Product Description

This book takes a close look at the origins and development of the Polish 'Winged' Hussars. Using many years' painstaking research drawn from unpublished Polish sources, the author provides a rounded view of the training, tactics, appearance and experiences of these legendary and fascinating warriors. Most dramatic of all Hussar characteristics were the 'wings' worn on the back or on the saddle, although not all Hussars wore them, and their purpose has been hotly debated. The Hussars terrified the Turks, Tatars, Muscovite boyars, Ukrainian Cossacks and Swedes, who did everything to avoid facing them directly in battle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164759 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-25
• Released on: 2006-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781841766508
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Osprey's military titles are very subject-specific, allowing for a depth of focus most other general-interest surveys lack. Their latest titles are top picks military reference libraries will appreciate... [In] Richard Brzezinski's Polish Winged Hussar 1576-1775...thie history and origins of their tactics receives fine insights." -Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher
Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

About the Author
Richard Brzezinski is a leading expert on the military history of Central and Eastern Europe. His previous titles for Osprey include Men-at-Arms 184 and 188, 'Polish Armies 1569-1696' parts 1 and 2, and Men-at-Arms 235 and 262, 'The Army of Gustavus Adolphus' parts 1 and 2. A fluent Polish speaker, he has researched the Polish Hussars for many years and acted as a historical consultant for film and television on this subject. He lives in Warsaw, Poland.

Customer Reviews

My favorite Osprey
Seeing that I had never heard of either the author or the illustrator, I was pleasantly suprised by the professionalism of this Osprey Title. The author sticks for the most part to the typical osprey title style, with sections detailing tactics and training etc. However he differed from the rudimentery "bullet point" writing I have seen in so many osprey sections. The author, Brzezinski combines first hand sources with his own writing succsessfully keeping the book both informative and interesting. The illustrator also for the most time does an excellent job. His figures are detailed and well-proportioned they are well detailed and paint a excellent picture.
Overall an excellent book for a fascinating period.

INCREDIBLY RESEARCHED - COMPLETE FACTUAL HISTORY - WONDERFUL/VIBRANT/COLORFUL ILLUSTRATIONS - INSTANT CLASSIC!!!
A great, great value for the price! The author spared nothing in putting this superb and scholarly, accurate, gem together. This should be in every school and library to enlighten people about a fascinating time in Poland,s history. Also, a fun and quick way to learn about a unique time in World History, as well. Highly recommended - Enjoy!!!

`A Pole without a Horse is like a Body without a Soul'
'It would be futile to tell of the grandeur and beauty of this cavalry...it is a chivalry that has no equal in the world'
-Cosimo Brunetti

For most of the 17th Century, the armies of Poland were dominated by the hussars, mounted armored noblemen who fought with lance, sword, and pistol. Fearless, well-trained and led, and tactically versatile, the hussars earned for themselves a reputation as the finest cavalry in Eastern Europe, and maybe all the world. At the Battle of Kircholm in 1605 the Polish hussars became one of the only cavalry forces in European history to defeat an army of pikemen unaided.

It was later in their history, particularly in their period of decline in the late 17th and early 18th Centuries, that the hussars' decorative wings, sometimes attached to the man and sometimes to the horse, reached their heyday. Ultimately the hussars of Poland would be remembered for their colorful ornamentation at least as much as their battlefield value.

Author Richard Brezezinski offers a solid and highly readable account of the Polish hussars in this book. He has authored several other books on Eastern European history for Osprey, and also served as a historical advisor for `With Fire and Sword' an epic Polish film featuring the winged hussars themselves. In this well-written book he clearly describes the recruitment and social origins, organization, armor and equipment, and tactics of the hussars, as well as outlining both their rise and fall to prominence.

Like any Osprey book, this title is above all a powerful visual source. Eight color plates by Velimir Vuksic capture the colorful appearance of the proud hussars and their armor and `wings', as well as their heraldry. Numerous examples of contemporary artwork and some photographs, including one from `With Fire and Sword' are featured throughout the book as well.

In short then, this is a good introduction to the cavalry of 17th Century Polish Armies, an elite of European military history who seem to be largely unsung outside of their Country.