vs Yak-1/7

The Eastern front was the most bloody of the entire world conflict, claiming more than half of the victim. This slaughter reverberated on the duels in the sky also, bringing huge losses among the Soviet pilots, especially in the first months of the campaign due to the high skill of the Luftwaffe’s “Experten” pilots.

But after few months the brave Soviet pilots succeeded in reversing the tide courtesy of a more professional training and a huge avalanche of new fighters produced by Yakovlev.

The authors give a nice portrait of the two opposing fighters underlining the different characteristics of the two antagonists. The following chapters treat the technical evolution of the Bf 109 and Yaks, the training, tactics and the chronology of the events, with full support by charts, maps and schemes.

Marco de Montis

 

Elite 206: Spetsnaz: Russia's Special Forces

For those into more modern Russian Federation kit there is a wealth of source material detailing elite formations following the breakup of the USSR and some interesting insights into more modern and up to date equipment used by  GRU and FSB units including the ‘ratnik’ uniform system, AK 12 assault rifle and the OTs 14-4 as seen on recent operations in  Georgia, Damascus and the Crimea.

Overall an excellent title up to Osprey’s usual slick standards that helps dispel many of the urban myths surrounding the term ‘spetsnaz’ and outline the facts about the most mysterious of Soviet and Russian Federation units from snipers to combat frogmen to counter terrorist squads –it’s all here!

Airsoft Action