Armies of Ivan the Terrible

March 1, 2006
Varying in length from about 50 to 100 pages, these new titles in four of Osprey -s military history series are aimed at a popular audience. A common feature of all Osprey titles is abundant illustration, and the present items do not disappoint. In addition, two titles -Field -s "Bronze Age War Chariots"and Chun -s "The Doolittle Raid 1942" stand out for their insightful analyses.

In "Bronze Age War Chariots" Fields (ancient history & archaeology, Univ. of Edinburgh; "Troy c.1700 -1250 B.C") discusses the development and use of chariots from roughly 3100 to 1200 B.C.E., with emphasis on those used by Egyptians, Hittites, and Mycenaeans. His thoughtful and well-organized text also discusses the types of horses these cultures employed, as well as the strategies adopted for chariot use on the battlefield. Fields -s "Ancient Greek Fortifications, 500 -300 B.C."begins with a discussion of the political situation in ancient Greece and proceeds to describe the fortifications the Greeks constructed. Quarrying processes and the types of materials used to build the works are detailed, and the book concludes with tales of sieges that took place at the sites considered and a brief section on the sites today.

Shpakovsky (history, Penza Univ., Russia; "Kalka River 1223: Genghiz Khan -s Mongols Invade Russia" coauthored with Nicolle) and Nicolle ("Medieval Warfare Source Book" have collaborated on "Armies of Ivan the Terrible" which, in fact, covers not only that ruler -s forces -Ivan IV created Russia -s first paid regular army -but also those of his predecessors and immediate successors. The different types of troops and their equipment are vividly described. The text abounds with Russian terms, most of which are translated or explained, though a glossary would have been helpful. Although this title fulfills Osprey -s aim of producing a descriptive popular source, it ends without any sort of conclusion.

In contrast, Chun -s book on the Doolittle Raid stands out as an excellent example of an insightful popular source in military history. Chun (distance education, U.S. Army War Coll.; "U.S. Army in the Plains Indian Wars, 1865 -1891" begins by explaining the political, diplomatic, and military situation leading up to the raid. The planning processes are detailed, all of the major officers on each side discussed, and charts showing chains of command included. Maps show the paths individual bombers took. The final chapters analyze the raid -s aftermath and mention modern-day sites tied to the operation. All four of these titles are suitable for public libraries." -Matthew J. Wayman, Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Abington "

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