Rocroi 1643 (Men and Battles) Paperback – May 19, 2013

I bought this book right after it was published but only just read it. I am interested in the battle of Rocroi and was hoping to acquire a good perspective from the French viewpoint with this book. I found the book well written, a few basic maps, and what I liked most was a listing of the regiments involved where possible. There was no new art work, and I don't personally care for photos of re-enactors, of which there are several. I did like the way the author tried to show the events of the battle from as many perspectives as possible for such a short work, and in a sense he really lets the reader determine how things went for that reason. Over all, I am very pleased and happy to have it in my library. I give it a 4 instead of a 5 only because for the price I think there may be other more detailed books available.

What a great book! I've had a bit of trouble looking for information about the French army from this period, and now I have this wonderful full colour book. Many plates, details of famous paintings, and descriptions of the uniforms and equipment, as well as the battle, the terrain and the political situation of the time. This is what Osprey SHOULD have been! Well done Stephanie Thion! A brilliant publication excellently presented! 5 Stars!

Beautifully illustrated and well written this book gives a good account of the campaign leading up to the battle of Rocroi and an overview of the forces involved. While more attention is paid to the French forces, the Spanish get enough treatment that you have a sense of who each side was, what they were fighting with and why they were fighting. An excellent wargaming guide to the battle or a perfect summary of the battle for history or military history enthusiasts.

Translating any foreign language is a difficult task. I think it is especially difficult to do so from French into English. The French love long and complex sentences that do not necessarily translate well into English. It requires a gifted translator with a knowledge of the underlying subject to do the job well. "Rocroi 1643" is a readable translation but not an especially enjoyable one. On the plus side, the book's illustrations are absolutely first rate. As usual, the French publishing house, "Histoire & Collections" does a brilliant visual job.The bottom line, is that there are not many books available in English about Rocroi or on many of the other of the great battles of the Thirty Years War. Although fascinating, it is an obscure topic. If this is your area of special interest, you will enjoy this book. If you are dabbling in the period, look somewhere else. I would suggest C.V. Wedgwood's "Thirty Years War."

great series

Perfect!

nothing

I was hoping for some computer graphics of the uniforms worn.

Rocroi 1643 has always interested me as a battle, it was the beginning of the ascendancy of Royal France in the Seventeenth century. So I was really looking forward to buying this book. I already have the Fontenoy and Hanau books from this series and both are very good. Anyway, here is the but, Rocroi 1643 contains some nice pictures of the armies of the battle, but the text, clearly a French translation doesn't really help explain the battle. I found it hard to follow the main events of the battle and quickly gave up on the text.Still nice pictures.

Reçu le colis dans en état impeccable. je me réjouis de découvrir les détails inconnus, a sa lecture, sur ce grand fait historique, qui a fait la France.

Gives a good back ground to the battle along with some great artwork, a must to anybody who has interest in this period.

This book is more like a 10 year olds school book.not very good.leaves more out ofvthe story then it adds.save your money