The Prussian Army 1792-1815 by George Nafziger
Vol 1: The Infantry (122pp)
Vol 2: The Guard and Landwehr (69pp)
Vol 3: The Cavalry and Artillery (107pp)
£13.99/$19.95 each

The first thing I usually do when I receive a book, is to turn to the bibliography. It is here that one will find its provenance. In this privately published three volume work, it is formidable indeed, listing more than sixty regimental histories and other works of German origin. In the same A4 format as his two volume work on the Russian army, reviewed elsewhere by Dave Hollins, Volume 1 opens with a brief general history of the Prussian army between 1792 and 1815, which places it in context and demonstrates that it had little or no impact on affairs until the twilight of the Napoleonic wars.

The reader is taken through the line and light branches of the infantry in near microscopic detail, covering organization, establishments, a description of the uniforms and brief histories of each regiment before and after the post-1806 reorganization. The second volume covers the Guard and Landwehr, in similar scope, but also includes the National cavalry regiments, legions, freikorps and 'foreign' troops in Prussian service, nothing, it seems, has been overlooked. The final volume deals with the cavalry and artillery, together with the technical arms and train, in the same exhaustive manner. Properly footnoted throughout, each volume also contains a useful index. The work also has the Hofschröer stamp of approval, which is an achievement in itself nearly!

Although the three volumes are illustrated throughout with diagrams and black and white illustrations of the uniforms, taken from a variety of sources, the latter do not always reproduce particularly well and those who are beguiled by glossy colour picture booklets may be disappointed. Even if the illustrations could, perhaps, have been better handled this should not deter the prospective purchaser of these volumes, which are not concerned with the cosmetic. The only omission is a description of the colours and standards but, to be fair, this is a subject that could fill a fourth volume in its own right.

I recently heard a criticism of these volumes on the grounds that they were too expensive, the subject matter was too obscure and that they compared badly in the context of presentation with a Men at Arms. As far as price is concerned, at current exchange rates of $1.60ish to the £, the asking price in UK is not disproportionate with that which one would have to pay in the US. Furthermore, the three volumes cost approximately £42 in the UK compared with approximately £40 for the five Prussian Men at Arms which, although they are amongst the very best Osprey have to offer, are incomplete, not covering the artillery and other specialist corps, and are generally constrained by the small format. Finally, to complain that the subject matter is too esoteric does not accord with recent correspondence in FE, which seemed to indicate that there is a demand for this kind of material in English.

I don't know if George has offered these volumes for professional publication, but such a book combining all three under a single cover, judging by the asking price of the recent Spellmount re-print of Gunther Rothenberg's study of the Austrian army, should sell for about £20 or so. I am told, however, that the subject matter would not generate enough interest to make it a worthwhile project. Is this correct? I would welcome comments from FE readers.

The Volumes reviewed here are probably the most comprehensive authoritative description of the Prussian army of the period, available today in the English language. On that basis alone, if you need something on the Prussians, these should be it. If you already have the Prussian Men at Arms, you should still purchase the Prussian Army 1792-1815 for the additional coverage it offers.

More Book Reviews

The Bayonets of the Republic
1815: The Roads to Waterloo
The Austrian Auxiliary Troops
The Imperial Russian Army 1763-1815

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