Review (PDF) Louis XV's Army (1) : Cavalry & Dragoons (Men-At-Arms Series, 296)
France had a population of between 22 and 25 million at this time, and maintained the largest standing army in Europe. In peacetime it might have amounted to about 200,000 men; in times of war, it could be anything up to half a million. A substantial part of Louis XV's army consisted of numerous regiments of guard cavalry, heavy cavalry and dragoon regiments, which were considered the best and noblest part. These many units form the subject matter in this first of five fascinating volumes [Men-at-Arms 296, 302, 304, 308 & 313] by René Chartrand covering the army of Louis XV's.
Series: Men-at-Arms (Book 296)
Paperback: 50 pages
Publisher: Osprey Publishing; First Edition edition (July 15, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1855326027
ISBN-13: 978-1855326026
Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.1 x 9.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,352,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #185 in Books > History > Military > Uniforms #51471 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering
All five books in this series are magnificent. What makes them great is that they are not in the usual Osprey fashion. Their is no chronology of dates at the begging taking up space; Chartrand jumps right in with organization details, tactics, equipment, armament, and each regiments uniform distinction as it changed through Louis XV reign. The plates are outstanding. Usually for Osprey their only three figures per plate. Not here, 5 and more a plate. With that number it's not cluttered and doesn't detract from the detail. On a last note, I will never have to buy anything else to help me paint my Seven Year War French figures.
This mini series of 5 books within the huge Osprey MAA titles forms an excellent and comprehensive introduction to Louis XV's army. It is backed by meticulous research into French and Canadian archives and made intelligible to English readers, and accompanied by perfect illustrations by Eugene Leliepvre of the various troop types found in this army.
Rene Chartrand provides in this series an insightful look into the French army of this period, its formations and basic organization as well as the caliber of its troops, with great detail to its unforms which are well illustrated by Eufene Leliepvre.Truly on an organizational level the French army is quite impressive though its performance a shadow of what it had been under its previous monarch.
Louis XV's Army (1) : Cavalry & Dragoons (Men-At-Arms Series, 296) Louis XV's Army (3) : Foreign Infantry and Artillery (Men-At-Arms Series, 304) Louis XV's Army (4) Light Troops & Specialists (Men-At-Arms Series, 308) Louis XV's Army (2) : French Infantry (Men-At-Arms Series, 302) Napoleon's Dragoons of the Imperial Guard (Men-at-Arms) The Belgian Army in World War I (Men-at-Arms) The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine 1815 (Men-at-Arms) The British Army 1939-45 (2): Middle East & Mediterranean (Men-at-Arms) The Austrian Army 1740-80 (2): Infantry (Men-at-Arms) Steel Cavalry: The 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars and the Italian Campaign (The New Brunswick Military Heritage Series) "Oh! Hast Thou Forgotten": Michigan Cavalry in the Civil War: The Gettysburg Campaign The Doomed Horse Soldiers of Bataan: The Incredible Stand of the 26th Cavalry The Last Great Cavalry Charge-The Battle of the Silver Helmets-Halen-12 August 1914 US Army, Technical Manual, TM 9-1305-201-34, SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION TO 30 MILLIMETER INCLUSIVE, (FEDERAL SUPPLY CLASS 1305), 1994 German Combat Equipment 1939-45 (Men at Arms Series, 234) Modern African Wars (1) 1965-80 : Rhodesia (Men at Arms Series, 183) French Armies of the Hundred Years War : 1328-1429 (Men-At-Arms Series, 337) The Mexican-American War, 1846-1848 (Men-At-Arms Series, 56) Royal Navy 1790-1970 (Men at Arms Series, 65) US Army Technical Manual, ARMY AMMUNITION DATA SHEETS: MILITARY PYROTECHNICS, (FEDERAL SUPPLY CLASS 1370), TM 43-0001-37, 1994
