The Japanese invasion and occupation of Korea, which lasted from 1592 to 1598, was the only occasion in Japanese history when samurai aggression was turned against a foreign country. During the occupation of Korea the Japanese built 25 wajo or castles. Unlike the castles built in Japan, these castles were never developed or modernized after the Japanese departure meaning that the details of late 16th century castle construction are better preserved than at many other sites.

Written by Stephen Turnbull, an expert on the subject, this book examines the castles built by the Japanese in...

Osprey's third and final volume in the Barbarossa trilogy, this title completes the account of the strategic intricacies of the German campaign against Russia. Detailing the final Nazi push for Moscow, Robert Kirchubel examines the causes behind the German failure, including the inability to re-supply troops or provide reserves, and the lack of decent German winter uniforms and transport.

Full-color artwork, maps and bird's-eye views illustrate the campaign in detail, revealing how the Red Army capitalized on every German weakness in spite of its own flaws.

Osprey's study of reconnaisance tactics of World War II (1939-1945). Combat reconnaissance, the practice of sending small groups of soldiers ahead of the main body of forces was employed by all of the major armies in World War II. They would either creep through the landscape or speed through enemy territory in light armored vehicles or jeeps, bristling with machine guns, to report on the position and strength of the enemy.

This book examines the often risky tactics and their devastating casualty rates. The equipment employed by combat reconnaissance groups during the war is...

Osprey's study of a battlethat was part of a triple conflict: the Polish-Ottoman War (1683-1699), the Great Turkish War (1667-1698), and the Ottoman Hapsburg Wars (1526-1791). The capture of the Hapsburg city of Vienna was a major strategic aspiration for the Islamic Ottoman Empire, desperate for the control that the city exercised over the Danube and the overland trade routes between southern and northern Europe. In July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a jihad and the Turkish grand vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to the city with an army of 150,000 men.

In September a...

Renowned expert Stephen Turnbull examines the castles built in Japan, from the first primitive fortifications in the Yayoi Period (300 BC-AD 250) through to the first proper castles which began to be developed with the rise to power of the Yamato Court, the first emperors of Japan in around AD 250. Examining the close ties that early Japanese dynasties had to both China and Korea, Turnbull assesses how Japanese defensive architecture betrays these influences.

Also examined is the effect that the terrain in Japan had on fortifications - from the early reliance on earthworks and...

Osprey's examination of French infantry tactics during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). For over 20 years France was the dominating, controlling and conquering power of the western world, a result not only of Napoleon's inspired leadership, but of the efforts of almost an entire generation of Frenchmen under arms. The French Revolution heralded both social change and a seismic shift in how armies were organized, trained and deployed.

This book provides an analysis of the preparation of French troops from manual regulations to the training ground, studying the changing quality of...

Osprey's study of one of the most important battles of the Peloponnesian War (431 - 404 BC). In 415 BC Athens launched a large expeditionary force, its goal the rich, grain-producing island of Sicily. This was in response to a call for help in a minor war from an old ally but the true objectives were the powerful city of Syracuse, suspected of supporting Athens' Peloponnesian enemies, and imperial expansion. The Athenians won an inconclusive victory over the Syracusans late in the year and renewed their attack in the spring of 414. After a period of energetic siege warfare and a series of...

Through the spring of 1918 of World War I (1914-1918), Germany had been on the offensive on the Western Front but had failed to break the Allies at any point. In July they had been forced back from the river Marne and were once again on the defensive. The Allies were now ready to increase the pressure. The Amiens area was selected and preparations were made in great secrecy with diversionary activity at other points on the line. 32 divisions were involved (twelve French, eight British, five Australian, four Canadian and one American) supported by over 500 tanks and overwhelming airpower....