The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1): Infantry vol 1

The rapid rise to fame of Gustavus Adolphus was indeed extraordinary. For a time he had the status of figures like Alexander the Great and Napoleon: men who have inspired their armies to perform incredible feats; men almost worshipped in their own lifetimes. The story of this incredible character; the myths and legends which surround him, and the organisation, arms, armour and uniforms of his army, are here examined by Richard Brzezinski, in a volume packed with accompanying illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Richard Hook and the author himself. The 'Lion of the North', King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, was one of the major players in the Thirty Years War of 1618-48. In 1630 Gustavus - the last champion of the Protestants - crushed the Catholics at Breitenfeld in a victory widely viewed as the fulfillment of a prophecy foretelling the defeat of the eagle (the German Emperor's emblem) by a golden lion. Killed in battle at Ltzen only two years later, Gustavus nevertheless won fame for his technical and tactical innovations. The first of two volumes, this book examines the equipment, uniforms and organization of the infantry that comprised Gustavus's army. Gustavus of Sweden had a marked effect on warfare in the 17th century, choosing to fight with small flexible units, instead of the cumbersome massed formations common at the time. This volume covers the uniforms, organization and equipment of his infantry. "The Lion of the North", saviour of German Protestantism and the outstanding tactical genius of his day, Gustavus Adolphus had a revolutionary effect on the warfare of the 17th century, as this book describes.