Reviewed by Padre
As an Empire player I really enjoyed this book. It looks at the period in real history which technologically the Empire seems to be at. The rise of gunpowder, of massed infantry in ranks and files (with pike and shot), of reiters (the author even uses the term 'pistoleers' to describe these).
The two chapters "The New Fury" and "The New Legions" were excellent for a wargamer.
The first is about artillery and fortresses. [Wouldn't it be amazing to see some FB tables featuring artillery towers and angle bastioned forts with their crossing lines of fire? I myself have often been frustrated by my missile troops limited lines of fire on the standard square GW fortress. And I would love to dig trenches to get close to the enemy's walls!]
The second is about the new armies, pike and greatswords, handguns and crossbow, heavy and light horse, the Swiss and the Landsknechts, although reading in a later chapter how the Turks did things differently with basically the same technology (apart from the pike) was an eye opener for me.
It has plenty of tables for the more technically minded: how to move guns, how much powder they consume, the cost of infantry, the equipment needed by an artillery train, etc etc.
And the illustrations really are wonderful - lots of renaissance paintings and prints and tapestries etc. These seem to be the very things that the figure sculptures must have been looking at when they put the Empire rangte together. Well, if not these primary source pictures, then illustrations by artists inspired by these original sources. The colours are astounding, and somehow, although each individual bit of colour has that dull, natural dyed look, the troops of soldiers look really colourful. There's even a Middenheim crossbowman on p.93!
Interestingly there are a couple of picture note errors. I'll see if you can spot them - p.23 and p.119 are the pictures in question. I am certain of the first error and adequately convinced of the second.
This book has made me think about finding more of the same. I did study War, Chivalry and Lordship at University but that was the medieval period. I am through my re-enactment interests very well versed in 17th century British warfare - but this book filled a gap and connected history to the world of warhammer.