Ronald Pawly Boeken

Mounted upon their huge black horses, the Mounted Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard were the senior heavy cavalry unit of the French army and were never defeated in battle. Their long list of battle honors earned them the nicknames 'the Giants' and 'the Gods'.In this latest addition to the Osprey mini-series on the Imperial Guard, author Ronald Pawly tells the story of this famous unit using unparalleled documentary and pictorial sources. Along with detailed artwork depicting the unit's colorful uniforms, this book gives a history of the unit's organization and record drawn from original letters, orders, and inspection reports that still survive in the Paris Archives. Interspersed are the stories of some of the individuals that served in the Mounted Grenadiers and helped to make it one of the most storied units to have served during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815).

A concise history of the hand-picked elite cavalry guard that served as Napoleon's close personal escort and were committed to the most dangerous areas of combat on the battlefield. Formed from his original escort of "Guides" and the "Consular Guard" in 1799, the Mounted Chasseurs were a personal favourite of the Emperor, who wore their uniform on campaign. Ronald Pawly's unique research into regimental archives has uncovered unprecedented detail about this exceptional unit and its soldiers and officers. With their colorful uniforms recreated in full-color artwork and accounts of their actions in the most critical battles of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), this book provides a comprehensive description of a legendary elite.

Napoleon's last 'Campaign of France' in 1814 proved to be one of his most brilliant during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). He relied as never before on committing his elite Imperial Guard cavalry to battle. He raised three new regiments of crack Éclaireurs – 'Scouts' – which were attached to the Guard Mounted Grenadiers, Empress's Dragoons and Polish Lancers respectively which would counterattack the Cossacks and gather vital information. Each regiment had its own style of uniform, but part of each was armed with lances. Although they were short-lived, these Scout units greatly distinguished themselves in the last battles of the collapsing Empire.

The most exotic of all the troops of Napoleon's Imperial Guard were undoubtedly the Mamelukes - the bodyguard of Oriental cavalry which followed him home after the Egyptian expedition of 1798-1801, and remained with his Mounted Chasseurs regiment throughout the First Empire. For the first time in English, this book tells the Mamelukes' story, from Austerlitz (1805) to Waterloo (1815). Quoting from the original nominal rolls and battle casualty returns, the author brings individual members of this extraordinary unit to life. His text is illustrated with rare early engravings and paintings, and the full-colour plates show the development of the unit's romantic Turkish uniforms.

The legendary Dutch 'Red' Lancers – the 2nd Light Horse Lancers of Napoleon's Imperial Guard – were formed in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), after the emperor annexed Holland and its army to France. The former hussars of the Dutch Royal Guard got a handsome new uniform, a new weapon, and a hard-driving new colonel in Baron Edouard Colbert. His lancers distinguished themselves in Russia in 1812, at huge cost; in Germany in 1813, and in the Low Countries in 1814. When Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 the Red Lancers were with him until night fell over Waterloo. Ronald Pawly is the world's leading expert on the archival and pictorial record left by this regiment; his detailed text is illustrated with rare portraits and photographs, and eight glowing colour plates of a surprisingly wide variety of uniforms.

This book tells the story of the most iconic building of the Third Reich.  Hitler's New State Chancellery was designed by Albert Speer specifically to embody the power and arrogance of the new Nazi regime.  The dimensions and decoration of its state apartments were devised to instill awe in the visitor, and it was intended to be the first working model for Germania - a whole new capital city for the Thousand-Year Reich.  But this book is much more than a catalogue of concrete, glass and marble.  It tells the extraordinary story of the Nazi state, for which the Chancellery provided the ceremonial headquarters and the stage for some of its most dramatic moments.  Albert Speer deliberately designed Hitler's palace to have 'ruin appeal', foreseeing future centuries when it remains would make as great an impression on the visitor to Germania as the Coliseum in Rome.  Instead, it was completely destroyed after barely ten years that today the tourist can locate its very site only with difficulty.   Ronald Pawly's book carries the reader on a time-machine trip into a grim past, within living memory, but utterly erased from the physical record.

While small in numbers, the Belgian Army played a vital role in World War 2 that is often overlooked. This work presents the story of this determined Army, from their organization and commanders, to their uniforms and equipment.

The Dutch Army was a very important part of Wellington's army at Waterloo in 1815. This volume presents an exploration of Wellington's Dutch allies, and shows that despite criticism from the British, many units fought extremely well and defended some decisive points.

The army commanded by the Duke of Wellington at Quatre-Bras and Waterloo included two infantry divisions and three cavalry brigades of the newly-unified Netherlands (or 'Dutch-Belgian') army. The part played by these troops in the two battles of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), under experienced officers many of whom had seen long service in Napoleon's campaigns, has often been unjustly dismissed by British commentators. The organisation, uniforms, and battle record of the Belgian units are explained here in detail by an experienced researcher in Continental archives, and illustrated by a specialist in the period, who actually lives at Waterloo.