Den Karolinska Armens
Uniforms Under Stora
Nordiska Kriget

By Lars-Eric Hoglund
Translated by Daniel A. Schorr

Reviewed by Dannie Fogleman


If ever a book for those interested in the uniforms of the Swedish army during the Great Northern War (1700-21) could be termed essential, this is it. The author, relying heavily on contemporary sources, such as muster rolls etc., has produced what is probably the most exhaustive study available on the subject, and certainly the most complete examination that is likely to appear in English in the foreseeable future. It is a bonus that the translator, Dan Schorr, is a recognized expert on the Swedish Army and author of several works on the subject.

The traditional view of the Swedish infantryman of the period is that of the 1707 uniform, dark blue with yellow turnbacks and cuffs. yellow waistcoat and netherwear. Cavalry are usually shown with blue turnbacks and cuffs. Many of us who raised Swedish armies in the late 1980's and 90's also were lead to believe that the Finnish infantry wore coats of gray vadmal, or homespun, throughout the war.

Hoglund does much to correct these inaccuracies by providing uniform details for over 150 units, from the livgarde till fot to the most obscure (and often ephemeral) temporary regiments. For example, he demonstrates that yellow facings were also common in the cavalry and that yellow was by no means universal in the infantry, with at least thirteen units having red facings. In addition, most of Finnish infantry, in fact, were dressed in blue. (The Finnish cavalry were dressed in gray for part of the period, but not in cheap, homespun cloth).

In addition to an unparalleled wealth of uniform information, Hoglund provides a good overview of the organization, recruitment and equipment of the army (and, interestingly, the naval forces as well). There is much detail here, such as noting that the typical horse used by the Swedes would be classified as a pony today.

The book also contains six color plates (including the covers), containing 13 figures. This is perhaps the weakest part of the work. The drawings of the infantry are somewhat crude, and there appear to be variances with the text. However, this should not detract from what is otherwise an excellent reference source. The book could also use a glossary.

The one drawback which might turn off some prospective purchasers is the price. I paid $28.00 for my copy from On Military Matters, quite a lot for a soft-back, A-6 format book containing only 60 pages. To this I can only respond that if this is a period of interest to you, it is worth every penny.

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