Customer Reviews

Polish Armies (2) 1569-1696 (Men at Arms Series, 188)

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"Polish Armies 1569-1696 (2)" by Richard Brzezinski is the second volume on the armies of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This volume is 47 pages, has 8 full-page color illustrations by Angus McBride, and has various photographs, illustrations, and maps.

The book discusses the Foreign Autorament of the Polish army, which included "German" Infantry, "German" Calvary, Dragoons, Hungarian Haiduk Infantry, Swiss and other Western Guards, Janissaries, and Tatars. Furthermore, private armies, town and city forces, Zaporozhian Cossacks, warfare in Poland, and tactics are discussed.

This book provides further insight into the 17th century armies of Poland. It briefly discusses the above and has numerous photographs to add meaning to the words. This book, along with the first volume, are great books for someone interested in a concise format of 17th century Polish history.

The author has a knack to transmit huge amounts of information (for the size of the book) in a clear way and without being pedantic. With a very useful glossary of terms (with pronounciation tips) and a clear writing the author shows in this second installment the influences that the western world gave and received from Poland and Lithuania.

Being the juncture point betweem east and west, the Polish kingdom had a unique military system that was a sincretism between both warmaking philosophies.

In this book you can find the information about the "Foreign Autorement" (and its increasing polization, although mantaining germanic weapons and tactics), The Royal Guard (limited in numbers more from political than economical reasons), the powerful city militias (like Danzig) the Private armies of the landholding magnates and also the unruly, autonomous Zaporozhian Cossacks and Tatars.

The descriptions aren't dry at all, they are filled with information about cultural customs (like the cossack decision making "debates"); comments on the multicultural nation that was Poland in the 16th and 17th centuries; insights like the combination of shock lancers like the Hussards and the missile capabilities of the Tatars combining Western and Eastern tactical and weapon systems, that would influence, for example, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden decision to abandon the caracole and (re)introduce the naked blade charge, etc.

A truly great book that easily and competently introduces you to the subject. The Angus McBride plates are very good (although with some minor mistakes that the author corrects in the comments section).