I Lanzichenecchi

Two books from Soldiershop Publishing arrived in house a couple of weeks ago.
One of the two books was an Osprey-like booklet of 80 pages detailing the Landsknechts of the 15th and 16th Centuries.   Cristini and Durand are the authors/illustrators for the work.

The booklet is published on high quality glossy paper and is loaded with period engravings and 16 pages of original, full color uniform plates.  The illustration quality is first rate. 

In addition to the beautiful color plates and numerous engravings, the body of the text is divided into sections covering,

• Introduction and origin of the Landsknechts
• A brief summary of the wars and military campaigns in which these troops fought
• A brief biography of select famous Landsknecht leaders
• Organization
• Weapons and Equipment
• Clothing
• and finally a glossary and bibliography

The book is published bilingually in Italian and English. The dual languages are accommodated by two column printing.  The left column of each page is written in Italian with the right hand column containing the English translation.  In some passages the English translation is suspect and some unfortunate, repeated sentences enter into the final work but these are minor quibbles and do not detract from the overall worth.

With 16 pages of uniform plates, large number of engravings, and half the text in Italian, this booklet is a quick read and quite enjoyable to study.  The illustrations provide inspiration for some of my own Landsknecht formations needing attention.

This is my first exposure to Solidiershop Publishing and I am quite pleased with the quality of their work.