Osprey Elite Series

Rules 1754-1900 A.D.

review by Todd Fisher

It is with a fair deal of pleasure that I write about these two new releases from the Osprey Elite Series. To those of you who have read my previous writings on Osprey, you will know that I am less than thrilled by some of their efforts. Too often they have tried to cram too much into the books, and often what they do present is wasted fluff. These books are the exception. For the limitations of the format, they provide good overviews of their respective subjects.

The first of the books, Knights at Tournament, by Christopher Gravett, illustrations by the ubiquitous Angus McBride. The text nicely covers the evolution of the Tournament from its early warlike origins to the pomp and pageantry of the Elizabethan era. There is a good explanation of the developmentofarmorand weaponry. Overall this is the finest Osprey to date, but it is not without points I seriously question. The first is the illustration of William Marshal. It shows the marshal with an open faced helmet c.1170. Now while this helmet type was no doubt used in this period, William Marshal was one of the richest men in Europe because of the prizes that he had won fighting in tournaments. He could afford the best, which was a full helm, and he no doubt did based on his longevity. Gravett gives only one method of point scoring for the joust. There are several methods known to us and the book would have improved had he chosen to include them. But despite these two minor points, this is a must buy for the medieval gamer.

The Crusades is by Dr. David Nicolle with illustrations by Richard Hook. Dr. Nicolle is the cause of much of the improvement that has been shown in the texts of the recent Middle Ages releases. The historical research is top flight and I have no quarrel with any of the stated facts. Rather I question the focus of the book. The text spends its time on recounting the battles and tactics of the Crusaders and Saracens. Many of the black and white illustrations are of castles, as are many of the photographs. It is a good overview, but is this what we want out of a painting guide? In my view we would have been better served by more space being devoted to equipment and weapons. This would have made it a much drier book, but would have made it more useful as a reference work. To its credit, The Crusades dovetails nicely with Osprey's other books on the period. There is little redundant information.

The only factual fault that I found is with one of the illustrations. The painting shows Richard I of England with only two leopards on his shield. Most credible historians say that Richard had the two leopards when he was Crown Prince and that he went to the three lions soon after becoming King. It is too much of a stretch for me to believe that he couldn't have had a new shield made for him in two years. He was, after all, King of England.

These are two books that clearly demonstrate just how far the Osprey Series has come in a short time. For despite the few shortcomings, they are a welcome addition to a medieval research library.

Osprey Elite Series, as well as their companion Men-At-Arms Series are available through better hobby outlets and book dealers.

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