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Books at On Military Matters


Updated as of 12/05/2024

ABBREVIATIONS: dj-dust jacket, biblio-bibliography, b/w-black and white, illust-illustrations, b/c-book club addition.
rct - recent arrival or pending publication, spc - OMM Special Price
German Wars of Unification

1-COM1027 ON TO PARIS! : The Franco-Prussian War Uses a wargame system adapted from Victory Games' The Civil War to simulate the grand events of the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71) and challenge players to control the leadership, organization, and military operations of Armies and Corps during the later 19th century.

The Franco-Prussian war was fought using Napoleonic tactics but with weapons of almost WWI lethality that included breech loading rifles, artillery and an early version of the machine gun. The Franco-Prussian war developed many key concepts for the control and movement of large formations in warfare as well as tactical combat.

At a time when the French army was considered the best in the world, the armies of Prussia and her German allies invaded France and in less than three months defeated the armies of Napoleon III. Despite German success, the French refused to surrender and as a result German forces laid siege to the French capital. For five long months, Paris, a city of about two million inhabitants, was starved into submission while surrounded by German armies that had to maintain a long supply line back to Germany, all the time fending off desperate French attempts to break the siege. 1 vol, 1 pgs 2017 US, COMPASS GAMES
NEW-box ......$89.00 with a discount of 15%

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1-COM1045 1866: The Struggle for Supremacy in Germany Two-player simulation dealing with the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 in Central Europe. One player controls the forces of Prussia and its allies, to include the young Kingdom of Italy and the other player controls the forces of Austria and its German Confederation allies.

Using a shared deck of 55 Operations Cards, each player makes decisions concerning the deployment, combat, and political-military operations in support of his forces and his general strategy. Orders of battle include all the historic corps/divisions (with some brigade counters) and all major generals involved in the conflict.

The mapboard covers an area from Hamburg to Florence and Metz to Cracow. The system includes unique mobilization rules that reflect the difficulties of mobilizing for war while attempting to garner as many victory points before war is actually declared. Once war is declared, you must fight with the forces mobilized so shrewd judgment is required as to what to mobilize, where those forces will operate and who commands them. Always waiting in the wings is the French 2nd Empire under Napoleon III, prepared to intervene if neither side appears able to clinch a quick and decisive victory.

Other features include cavalry superiority, railroads, Prussia's mobilization advantage and coordinated attacks. 1866 includes two scenarios, the Mobilization to War scenario (the Campaign scenario) and the Seven Weeks War scenario (covering the post mobilization situation). 1 vol, 1 pgs 2017 US, COMPASS GAMES
NEW-box ......$79.00 with a discount of 15%

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1-197381 Barry, Quintin THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-1871 - Volume 1: The Campaign of Sedan, Helmuth von Moltke and the Overthrow of the Second Empire This first part of this new two-volume military history of the Franco-Prussian War presents a detailed account of the war between Germany and France. The author places Helmuth von Moltke and his strategic planning in the context of the European balance of power following the ending of the Austria Prussian War of 1866, then explores the initial mobilization and deployment of the armies in 1870.

All of the battles in the opening round of the war are described in detail, including Weissenburg, Worth, Spicheren, Borny-Colombey, Mars la Tour, Gravelotte, Beaumont, and Sedan. The book ends as the Second Empire of Napoleon III lies defeated, crushed by the German armies directed by von Moltke. The author has made full use of an extensive number of German and French language sources. His detailed text is accompanied by a number of black and white illustrations and battle maps. Orders of battle are also provided.

74 b/w illust, 18 maps, biblio, index 1 vol, 356 pgs 2011 UK, HELION
NEW-pb ......$60.00

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1-197382 Barry, Quintin THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-1871 - Volume 2: After Sedan Helmuth von Moltke and the Defeat of the Government of National Defense This second part of this comprehensive all-new two-volume military history of the Franco-Prussian War continues the narrative from the fall of the Second Empire until the ending of the war and the founding of a unified Germany.

The war against the Government of National Defense presented quite different problems to von Moltke and his staff. Although the Siege of Paris loomed large during the second phase of the war, the author fully explores events in other parts of France, including the siege of Strasbourg, the activities of the Francs Tireurs, the investment of Metz, and the battle against the French armies of the Loire, the North, and the East.

The author has made full use of an extensive number of German and French language sources. His detailed text is accompanied by a number of black and white illustrations and battle maps. Orders of battle are also provided.

97 b/w illust, 22 maps, biblio, index 1 vol, 356 pgs 2011 UK, HELION
NEW-pb ......$70.00

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1-207810 Barry, Quintin THE SOMME 1870-71: The Winter Campaign in Picardy After the battle of Sedan on September 1, 1870 and the collapse of the Second Empire, followed by the investment of Paris, the Government of National Defense set about raising fresh armies. These had as their first objective the relief of the capital. The German troops covering the investment were stretched extremely thin until the fall of Metz at the end of October 1870. This released the forces around the city to move north and west to deal with the newly forming French armies.

The German Campaign in the northeast of France was conducted by the First Army led by General Edwin von Manteuffel. Opposing him was the French Army of the North. Initially commanded for a short time by General Charles Bourbaki, he was soon replaced by General Louis Faidherbe, who was sent far from Africa.

The Campaign was fought to a large extent over the area of the Somme battlefields of the First World War, and the names of the towns and villages are grimly familiar with the resonance of what was to come. In 1914-1918, the direction of the fighting was on an east - west axis; in 1870 - 1871, it was north-south, with the line of the Somme being crucial to the outcome of the Campaign. Includes 50 illustrations and eight color maps. 1 vol, 296 pgs 2015 UK, HELION AND COMPANY
NEW-dj ......$70.00 with a discount of 25%

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1-218710 Barry, Quintin LAST THROW OF THE DICE: Bourbaki and Werder in Eastern France 1870-71 Recounts the last attempt by the Government of National Defence to reverse the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, as General Charles Bourbaki, the former commander of the Imperial Guard, launched the Army of the East in a desperate attack on the German lines of communication in South-Eastern France. Includes 75 b/w ills, color maps.

The plan was that after sweeping aside the forces opposing it, the Army of the East would turn north to cooperate in the relief of Paris. It was faced by the German XIV Corps, which after the fall of Strasbourg had been tasked with overrunning Alsace, besieging Belfort and capturing Dijon. There, it had met and ultimately defeated the corps of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who had volunteered to fight for France after the fall of the Second Empire.

The French enjoyed a heavy numerical superiority; but they moved too slowly. A savage battle was fought at Villersexel, but Bourbaki was unable to prevent Werder from taking up a position along the frozen River Lisaine, covering the siege of Belfort. On January 16th 1871 Bourbaki attacked. For three days, in appalling weather, the French tried to break the German line, but in the end fell back defeated.

Threatened by a new army which Moltke had created, known as the South Army, under General Edwin von Manteuffel, the French retreated, at first to the fortress of Besancon. As the pressure continued, they fell back southwards towards the Swiss border. In his despair tried to take his own life, but failed, though seriously injured. His successor had no choice but to lead the broken army into internment in Switzerland. 1 vol, 248 pgs 2018 UK, HELION AND COMPANY
NEW-dj, available early December 2018 ......$50.00 with a discount of 15%

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1-44490 Delmas, Major E. translated by Stuart Penhall WAR BETWEEN DENMARK AND GERMANY, THE:1848-1850 8.5x11, classic account, b/w maps/illust o/b's. 1 vol, 72 pgs 2003 HOPEWELL, OMM PUBLISHING
NEW-softcover ......$12.00 with a discount of 40%

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1-231060 Fermer, Douglas FRANCE AT BAY 1870-1871: The Struggle for Paris The Franco-Prussian War did not end with the catastrophic French defeat at Sedan on 1 September 1870 when an entire French army surrendered, the Emperor Napoleon III was captured and his regime collapsed. The war went on for another five agonizing months, and resolved itself into a contest for Paris -- while Paris held out, France was undefeated.

The story of this dramatic final phase of the war weaves a tale of military victory and defeat into a gripping narrative and it sets the extraordinary events of nearly 150 years ago in the wider context of European history. 1 vol, 256 pgs 2022 UK, PEN & SWORD
NEW-pb, available mid June 2022 ......$30.00 with a discount of 15% rct

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1-227930 Fontane, Theodor THE GERMAN WAR OF 1866: The Bohemian and Moravian Campaign This is the first (and only) unabridged translation of Theodor Fontane's Der deutsche Krieg von 1866 (The German War of 1866) Volume 2, Books 1, 2, & 3, Bohemia and Moravia, and as such represents a significant contribution to the literature of the period. Cited as source material in every major history of the Austro Prussian War, it is now available for the first time in English.

Fontane's celebrated study covers all the major and minor battles that took place between the Prussians, the Austrians, and their Saxon allies in Bohemia, Moravia, and Galicia. This volume ranges from the political origins of the war, to detailed accounts of the actual fighting, to lyrical descriptions of the land, customs, and traditions of the Bohemians and Moravians themselves. The text is accompanied by Ludwig Berger's superb, specially commissioned illustrations, all of which have been included. Extensive footnotes provide the reader with an abundance of background material indispensable to a fuller understanding of the specific text and of the war in general. 1 vol, 478 pgs 2021 UK, HELION & COMPANY
NEW-pb ......$60.00 with a discount of 15% rct

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1-239560 Luttmann, Hermann BY IRON AND BLOOD: 2nd Edition Wargame Second Edition Wargame simulates the July 3, 1866 Battle of Koniggratz (also known as the Battle of Sadowa) of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. One player commands the French forces and the other player commands the Prussians. Cards vary the game play. Games take four hours or more. Complexity: 6 out of 10. Solitaire suitability: 4 out of 10.

Features: 176 counters; A single rulebook (4 pages); 27 game cards; A canvas game map (22x17-inch); Two Player Aid Cards; Two Command Tracks; Game Turn and Victory Point Tracks; Rulebook; and two six sided dice. 1 vol, 1 pgs 2023 US, HERMANN LUTTMANN
NEW-box, available mid October 2023 ......$55.00 rct

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1-PWAR081 Luttmann, Hermann PAPER WARS: Issue 81 - Position Magnifique: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour, 1870 Magazine and Game. Position Magnifique: Mars-la-Tour 1870 is a medium-sized, brigade-scale game for two players (although it is solitaire-friendly). The French player, as Marshal Bazaine, must coordinate his huge army and take advantage of his greater numbers and the French infantry's superior Chassepot rifle. The Prussian player, as von Moltke, must play a cunning game of bluff, hold the line with his deadly Krupp artillery and launch timely attacks as his reinforcements race to the battlefield.

The game is specifically designed to provide an exciting and historically accurate simulation of this incredible battle. The system is driven by a unique chit-pull mechanic that simply but accurately portrays the fog-of-war, battlefield chaos and command challenges that were faced by the commanders on that 'day of battle.' Position Magnifique: Mars-la-Tour 1870 provides a challenging and exciting game experience - one where both players will, at various times, feel that they have both won and lost the game. 1 vol, 80 pgs 2015 US, COMPASS GAMES
NEW-softcover with game ......$47.00 with a discount of 10% inc

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1-235460 Markus Stein 1870/71 IN COLOUR: Uniforms and Equipment -Personal Experiences of German Soldiers During the Franco-Prussian War Based on numerous personal accounts, notes, and anecdotes, details the appearance of the German troops in 1870/71. They were witnessed first-hand and experienced by the soldiers who marched or sat, sodden, in their saddles for days on end. This book departs from the familiar organisation into individual states and their branches of service. Instead, after a brief introduction on developments in general, it deals with specific parts of the uniform such as trousers, shoes and headgear. It also contains interesting insights into the soldiers' experiences with their firearms.

Dedicated to a fascinating aspect of research - the disorder emerging from the otherwise extremely ordered appearance of the troops -- these lively accounts are complemented by 31 colorized black-and-white photographs to present as wide a range as possible of the troops involved. 1 vol, 120 pgs 2022 AUSTRIA, VERLAG MILITARIA
NEW-dj, available mid December 2022 ......$89.00 rct

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1-89671 Marrion, Bob UNIFORMS OF THE FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR:V1 Exceptionally well illustrated, many unique period studio photos, (20) color plates, o/b's. 1 vol, 200 pgs 2008 UK, PARTIZAN PRESS
NEW-dj ......$55.00

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1-89672 Marrion, Bob UNIFORMS OF THE FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR: Volume 2 Bob's last unfinished work is edited by Franco-Prussian War expert Steve Shann, who has moulded this work on what the French actually wore on campaign. It's a fine companion to the Prussian volume, and a tribute to Bob's legacy. Includes 40 color uniform plates and photos. 1 vol, 172 pgs 2021 UK, PARTIZAN PRESS
NEW-dj ......$58.00 rct

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1-195650 Powell, Bruce Bassett ARMIES OF BISMARCK'S WARS: Prussia 1860-1867 On July 3rd, 1866 a Prussian army overwhelmed and defeated an Austrian army near the fortress city of Koniggratz in a bloody battle that lasted all day -- turning Austria into a second-rate power in Germany and central Europe. Less than five years later, the Prussian-led army would defeat France and the Prussian King would be crowned Emperor of a united Germany.

Bruce Bassett-Powell's new book chronicles the growth of the Prussian Army from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the reforms of the 1860s and then provides a full account of the wars against Denmark in 1864 and Austria in 1866. He shows how the confluence of three men's lives; King William I, Helmuth von Molkte and Otto von Bismarck provided the essential ingredients that created this victorious army.

The growth and influence of the General Staff is examined along with the recruitment and training of officers and men. He fully describes the organization of the army and the fledgling navy as well as the weapons with which they fought. In particular he gives a detailed account of their dress and accoutrements accompanied by 24 full-page color illustrations depicting over 70 uniforms. 1 vol, 248 pgs 2012
NEW-dj ......$70.00 with a discount of 15%

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1-44520 Smith, Nigel The 2ND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN WAR 1864 8.5x11, guide to the campaigns, uniforms & o/b's. 1 vol, 62 pgs 2004 UK, PICKELHAUSE PRESS
NEW-softcover ......$20.00

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1-68440 Smith, Nigel James IRON AND BLOOD:The Storming of Duppel 1864 8x11.5, b/w maps/illust, o/b's, casualty lists,covers the storming of Duppel during the second Schleswig War of 1864. 1 vol, 80 pgs 2002 UK, PICKELHAUSE PRESS
NEW-softcover ......$20.00

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1-68590 Stone, David FIRST REICH, THE A study of the German Army during the war with France 1870-71, 30+ illust, 10 maps, biblio, index 1 vol, 352 pgs 2002 LONDON, BRASSEY'S INC
NEW-dj, O/P ......$45.00 with a discount of 15%

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2-88470 Svendsen, Nick THE FIRST SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN WAR 1848-1850 The author describes the battles and battlefields,from the first major action at Bov in 1848 to the last at Isted 1850. 45 b/w illustrations, 19 maps, 2 color uniform plates, 7 tables, biblio, index. 1 vol, 156 pgs 2010 UK, HELION & COMPANY
NEW-softcover ......$60.00 with a discount of 15%

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1-85670 Weaver, Ralph ARMIES OF THE 1ST SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN WAR 1845-1851 (16) color pages, description of the armies, their uniforms/equipment/organization. 1 vol, 80 pgs 2007 UK, PARTIZAN PRESS
NEW-softcover ......$28.00

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1-TPS17 Werbaneth, Jim TURNING POINT SIMULATIONS #17: The Sadowa Campaign Wargame One could make the case that Sadowa in 1866 is the single most significant battle in the entire book, with ripples that had enormous impact over the next century. If the Austrians, instead of the Prussians, had won at Sadowa, it is unlikely World War I would have happened as it did. Take away WWI, and is there a WWII?

Once the war began, history watched fast-moving Prussian formations defeat or outwit stumbling, hesitating Austrian forces. Our Sadowa campaign lets players explore the options open to both sides. Initiative is key and can allow one side the chance to make several partial moves in a row, thus capturing the sweeping moves each side made (or tried to). The Prussian player has further options, like bringing in his superior General HQ (and all the drama of the Prussian court), or choosing 'foraging' tactics which simplify his supply but cost him victory points (for the damage this does to his army).

Can you, as the Prussia player, start the path toward Germany being a world power? Or can you, as the Austrian player, strengthen your fragmented empire and avert the future catastrophe Germany's ambition will bring to Europe? 1 vol, 12 pgs 2017 US, AGAINST THE ODDS
NEW-box, available late February 2017 ......$35.00 with a discount of 10%

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