Today we're showing three pieces of artwork from our July 2026 series books! Let us know in the comments which books you'd like to see featured in our August 2026 Artwork Reveal!

 

Kadesh 1286 BC: Egypt Attempts to Take Syria

By Anthony Spalinger

Illustrated by Marco Capparoni

artwork showing the egyptian army being surprised by the hittites. The pharaoh can be seen on the left in a chariotHITTITES SURPRISE THE EGYPTIANS

The Hittites staged an effective breakthrough and Ramesses II is preparing to counter-attack. His chariot troops are speeding out of the camp with some infantry support shown at the  perimeter. Note that the pharaoh is waiting for his chariot driver, Menna. By this time, the fifth division, that of the Na’arn, had reached the Egyptian camp and effectively staunched the enemy threat. Ultimately, all depended now upon the number of chariots on each side and the effectiveness of the pharaoh in providing a courageous counter-thrust to the major threat.This was the most crucial stage – as it was then that Ramesses, with the help of the Na’arn, effectively pierced through the Hittite chariots and engaged them to the south of the bivouac.

Art requested by Karl Dietrich.

 

ABDA Striking Force 1942: The joint Allied command lost at Java Sea

By Angus Konstam

Illustrated by Adam Tooby

Artwork showing BATTLE OF BALIKPAPAN. Scene is at night and you can see ships firing on each other.

THE BATTLE OF BALIKPAPAN, SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 1942 

At around 0245hrs on Saturday morning, Cdr Talbot’s force of four aged US Navy destroyers  approached the anchorage off Balikpapan. It was a moonless night, and the darkness and dense smoke made visibility difficult. Still, staying in line astern, with Talbot’s USS John D. Ford in the lead, his destroyers began  their attack. For the next hour, they criss-crossed the anchorage, firing their guns and launching torpedoes at  any targets they encountered. Their assault lasted a little over an hour. This plate shows the last few minutes of the attack, at 0347hrs, as the Ford launches its last torpedo at the transport Tsuraga Maru on the Americans’ port beam, while all four destroyers fire their main batteries of  4in guns. Once all the torpedoes were expended, Talbot  led his destroyers back out to sea, leaving five transports sunk and two more, as well as a patrol ship, badly damaged. This daring action was a rare success for ABDA forces during the campaign.

 

Philippines 1941–42: America's disastrous start to the Pacific War

By Mark Lardas

Illustrated by Gareth Hector

Art showing the Attack on Clark Field, December 8, 1941

Attack on Clark Field, December 8, 1941 

Fogged in at their Formosan airfields, the Imperial Army’s air force was unable to launch its first strike against the main US airfield, Clark Field, at daybreak as planned. Instead, they attacked at noon, with stunning results. What the Japanese considered a misfortune in the predawn hours proved to be the biggest gift fate could grant them that noon. 

The aircraft of the Far East Air Force had scrambled in the morning when word of Pearl Harbor reached them  anticipating a morning attack, which never came. Had the Japanese attacked as planned they would have found an empty airfield. 

By noon the US aircraft were on the ground again, refueling as their crews ate lunch. By then, a feeling of  complacency had set in, left wondering where the Japanese were or even if they were really at war. Many reverted to peacetime practices. To simplify service and refueling, five B-17s were parked wingtip-to-wingtip, minimizing the  distance ground crews needed to move. 

The Japanese caught Clark Field napping. The resulting attack was crippling. The Japanese bombers hit the  runways, catching a fighter squadron as it was taking off for its midday patrol. Only three got airborne, where a swarm of over 50 Mitsubishi Zeros met them. The bombers next hit buildings, hangars, workshops, and barracks before moving onto aircraft on the ground. 

After the bombers left, the fighters moved in. They strafed the aircraft, which were largely untouched so far. Parked  aircraft are relatively poor targets for bombers over 20,000ft high. They are easy targets for strafing fighters, and fully fueled aircraft, like parked B-17s, wingtip-to-wingtip burn easily. The ground crews servicing them can only run. 

This plate captures the end stage of the attack on Clark Field. Imperial Navy Zeros have driven the surviving US fighters off, and are concentrating on destroying any US aircraft they see on the ground. The raid takes an especially heavy toll on the B-17s. Of 17 B-17s on the ground at Clark Field only one escaped damage. Twelve were destroyed and four damaged.