Commissioning Editor Nick Reynolds tells us what we can expect from the Elite series in 2026!

The 2026 line-up for the Elite series includes some really interesting subjects, and it’s difficult to choose a favourite. Greg O’Reilly’s analysis of the machine gun’s role on World War I’s Western Front holds particular appeal for me, representing a fascinating re-evaluation of this crucial weapon’s importance in the attack as well as in defence. I am sorry not to be able to share these projects with Martin Windrow, whose expertise, wisdom and generosity are much missed by all of us who worked with him. You can read Martin’s obituary here.

 

US and Allied Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan, 2009–21

John Parkinson, Johnny Shumate

29/01/2026

An illustrated study of the development and operations of coalition and Afghan Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan from 2009 until the withdrawal in 2021.

At the end of 2008, the clearly inadequate strength of the coalition’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan prompted the US and NATO to deploy troops in numbers that could not be sustained long-term. This shortfall was overcome in 2009, when a newly created Special Forces command (ANASOC) in the Afghan National Army began to partner with the ISAF to undertake counter-insurgency operations against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and ISIL-K. However, while the burden of operations never diminished, many NATO countries reduced their contribution from 2012 onwards, leading to an over-ambitious expansion of ANASOC and weaker ties between it and US/NATO command.

In this engaging study, former United States Marine Corps officer John Parkinson draws on first-hand experience to examine how this series of events spiralled toward the eventual fall of Kabul and the troubled, hasty withdrawal of coalition forces in 2021. Eight newly commissioned colour plates demonstrate the wide range of equipment and uniforms used by the Special Operations Forces and are complemented by a range of previously unpublished photographs.

 

Roman Cavalry Helmets

M.C. Bishop, Giuseppe Rava

21/05/2026

Renowned authority M. C. Bishop investigates the origins, development, manufacture, decoration and use of the Roman cavalry helmet.

Roman cavalry helmets of the Republican period at first differed little from the infantry helmets and identifying them proves a challenging but not impossible task.

Changes to the Roman army under the Principate at the end of the 1st century BC, not least the incorporation of auxiliary forces drawn from neighbouring Iron Age peoples brought changes, with cavalry and infantry helmet types soon diverging and quickly saw the introduction of face-mask helmets specifically for use in the hippika gymnasia, a form of combined mounted training and display manoeuvres.

As with Roman infantry helmets, contact with Eastern cultures led to completely new types of cavalry helmet being introduced which simplified manufacture and ultimately led directly to a variety of post-Roman helmet types found, among others, with Saxon and Viking warriors.

Many new finds have ensured that much has changed in the narrative of Roman helmets since the time of Robinson's magisterial work and the time is ripe for a new and accessible examination of the development, manufacture, and use of the Roman cavalry helmet.

 

US Tank Tactics in World War II

Steven J. Zaloga, Steve Noon

27/08/2026

Fully illustrated, this book examines the evolving tank tactics used by US forces during World War II.

US tank tactics were governed, in practice, by the terrain and the enemy as much as the quality of equipment, so they developed markedly between November 1942 and May 1945. When the United States entered the ground war against Germany and Italy in North Africa in November 1942, both a proportion of its armored equipment, and the doctrine on how to use it in battle, were immature, and its crews were novices compared with those of the battle-hardened Panzer formations. The fighting in French North Africa taught the US Army costly lessons, but these were learned rapidly.

The campaigns that followed in Sicily and Italy in 1943 demanded further tactical adaptation, and this was doubly true in to the extremely thick terrain of Normandy in summer 1944. Again, the sweep across France, the Low Countries, over the Rhine, and across Germany, although against weakened opposition, raised continuing challenges, and the US Armored Force was learning lessons in battle right up to VE Day. Similarly, the war against Japan on the Pacific islands had its own distinct character.

This book, by an internationally respected historian, concentrates on tracing these developments of how battles were fought rather than upon the technicalities of the tanks themselves, and is illuminated by after-action reports of typical actions in all theaters.

 

American Civil War Siege Tactics

Ron Field, Steve Noon

22/10/2026

This absorbing study casts light on the tactics, technologies, and specially raised units involved in siege operations during the American Civil War.

Remembered for its bloody pitched battles, the American Civil War also witnessed a substantial number of hard-fought actions involving fortified locations, ranging from the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861 to the drawn-out siege of Petersburg in 1864–65. The crucial role played by major centers such as Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Suffolk, Virginia, meant that both sides had to develop and refine their siege warfare techniques, harnessing the latest technologies in attack and defense.

In this study, renowned Civil War historian Ron Field reviews the conduct of siege operations during the Civil War. He assesses the various artillery pieces used in siege warfare, considers the evolving role of siege-warfare specialist units, and discusses the effectiveness of the two sides’ approaches to the application of bombardment, mining, tunneling, and direct assault. The insightful text is complemented by carefully chosen archive images and eight specially commissioned artwork plates depicting the tactics and technologies employed by the Union and Confederate armies.

 

The Royal Marines Commandos 1991–2025

John Rawlinson, Raffaele Ruggeri

19/11/2026

In this fully illustrated study, a renowned authority on Britain’s Royal Marines Commandos surveys one of the most transformational periods in the history of this elite unit.

From the dangerous humanitarian and security mission Operation Haven in the aftermath of the 1990–91 Gulf War, through battles in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan to Kyiv and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, these Commandos have been frequently called upon. These deployments have led to new uniforms, weapons, equipment, tactics and organization, and ultimately the formation of the Future Commando Force in 2020.

It is those changes that are at the forefront of this book, which describes and illustrates the evolution of the Royal Marines Commandos’ uniforms, insignia, weapons and equipment since 1991. Be it in landing craft, small boats, helicopters, parachutes, jetpacks or by climbing and yomping, they appear where their adversaries least expect them, but first, they must pass the Commando Course and earn the coveted green beret.

 

Machine-Gun Tactics on the Western Front 1914–18

Greg O'Reilly, Adam Hook

17/12/2026

This fully illustrated study explores and depicts the machine-gun tactics employed by both sides on the Western Front in 1914–18.

During World War I, machine guns made an enormous combat contribution in the hands of both Entente and Central Powers forces, not only during the trench warfare of 1914–17 but also in the more mobile climactic battles of 1918. While light machine guns and ‘automatic rifles’ were widely issued to infantry at platoon level, this book focuses on the rapidly evolving tactics employed by the specialist units equipped with weapons such as the British and Commonwealth Vickers, the German MG 08 and the French Hotchkiss Mle 1914.

In this volume, Greg O’Reilly presents a novel analysis of the machine gun as a decisive battlefield weapon in World War I. While all of the belligerents grasped the value of the machine gun as a short-range defensive weapon, this study reveals how innovators on both sides came to understand how to use massed machine-gun fire as a formidable long-range area weapon, making expert use of the terrain. This hard-won expertise was far from being evenly shared across the various armies and was often underappreciated at the time despite its battle-winning potential. Specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen archive and present-day photographs depicts the weapons involved and the innovative machine-gun tactics used on the Western Front battlefields.