The Austrian Army 1740-80 (1): Cavalry (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Philip Haythornthwaite (Author), Bill Younghusband (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 1994 | Series: Men-at-Arms (Book 271)

Austria was both a major participant and one of the causes of hostilities in the wars of the mid-18th century. The death of the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI in October 1740 set in motion the first of the major wars of the time. His heir was a daughter, Maria Theresa, who was destined become one of the greatest figures in the history of the 18th century. The Hapsburg territories were immense, and a key unifying factor was the army itself, that embraced all nationalities and drew its personnel from Hapsburg lands and beyond. This title, the first in a sequence of three, takes a close look at the organisation, uniforms and equipment of the cavalry of the Austrian Army during Maria Theresa's reign, covering cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, and chevauxleger.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Philip Haythornthwaite is an author and historical consultant specialising in the military history, uniforms and equipment of the 18th and 19th centuries. His main area of research covers the Napoleonic Wars. He has written some 40 books, including more than 20 Osprey titles, and innumerable articles and papers on military history - but still finds time to indulge in his other great passion, cricket.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855324156
• ISBN-13: 978-1855324152
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cavalry, May 19, 2000

By 

Nick Funk - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Austrian Army 1740-80 (1): Cavalry (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book was superb in my SYWC. This helped my minatures look good. If I didn't have the book from anazon.com I would still be looking for the book. It is also cheaper at amazon.com than anywhere else. Again it is the best book for Cavalry Seven Years' War pictures.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Austrian Army 1740-1780 (1) Cavalry, March 11, 2011

By 

Randle Finley "Randle Finley" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Austrian Army 1740-80 (1): Cavalry (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Phillip Haythornthwaite has a long-established, well-deserved reputation in the field of Frederickian and Napoleonic Military History with forays into Victorian military history as well. He is equally adept in all of his endeavors. I have been reading his books for over thirty years and have yet to be disappointed by any of his work. His writing style is very accessible and his scholarship is impeccable.

The three books he has authored on the Austrian Army of the Theresian period and shortly thereafter continue his excellent and laudable work. These books are not new on the scene. Anyone with an interest in the field knows that they have been available for some time now with Volume 1 on the cavalry arm being in print since 1994. These books stand the test of time quite well.

Haythornthwaite and his excellent illustrator, Bill Younghusband, give us 47 pages of history concerning Austrian mounted troops. This is by no means an exhaustive treatise on the subject and is not meant to be. Like all of the Osprey series, they give the enthusiast an excellent snapshot of the subject matter at hand. Uniformologists and model makers have a great reference, wargamers will find this book of some use and historians or armchair generals will also find these works of great value.

This particular book begins with a brief introduction of the Austrian Empire and the Empress Queen Maria Theresa. There is a quick discussion of the Austrian geographic layout of the period, and a good overview of its various occupants and citizens. For the general reader, this is more information than they will ever likely encounter on the subject, but it will give them an excellent foundation for further reading.

Haythornthwaite then provides us with an equally brief yet informative discussion of the organization of the Imperial and Royal Austrian Army and explains the concept of the "Inhaber", those Colonel Proprietors who commanded the Regiments. He then dives right in and for the remainder of this monograph explains all of the general aspects of the Austrian Cavalry. Uniforms, weapons and equipment are of course the main thrust of this piece and few stones are left unturned. The black and white illustration are superb and draw primarily from von Ottenfeld, whose work on the Austrian military in the Nineteenth Century remains one of the primary sources on the subject. Bill Younghusbands color illustrations are, too say the very least, fantastic, providing a wealth of detail in each individual figure represented. Add to these two artists a good selection of line drawings of weapons and equipment and the book sums up to an excellent overview of the subject matter.

I have read and heard complaints that the Osprey books are perhaps too brief and too sparse in their information. But I find this criticism very unfair. As stated before, they are not designed to be single volume treatises on their subject matter. What they are, and effectively so, are single volume monographs that treat the subject matter as fully as possible in the space allotted by the Osprey format. These wonderful books give the casual scholar a place to start and the more dedicated scholar a quick repository of very useful, very accessible information.

If I had one criticism of the Osprey format, it is that it does not provide enough space for more exhaustive bibliographies. I would love to delve deeper into Mr. Haythornthwaites reading list. That is less a criticism as a wish on my part. For those interested in studying the army of Austria more deeply, one needs look no further than Christopher Duffy and his works on the Army of Maria Theresa. Mr. Haythornthwaites monographs rest alongside Mr. Duffy's more in-depth work in my library.

Anyone with even a passing interest in the armies of the Seven Years War should do themselves a favor and find a copy of this book and anything else on the subject authored by Phillip Haythornthwaite. The three books he has written on this particular subject of the Austrian Army 1740-80, Cavalry (1), Infantry (2) and Specialist Troops (3) are an excellent place to begin the journey from Silesia to Rossbach and beyond.