Bøker av Gabriele Esposito

The Crusades were among the most astonishing historical events that took place during the Middle Ages. After centuries of relative isolation following the fall of the Roman Empire, Western Europe looked again towards the Middle East in search of lands to conquer. Incited by the Church to believe that the Holy Land must be 'liberated' from its Muslim rulers (who had by then occupied it for centuries), and that to do so would bring spiritual salvation, many thousands from all over Christian Europe 'took the cross' and joined the Crusades. Led by some of the most illustrious personalities of the age, such as Richard the Lionheart and Frederick Barbarossa, they fought numerous campaigns and even founded new 'Crusader states', some of which lasted for almost two centuries.Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of the key events of these campaigns, from the First Crusade in 1096 to the fall of Acre, the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land, in 1291. He analyzes the various contingents that made up the Crusader forces, describing their equipment and tactics and showing how they attempted to adapt to unfamiliar terrain and enemies. Included, of course, are the military orders (the Templar, Hospitaller and Teutonic knights) who combined the religious fervor of a monastic brotherhood with martial prowess, forming an elite core to the Christian forces. As usual, the informative text is lavishly illustrated with color photos depicting replica weapons and equipment in use.

This book describes and illustrates the armies of the embattled Ottoman Turkish Empire involved in 19th-century wars during the Empire's long spiral of decline.During the so called 'long 19th century', between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the difficulties faced by the Ottoman Turkish Empire were a recurrent factor in international geopolitics. Against a background of Russian-Ottoman rivalry, France and Britain supported the Empire during the Crimean War (1854-56), but not in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78). Portraying the uniforms, arms and appearance of Ottoman troops during this period, this book traces the history of the Ottoman Empire throughout this period, when no fewer than ten wars of regional insurgency and foreign expansion against the Empire were fought in territories in south-eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Using rare photos and illustrations from Turkish, Balkan and other sources, author, Gabriele Esposito details the history of the multi-ethnic Ottoman armies periodic attempts to modernize which enabled them to win some victories at a tactical level. But the Empire - 'the sick man of Europe' - lacked a coherent strategy or sufficient resources, and failed attempts to crush regional uprisings and to defend borders, saw the steady loss of territories. Due to misgovernment and economic failure, unrest finally boiled over in 1908-09, reducing the sultan's court to a largely ceremonial role, and installing a military government by the 'Young Turks' led by the general Enver Pasha. This book is a vivid description of the organization, operations, uniforms and equipment of one of the most active and varied armies of the 'long 19th century' and paints a detailed picture of the Ottoman Empire's struggle to maintain control of its territories.

Describes the Imperial Guard from its origins in the Consular Guard.

The Hundred Years' War is one of the most famous conflicts in British history, featuring such renowned battles as Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. It is a period littered with such legendary names as the Black Prince, Henry V and Joan of Arc, and a fascinating one for the development of warfare, weapons and armour. Gabriele Esposito puts the conflict in context with an overview of earlier Anglo-French conflicts and the roots of the dispute between the Plantagenet and Valois dynasties. He then devotes several chapters to giving a concise overview of the dramatic events of the war, before moving on to describe in detail the organization, tactics, weapons, armour and equipment of all the varied forces. Those drawn in by various alliances, such as Scottish, Spanish and Burgundian troops are not forgotten. He shows the evolution of warfare across the period, from the early dominance of the longbowmen over the French knights to the increasing importance of artillery in the Valois recovery. As usual for The Armies of the Past series, Gabriele Esposito's informative text is lavishly illustrated with colour photographs of replica weapons, armour and clothing in use.

In this book, the late period of the Roman army begins with the accession of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 284 and ends with the culmination of the reign of Justinian I. This was a turbulent period during which the Roman state and its armed forces changed. Wonderfully illustrated with historical reenactments, Gabriele Esposito explores the organization, structure, equipment, weapons, combat history and tactics of Late Roman military forces.

Gabriele Esposito presents an overview of the history, organization and equipment of the military forces deployed by the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes during the period from the appearance of the Huns in Eastern Europe to the death of Genghis Khan. Each chapter is devoted to a different group that played a prominent military role during Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Starting with the Huns of Attila, whose migration was one of the key factors behind the fall of the Roman Empire, he moves on to the Avars, who established a large state in Eastern Europe that contested with Charlemagne's Frankish Empire. Chapter three covers the Magyars, who terrorized most of Europe during the tenth century before creating the Kingdom of Hungary. Next are the Bulgars, who became the worst enemies of the Byzantine Empire in the Balkans but also created a flourishing state in the Volga region of Russia. The Khazars and the Alans share a chapter, as do the Pechenegs and Cumans-Kipchaks, while the Turks merit a dedicated chapter. Last but not least are the Mongols, who are traced from the unification of their tribes to the death of the great Genghis Khan.By describing the military organization, weapons and tactics of these nomadic peoples the author shows how they dominated the battlefields of the world for almost 1,000 years thanks to their superior capabilities. He also discusses how they interacted with other civilizations and how the latter learned a lot from them, especially militarily. Without the existence of the warlike nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes, the history of the world would have been very different.

Explores the history, organization, and uniforms of the British military under George II, detailing their roles in the Jacobite Rebellion, War of the Austrian Succession, and the global Seven Years' War.Gabriele Esposito provides a detailed overview of the history, organization and uniforms of the British military forces during the long reign of George II (1727-1760). Perhaps best known for the Jacobite Rebellion, this period saw the British military forces greatly expanded and involved in two major international conflicts: the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. The latter was truly a global war, subsuming the French and Indian wars fought in the Americas, as well as conflicts in India and elsewhere. By 1760, despite achieving little in Europe, Great Britain had been able to expel the French from both Canada and India.After a brief overview of the British forces prior to the period, the author examines each component. He covers not only the regular cavalry and infantry (the Guards, line, Highland and light regiments) but also the artillery and Royal Engineers, Corps of Invalids, the Fencibles, naval infantry, the auxiliary corps created to face the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and the 'allied' contingents from Germany and the Netherlands that fought for Great Britain during the period 1745-1760. There are chapters devoted to the colonial forces deployed in the Thirteen Colonies of North America, with full details on the American militia and provincial military units, as well as forces deployed in the Caribbean and the military contingents of the East India Company. The book is illustrated throughout with excellent color illustrations from The Cloathing Book commissioned in 1742 by the Duke of Cumberland and from the oil paintings of David Morier preserved in the Royal Collections.

Frederick the Great's military prowess and the detailed structure of the Prussian Army, including uniforms and equipment, are vividly explored.Frederick the Great was an acknowledged master of war. Admired and studied by Napoleon, he commanded the Prussian army at sixteen major battles and numerous sieges and other actions, often leading from the front. Under Frederick the Prussian Army became arguably the most feared and efficient in Europe, often defeating numerically superior forces. Gabriele Esposito details the organization, uniforms and equipment of the various branches of service that made up the Prussian Army. Starting with the infantry, whose incredible discipline and excellent training made them the backbone of Frederick's forces he details the famous Guards and the line regiments but also the light infantry jagers and even little-known garrison and auxiliary units. Equal attention is given to the cavalry: Guards, cuirassiers, dragoons, lancers and hussars. There is also a chapter devoted to the 'technical corps' of artillery, pioneers and the like, and there are chapters on the mercenary 'freikorps' and Frederick's German allies. The whole is lavishly illustrated with beautiful colour plates.

The centuries that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476 saw the formation of numerous Romano-Germanic kingdoms from the fusion between different Germanic communities and the Roman population. In time the Frankish Kingdom came to dominate over all the others and conquered most of continental Europe under the guidance of the famous Carolingian royal family. In the book we will follow the military ascendancy of the warlike Franks from 613 to 987. The greatest protagonist of this bloody period was Charlemagne, probably the greatest military commander of the Early Middle Ages. He transformed the Frankish kingdom into a large state âEUR" the Holy Roman Empire âEUR" that dominated most of continental Western Europe for almost a century. Charlemagne spent his long reign (768-814) fighting against a multitude of warlike enemies who lived on the frontiers of his dominions: Arabs, Basques, Bretons, Frisians, Vikings, Saxons, Thuringians, Slavs, Avars, Bavarians and Lombards. He obtained some spectacular victories over the latter, but also suffered some humiliating defeats like the famous one of Roncevaux Pass. Gabriele Esposito follows the evolution of the Frankish Army from the rise of the FranksâEUR(TM) under the Merovingian monarchs to the dissolution of the Carolingian royal family, reconstructing the most important military campaigns in detail. All the major troop types are covered, providing information on the organization and equipment of each contingent. The enemies of the Franks are also considered. The clear text is illustrated with dozens of stunning colour photographs depicting replica weapons and equipment of the period in use.

During the Middle Empire period (AD 180-284) the Roman army had to face the terrible âEUR¿Third Century CrisisâEUR(TM), wherein a combination of socio-economic problems and new external threats threatened the Empire with complete collapse. Several provinces became temporarily independent from the central government of Rome, while others were frequently raided by foreign invaders. The Roman army had to fight with all its resources in order to reconquer a good portion of the Empire and preserve its unity. The Romans were forced to modernize and reform their forces to face the new challenges posed by a multitude of warlike enemies, such as the Persians in the Middle East or the Germanic Peoples in Central Europe. The previous military system based on the power of the legionsâEUR(TM) heavy infantry was completely revised, with the introduction of new organizational patterns. Cavalry became much more important than before, together with light troops specialized in skirmishing. The personal equipment of the Roman soldiers changed in a very significant way, with the introduction of new weapons that permitted the development of innovative tactics. Gabriele Esposito follows this evolution of Roman forces from the death of Marcus Aurelius to the rise of Diocletian, reconstructing the major military campaigns and explaining how the Roman military forces were transformed. All the major troop types are covered, with details on the organization and equipment of each contingent. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with excellent colour photos of reconstructed costume and equipment in use.

Gabriele Esposito discusses these remarkable warriors of the steppes, analysing what made them such formidable opponents to their neighbours over the centuries.

Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of the armies of the Normans of 911-1194, discussing their their tactics, weapons and equipment.

Gabriele Esposito describes the organization, equipment and tactics of the Carthaginian forces that fought the three Punic wars with Rome, and analyses the campaigns, battles and sieges. Lavishly illustrated with high-quality photographs of replica weapons and equipment in use by reenactors.

After the Peace of Amiens was broken in 1803, Great Britain found herself at war with an old enemy (France) but also with a new competitor (Napoleon): the latter was the greatest military commander of his times, a man who was able to transform the French Army into the most lethal fighting machine of the early 19th century. The war experiences of 1793-1803 had not been very positive ones for the British Army; the latter was still recovering from the crushing defeats suffered during the American War of Independence and badly needed to be reformed in order to become more efficient and modern. At the turn of the new century, Great Britain was still the greatest colonial power of the world and could count on the most formidable navy of the world; on land, however, her army was too weak to confront the French one on almost equal terms. The British land forces did not have a great leader comparable to Napoleon and were still influenced by tactical models that had been outclassed by the events. During the Napoleonic Wars the British military apparatus did of its best to improve, especially thanks to the guidance of intelligent officers who belonged to a "new generation". These innovative and capable men reformed the British Army, by improving its standards of service and by creating a new relationship (based on mutual trust) with the men under their command. Wellington was the greatest of these officers and one of the few European generals who had the personal capabilities to contrast Napoleon in an effective way: it was him who "forged" the new British Army, by fighting against the French in the Iberian Peninsula during 1808-1814. After learning from experience, the British soldiers were finally able to face Napoleon on the Belgian fields of Waterloo and thus they wrote the last page of a glorious military epic. Waterloo, however, was just the final result of a long process.

The legionary soldier of the early Empire period, with his distinctive segmented armor, is one of the images most closely associated by popular imagination with ancient Rome. Such soldiers conquered most of Britain, suffered and avenged the terrible disaster of the Teutoburg Forest and vanquished the fearsome Dacians across the Danube, a feat immortalized on Trajan's Column, as well as fighting many other tribes. In the East, they overcame the Great Jewish Revolt and repeatedly contended with mixed success against the powerful Parthians. This was the army that enforced the so-called Pax Romana at the point of a gladius and maintained the greatest empire the world had yet seen. Of course, such troops were also employed to bloody effect in the many civil wars such as those of AD 69, 'the Year of the Four of the Emperors'. With over 110 images of historically accurate re-enactors, this book describes the tactics, organization and equipment of the Roman army at the height of its powers, considered by many to be the most efficient and powerful fighting force of the ancient world. It gives an overview of the most significant campaigns and considers in detail not only the iconic legionaries but also the various auxiliary units, including cavalry.

After the Norman conquest of 1066, the English lands gradually lost their Saxon character and became much more similar to continental Europe than previously; feudalism was brought to the British Isles by the Normans, together with a new model of centralized monarchy, thus changing the administrative and social structures of England forever. After a few decades, however, the new royal family initiated by William the Conqueror disappeared due to the lack of direct heirs and thus the Kingdom of England entered a chaotic phase characterized by civil conflicts, as well as by the search for a new royal house that could assume control over the turbulent English lands. This historical period, known as 'The Anarchy', began in 1135 and ended only in 1154, when the first Plantagenet was crowned as monarch of the English realm. The new royal family would have kept power over its kingdom for more than three centuries, until the outbreak of the War of the Roses. During this long period, the Plantagenet kings fought a series of conflicts, which can be grouped into three main categories: wars fought against the French monarchy in continental Europe, wars fought in the British Isles against the 'Celtic nations' (Wales, Scotland and Ireland) and civil conflicts fought in England against rebel aristocrats. This book pays special attention to the wars fought by England against Wales, Scotland and Ireland; at the same time, it provides a detailed overview of the 'minor' conflicts that saw the Plantagenet monarchs campaigning in France. This book will cover the history, organization and equipment of the English armies that fought the many wars of the early Plantagenet period.

It is a fascinating period for military history and the study of armies, a hybrid of Napoleonic legacies into the industrialized age of modern warfare. Covers all the armies of the war, Russian, Ottoman Turkish, British, French and Sardinian.

Covers Napoleon's cavalry and artillery of the line and the technical corps of engineers etc. Details the organization of the cavalry and artillery regiments, their weapons, equipment and uniforms. Gives an overview of how the various types of cavalry, and artillery, were used in battle.

This book covers the period of Rome's greatest expansion, from an Italy-only state to master of the Mediterranean World.

In the early 5th century, Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea in increasing numbers and began settling among the ruins of the former Roman province of Britannia. This led to centuries of warfare as these 'Anglo-Saxons' carved new, independent kingdoms at the point of the sword, fighting the native Britons and each other. From the late eighth century they also had to face the threat of the Vikings, at first as opportunistic raiders but increasingly bent on conquest. The last Viking invasion was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge but he was defeated by the Normans in that same fatal year of 1066, ending the Anglo-Saxon Age.Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of Anglo-Saxon military history, narrating the great campaigns, such as those of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Harold Godwinson. He discusses in detail the composition of Anglo-Saxon forces, their tactics, weapons and equipment, detailing developments across the period. The informative, accessible text is supported by dozens of color images showing replica Saxon war gear in use.

During the first half of the 19th century, the newly-formed countries of South America lived in a state of great political turmoil, since they fought against each other for defining the extension of their national territories.

Describes how newly modernized Japan waged war against China in its first overseas campaign, marking its rapid transition into Asia's leading military power only 30 years after emerging from centuries of feudalism. After the Meiji restoration of the Japanese imperial regime in 1868-77, modernization along Western lines of Japan's industry, communications and land and naval forces advanced with remarkable speed and, by the 1890s, the rejuvenated nation was ready to flex its muscles overseas. The obvious opponent was the huge but medieval Chinese Empire, and the obvious arena for war was Korea, a nearby Chinese protectorate that Japan had long coveted. (A secondary campaign would be fought on Formosa/Taiwan, an autonomous Chinese island protectorate.) In this study, author Gabriele Esposito describes the bloodthirsty course of the Japanese campaign in China, using colour illustrations and photos to showcase the organization, equipment and appearance of the various Chinese forces (China had no true national army), the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, and, for the first time in English, the Korean and Formosan participants. Japan's victory left it confident enough to challenge Imperial Russia and, nine years later, it defeated it at the Battle of Tsushima where two-thirds of the Russian fleet was destroyed by the Japanese Navy. This victory confirmed Japan's place as Asia's leading military power, soon to become a realistic rival to the West.

Gabriele Esposito describes the tactics, organization and equipment of the Roman army at the height of its powers, considered by many to be the most efficient and powerful fighting force of the ancient world.

The ascent of the Plantagenets to the English throne in 1154 led to the beginning of a new historical phase in the British Isles, which was marked by numerous wars that were fought between the Kingdom of England and the 'Celtic nations' of Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Continues the successful Armies of the Past series.

A complete illustrated study of the varied range of Italian colonial units who served in East and North Africa.Italy only unified as a nation in 1870 and was late, and therefore impatient, in the ''scramble'' for Africa. An initial foothold in Eritrea/Somalia, north-east Africa, led to a disastrous defeat in Ethiopia in 1896 at the Battle of Adwa, but Italian Somaliland was later consolidated on the west coast of the Red Sea. During 1911, Italy also invaded Libya, securing the coast, however fighting continued throughout World War I and only ended in the early 1930s. A number of native colonial regiments were raised in both Italian East Africa and Libya (in the latter, even a pioneering paratroop unit), of which most fought sturdily for Italy against the Allies in 1940ΓÇô43. These units had particularly colourful uniforms and insignia. Another small guard unit also served in the Italian concession at Tientsin, China in 1902ΓÇô1943. After World War II, a remnant unit served on in Somalia under a UN mandate until 1960.This intriguing volume describes and illustrates the dress and equipment used by these forces and details how they were deployed to maintain a colonial empire for over half a century.

Describes the armies of the Germanic foes that raided, invaded and resisted the Roman Empire for centuries and eventually brought it down.

This volume covers both British cavalry and artillery of the Napoleonic Wars, as well as supporting units such as engineers.