BRZEZINSKI, Richard
Illus. by Richard Hook
"The Army of Gustavus Adolphus, (I) Infantry
Osprey Men at Arms series, No. 235. 1991.
48pp. maps illus (some color) £ 6.50

This is another excellent title in a consistently valuable series. The author has written previously on, inter alia, the Polish armies of this period, and his considerable expertise is again in evidence.

The book opens with a useful discussion of the military background, and the origins (mainly German) of Gustavus' military thinking. A description of the organisation and recruiting of the Swedish army follows, together with a valuable section on the famous Mercenary regiments of the Swedish Army. The author rightly points out the attraction provided by the opportunities in the Swedish forces for rapid advancement, citing the example of Christopher von Houwald, who entered service around 1616-18 as a common musketeer, and by 1634 was a Major-General.

As usual in this series, the core of the book is devoted to a detailed examination of arms, equipment and clothing of the Swedish infantry, including those serving on the little-known Eastern front. This is handsomely complemented by Richard Hook's excellent colour plates, plus many reproductions of significant contemporary illustrations, and considerable and effective use is made of unpublished or difficult to obtain Swedish and German sources.

A title then of considerable interest to students of the Swedish Army, the Thirty Years' War in general, and indeed 17th century military history as a whole. The next volume in the series is keenly awaited.

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