{"title":"Neil Cogswell","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"zweybrucken-in-command-book-neil-cogswell-9781911628552","title":"Zweybrucken in Command","description":"The Reichsarmee - the 'Army of the Empire' made up of contingents from the minor German states - reached the nadir of its fortunes in 1757 with defeat at Rossbach. For the following year's campaigning, which included the defense of Bamburg, the action at Basberg, the siege of Sonnenstein, and the combat at Eilenburg, it came under the command of Friedrich-Michael, Prince von Pfalz-Zweybrücken, whose initial task was to protect the western borders of the Empire from invasion from Saxony where Prince Henry of Prussia commanded a sizeable army. Later, as Prussian fortunes began to wane, the liberation of Saxony became a prime objective.The core of this volume is the 'Journal of the Army', translated from the original French and annotated by historian Neil Cogswell. Although the identity of the author of the original journal is unknown, he appears, from his knowledge of events, to have been attached to headquarters, but his writing suggests that he was of junior or even civilian status. As occasion presents itself, the author speaks of the contingents from the Lower Rhine Circle, which included a major part of the Palatinate form which the army's commander drew his princely title; it is reasonable to suppose that the author came from this circle.The Journal has the flavor of an official record of the campaign. It contains no personal details and makes no comments on the political and supply problems that disrupted the operations. To complement it are therefore appended the letters of the Comte de Boisgelin, a French officer serving with the Reichsarmee, to his good friend Horace St Paul. Boisgelin's letters, by contrast, are sparse in terms of military detail but illuminating in terms of gossip, speculation, and personal experience.To place the combined account in context, over 50 tables and plates are also included, including maps, order of battle, and color depictions of the army's uniforms and flags.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49648698851601,"sku":"GOR013325715","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49737758441745,"sku":"NGR9781911628552","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1911628550.jpg?v=1751630385"},{"product_id":"olmutz-to-torgau-book-neil-cogswell-9781804513897","title":"Olmutz to Torgau","description":"Following the disastrous conclusion to the campaign of 1757, the Austrian Army regrouped in Bohemia. Meanwhile, the King of Prussia sought to complete his reconquest of Silesia before seizing the initiative and thrusting directly towards Vienna. In his path stood the town of Olmütz, which would prove to be a high-tide mark of the war. Over the next three years, Austria and her allies inflicted a series of heavy defeats on the Prussians at Hochkirch, Kunersdorf, Dresden, Maxen, Landeshut and Glatz. By the end of 1760 - with Berlin open to insult by Swedish, Austrian and especially Russian raiders - the King of Prussia was left with no other option than the desperate measure of attacking the Austrian Army in a renowned, strong defensive position on the heights of Süptitz (outside Torgau). From the near-balletic formality of the battles and sieges of a prior age, the business of war changed during these campaigns. Many of the actions were designed with the objective of annihilation, and the critical moment of several battles came at night; the geometric precision of siege warfare gave way to the indiscriminate horrors of bombardment. Throughout these campaigns, Horace St Paul - an English gentleman volunteer - continued to accompany Marshal Daun. He noted the day-to-day progress of the army and recorded the essential connective tissue which links the great events of these campaigns - often highlighting occasions where a general action was expected, but does not occur. In parallel, this volume includes accounts from the Prussian perspective - including that of Henri de Catt, to whom the King of Prussia confided his thoughts. The text is accompanied by 242 plates of maps and statistical information, as well as a detailed gazetteer and lists of persons and regiments named.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49745002692881,"sku":"NGR9781804513897","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/180451389X.jpg?v=1751631721"},{"product_id":"lobositz-to-leuthen-book-neil-cogswell-9781911096672","title":"Lobositz to Leuthen","description":"In 1751, at the age of 22 and then a law student, Horace St Paul had, as he described it, a difference with an older man over the favor of a lady. This difference resulted in the death of the older man in an impromptu duel to which there were no witnesses. The investigating coroner directed that St Paul should stand trial for willful murder. With no confidence in the outcome, St Paul fled to France where such affairs of were looked on in a different light. He declined to return home to England to stand trial and was outlawed. St Paul was a handsome young man who was possessed of considerable social graces and received a liberal allowance from his father. From France, he moved to Brussels, where he was accepted at the Court of Prince Charles of Lorraine, Governor-General of the Austrian Netherlands and brother-in-law of Maria Theresa, the Empress Queen. In 1756 Frederic II of Prussia invaded Saxony thereby precipitating a general war in Europe. Prince Charles of Lorraine confidently expected to be appointed to the chief command of the Austrian army, once it was fully mobilized. The Prince thought sufficiently well of St Paul to offer him a post at his side as aide-de-camp and sent him to join Marshal Browne, then commanding in Bohemia, as a volunteer to learn something of soldiering. St Paul joined Marshal Browne shortly before the Austrain army advanced to attempt to relieve the Saxons, then besieged at Pirna. Having no regimental duties St Paul kept a journal of the day to day operations of the Austrians, thereby learning his new trade. He was present at the first major action of the war at Lobositz. The following year, now in the suite of Prince Charles of Lorraine, St Paul was present at the great battle outside Prague and was subsequently besieged in that city. He was also in a position to gather eyewitness accounts of other actions - notably that at Kolin - as he accompanied the victorious Austrian forces on their advance from Bohemia into Silesia while the King of Prussia was away seeking to prevent the armies of France and the Empire from re-conquering Saxony. Once in Silesia the Austrian army besieged and stormed the great fortress of Schweidnitz and then crushed the remains of the Prussian army ouside Breslau and captured that Capital city. Nike, the capricious Goddess of Victory, had crowned the triumphant Austrians. Nemesis, the Goddess of Retribution, had other ideas. One month after his stunning victory over the French and Empire forces at Rossbach, King Frederic of Prussia hurled his outnumbered and weary troops against the Austrians at Leuthen just outside Breslau. The Journal of St Paul is a day by day account. He is not shy to write Nothing happened, also when the action is hottest he can be understandably brief. As a man learning his trade, he often records details of almost arcane significance. As his original editor George Grey Butler noted: This is not history, but it is the stuff from which history is written. Accompanying the text are a detailed Gazeteer and Lists of Persons and Regiments indicated in the text as well as 232 plates of maps and plans on which the reader can follow the operations described. This is a landmark work in the history of the Seven Years War. A continuation of this Journal, describing the Campaigns from 1758 to 1760, is in preparation.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50392874320145,"sku":"CIN1911096672VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1911096672.jpg?v=1751630684"},{"product_id":"olmutz-to-torgau-book-neil-cogswell-9781911512721","title":"Olmutz to Torgau","description":"Following the disastrous conclusion to the campaign of 1757, the Austrian Army regrouped in Bohemia. Meanwhile, the King of Prussia sought to complete his reconquest of Silesia before seizing the initiative and thrusting directly towards Vienna. In his path stood the town of Olmütz, which would prove to be a high-tide mark of the war.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Over the next three years, Austria and her allies inflicted a series of heavy defeats on the Prussians at Hochkirch, Kunersdorf, Dresden, Maxen, Landeshut and Glatz. By the end of 1760 - with Berlin open to insult by Swedish, Austrian and especially Russian raiders - the King of Prussia was left with no other option than the desperate measure of attacking the Austrian Army in a renowned, strong defensive position on the heights of Süptitz (outside Torgau). From the near-balletic formality of the battles and sieges of a prior age, the business of war changed during these campaigns. Many of the actions were designed with the objective of annihilation, and the critical moment of several battles came at night; the geometric precision of siege warfare gave way to the indiscriminate horrors of bombardment.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Throughout these campaigns, Horace St Paul - an English gentleman volunteer - continued to accompany Marshal Daun. He noted the day-to-day progress of the army and recorded the essential connective tissue which links the great events of these campaigns - often highlighting occasions where a general action was expected, but does not occur. 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