As well as being Emperor of the French it is often forgotten, or simply overlooked, that Napoleon was also King of Italy - a state that essentially comprised all Italy North of the Kingdom of Naples. The Army of the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside that of France in all of the major campaigns of the Grande Armée as well as contributing troops to the French Army in Spain. This is the first full-length English language study of the uniforms, organization, personnel and campaigns of that army. The army of the Kingdom was, perhaps not surprisingly, amongst France's most reliable allies but it is usually simply confused with what the French termed the Armée d'Italie - a different, if related, army. The author explains why these two are not synonymous and should not be confused. The book covers not just the regulation uniforms, although unusually the regulations were somewhat sparse, but also the numerous variations recorded in contemporary documents and plates. The uniforms of the Tête de Colonne were never regulated properly and could change from issue to issue and year to year and the author has tried to cover all of these known changes. This revised and expanded edition is in color throughout and includes an additional 35 previously unpublished artworks.

Often overlooked is the fact that, in addition to being Emperor of the French, Napoleon was also King of Italy. As such he was the first man to hold such a title since antiquity, albeit that the Kingdom was ruled by Eugene de Beauharnais as Viceroy. There seems little doubt that had Napoleon remained in power for a few more years then the Kingdom's Army would have been the cornerstone of a unified Italian State a half-century before Garibaldi. The Kingdom may only have comprised about a third of the Italian peninsula, but it was inevitably a major contributor of manpower to the Grande Arm e. Despite this, and the continuing popularity of the study of Napoleonic armies and uniforms, there has not previously been a full-length study of the appearance of this Army nor any comparable synopsis of its service. The uniforms of the Kingdom's Army were heavily influenced by those of Napoleonic France but there was, in addition, enough 'Italian flair' to make them distinctive and the Army's service record was the equal to that of any of France's allies and satellites, and considerably better than most.

Although its crown was initially given to Joseph Bonaparte, the brief history of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples will be forever best associated with the reign of King Joachim Murat, Napoleons famous and flamboyant cavalry commander, from 1808 to 1815. Known more for the splendor of its uniforms than the achievements of its troops, Naples under Murat nevertheless became a major, if short-lived, player on the Italian Peninsula. This book is based around a series of 99 plates from the work of the military illustrator Henri Boisselier covering the army and navy of the Kingdom of Naples, reproduced with the kind permission of the Anne S.K. Brown Collection. Each plate is accompanied by a commentary on the figure, comparing Boisselier's depiction with the actual state of the army at the date of their portrayal. The accompanying text details the strength of each corps of the army (royal guard, infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, command and staff officers, and civilian paramilitary organizations) including the dates of raising of each regiment, their uniform details, badges of rank, inter-company distinctions, flags and standards. The battle history of the units is also recounted, and supported by maps and orders of battle. These details are supported and contextualised by a brief history of the kingdom.

King George’s Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them 1793–1815 will contain five volumes, with coverage given to cavalry regiments (Volume 1), infantry regiments (Volumes 2–4), and Ordnance and other regiments (Volume 5). It is the natural extension to the web series of the same name by the same author which existed one Napoleon Series from 2009 until 2019, but greatly expanded to include substantially more biographical information including biographies of leading political gures concerned with the administration of the army as well as commanders in chief of all major commands. Volume 1 covers in great detail the cavalry regiments that comprised the army of King George III for the period of the Great War with France, and the men who commanded them. Regimental data provided includes shortform regimental lineages, service locations and dispositions for the era, battle honors won, tables of authorized establishments, demographics of the field officer cohorts and of the men. But the book is essentially concerned with the field officers, the lieutenant colonels and majors who commanded the regiments, and Volume 1 alone contains over 1,000 mini-biographies of men who commanded the regiments, including their dates of birth and death, parentage, education, career (including political), awards and honors, and places of residence. Volumes 2 to 5 will extend the coverage to ultimately record over 4,500 biographies across more than 200 regiments. These biographies will show the regimental system in action, officers routinely transferring between regiments for advancement or opportunity, captains who were also (brevet) colonels, many who retired early, some who stayed the distance to become major generals and beyond. Where it has been possible to accurately ascertain, advancement by purchase, exchange or promotion has also been noted. Readers with military ancestors will no doubt find much of interest within, and the author hopes that the work will allow readers to break down a few ‘brick walls’; either through connecting to the officers recorded, or through an understanding of the movements of the regiments around the world, or from the volunteering patterns of the militia regiments into the regular army. Encyclopedic in scope, and aimed to be a lasting source of reference material for the British army that fought the French Revolution and Napoleon between 1793 and 1815, King George’s Army: British Regiments and the Men who Led Them will be a necessary addition to every military and family history library for years to come.

The uniforms, organisation and equipment of Napoleon's French army in Egypt.

In the early 1770s, the 33rd Foot acquired a reputation as the best-trained regiment in the British Army. This reputation would be tested beyond breaking point over the course of the American Revolutionary War. From Saratoga to South Carolina, the 33rd was one of the most heavily-engaged units – on either side – throughout the war. The 33rd’s rise to prominence stemmed from its colonel, Charles, Earl Cornwallis, who took over in 1766. In a period where senior officers wielded huge influence over their own regiments, Cornwallis proved to be the best kind of commander. Diligent and meticulous, he focussed on improving the 33rd in every regard, from drills and field exercises to the quality of the unit’s weapons and clothing. The 33rd subsequently became known as the ‘pattern’ for the army, the unit on which other successful regiments were based. Prior to the outbreak of fighting in the American colonies in 1775, the 33rd’s abilities, particularly in new light infantry drills, were frequently praised. At one point they even assisted in training the elite regiments of the Foot Guards. The 33rd missed the first year of the Revolutionary War, but sailed in early 1776 as part of the ill-fated expedition to capture Charleston, in South Carolina. After joining the main British force in North America outside New York in August 1776, the 33rd was brigaded with the best units in the army, including the composite grenadier and light infantry battalions. Over the next five years the regiment engaged in every major battle of the Revolutionary War, from Long Island and Brandywine to Germantown and Monmouth – it even had one unlucky company of recruits present at Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights, and the subsequent surrender at Saratoga. In 1780 ‘The Pattern’ was part of Britain’s southern expedition, which put Cornwallis in command of the Crown’s efforts to subdue the Carolinas. Here the 33rd provided perhaps their greatest service – and fought their most desperate battles – at Camden and Guildford Courthouse. They marched to eventual defeat at Yorktown, but not all of the regiment’s companies were captured, and some continued to serve actively elsewhere right up until the end of the war. This work is partly a regimental history, giving the most detailed account yet of the 33rd‘s actions during the Revolutionary War. It is also, however, a broader study of the British Army during the revolutionary era. It assesses what a single regiment can tell us about wider issues affecting Britain’s military. Everything from training, weapons and uniforms, organization, transportation, camp life, discipline, food, finances and the role of women and camp followers is addressed alongside the marching, fighting and dying done by the men of the regiment between 1775 and 1783. Primary sources, particularly engaging accounts such as those of Captain William Dansey or John Robert Shaw, a regular enlisted man, provide an engrossing narrative to this part social, part military history of the British Army at war in the late eighteenth century.

An in-depth look at the regular cavalry and field artillery covering all aspects, organisation, uniforms, arms and equipment, fully illustrated in colour.