Military affairs occupied a very significant place during Henry VIII's reign, with English armies seeing action against two main enemies: the French and the Scots, of which France was undoubtedly viewed as the principal foe. Henry nursed grandiose ambitions to be acclaimed as the arbiter of European politics, and whilst intervention in European affairs did not necessarily dictate a policy of hostility towards France; England was invariably to be found in league with her enemies in time of war. This absorbing text by Paul Cornish deals with the history, uniforms and equipment of King Henry VIII's army.

The new 43rd Regiment formed in 1739 not only wore bonnets, but had short jackets in place of coats, and belted plaids instead of breeches. In addition to their firelocks and bayonets they were armed with Scots broadswords, pistols and dirks. In the early days a few of them may even have carried circular shields or targets. The British Army was never to be the same again. Stuart Reid explores the history, clothing and equipment of the 18th-century Highland regiments, in a text complemented by a multitude of photographs and illustrations, including full colour plates.

When the Southern states seceded to form their own government in 1861, one of their first moves was to organise an army. The South's fighting men served from the time of their enlistment until the end of the war, receiving poor rations, and even worse clothing – and this despite the fact that one of the first steps taken by the new army was to design a uniform and establish standards for accoutrements and weapons. In this first of five volumes examining American Civil War armies, Philip Katcher profiles the uniforms issued by the national Confederate government to its artillery, cavalry and infantry troops.

 

Focuses on the physical and geological aspects, structure, and features of 48 of the earth's landforms - what they are, how they look, how they were created, how they change over time, and major geological events associated with them.