The Guards Divisions 1914-45 (Elite) [Paperback]

Mike Chappell (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: October 16, 1995

Osprey's examination of the British Guards during World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). The best example, and perhaps the only body of elite troops who have maintained their role as guardians of a royal household for over three centuries while building a reputation in war that is the envy of all, is Britain's household troops, the Guards. Over the years they have maintained the highest standards in peace and war, and have served as an example to the rest of the British Army, a benchmark in all matters military from drill and 'turnout' to leadership in battle. Veteran Osprey author Mike Chappell describes the history and uniform of the Guards Divisions from 1914-45.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Mike Chappell comes from an Aldershot family with British Army connections stretching back several generations. He enlisted as a teenage private in the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1952. Over the next 22 years of infantry soldiering, many of them spent with the Gloucester Regiment, he held every rank and many regimental appointments up to WO1 and Regimental Sergeant Major. he retired in 1974, as RSM of the 1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers), after seeing service in Malaya, Cyprus, Swaziland, Libya, Germany, Ulster and home garrisons. He began painting military subjects in 1968 and since then has gained worldwide popularity as a military illustrator. Mike has also written and illustrated many quality books in the Osprey Military list.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (October 16, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325462
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325463
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,547,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good quality, Too Brief, September 29, 2001

By 

Lowell Silverman (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Guards Divisions 1914-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

Some background: The British Guards Divisions are two- An infantry division in WWI and an armored division in WWII. In both cases, they were organized from existing guards regiments (Coldstream, Welsh, Scots, Grenadier, Irish, and for WWI Machine Gun). After each war the divisions were disbanded but the regiments remain. The reason I was curious about the subject was that the Guards Armored were a signficant part of Operation Market-Garden (A Bridge Too Far).

This book is an excellent guide for the modeler of WW I&II. I for one plan to add a touch of distinction to otherwise dull and usual figure uniforms with the "All-Seeing"/"Ever-open" eye, which the photos and illustrations show very well. On tanks, on flags, on uniform sleeves, on trench signs...The modeler's possibilites are endless!
The book's greatest shortcoming is length, despite being extended into the longer "Elite" series. For a subject with so much material, 64 pages just doesn't cut it. They probably should have given two books, one for each World War. The book is slightly more focused on WWI, be aware. It tries to give an account of each of the battles the divisions were involved in, and the shortness gives amusing results. For Market-Garden's failure it says "Despite ever effort the armour of the Guards was stopped six miles short of the beleaguered paratroops..." Um, after the Guards pushed through Nijmagin, the last stop before the airborne at Arnhem they stopped to drink tea while the last paratroopers were overwhelmed. Whether they could have reached them in time is debatable, but that's not "every effort".
Overall, a recommended volume for modelers especially, but the lack of detail due to length is a disapointment.