Book offer from Helion 'Mark Allen's work'


Helion is offering to followers of the League of Augsburg Blog: Armies and Enemies of Louis XIV Volume 1 by Mark Allen which is a super, illustrated compilation of his work on the period 1660-1720 first run in Wargames lllustrated LAST CENTURY!  

The offer price is £20 ex shipping. The RRP is £26.96 making this an attractive offer. If you want to order: email charlesjsingleton@yahoo.co.uk. 

It is essential to include MARK ALLEN BOOK OFFER in the subject line and a delivery address and paypal email address in the text body for invoicing.

OFFER CLOSES JANUARY 31 2019

As a taster, here is the preface in full, written by some bloke....


When Duncan Macfarlane, the perspicacious proprietor of Wargames Illustrated commissioned Mark Allen to write a series of articles beginning with a four parter on The War of the Grand Alliance followed by another twenty odd feature pieces, it was as if the rains had finally come after almost perpetual drought. Since that issue of the magazine way back in 1990 the rain has continued to fall softly but steadily from a variety of sources but it was Mark who very definitely seeded the clouds.

For enthusiasts keen to understand the armies, uniforms and flags of the period 1660-1714 the activity is akin to peering through an old-style window frosted with ice. Much is ill-defined and a deal of energy is required to clear meagre patches through which to view. For the want of information, researchers past and present predicate general assumptions on tiny fragments of data
mined from scattered and obscure original sources. Such extrapolative activities centred on dress conventions, weapons and tactics can steer the less enquiring mind toward lazy conclusions which often become accepted wisdom whether true or not. The small community of dedicated researchers responsible for bringing data to a wider readership has occasionally adopted a defensive posture if its deductions are challenged. Mark has never been precious about his work despite putting a great deal of time and effort into its compilation. His policy of active self-critique and exchange of data with others has created a clearer understanding for all.  His wholesale reworking of previously published material relating to the Thirty Years War is testimony to his self-critical approach.

Mark Allen’s pieces have served as a continual go-to source for those new to the period and hungry for a start point as well as seasoned students who continually cross-refer and calibrate their own discoveries. Building on the excellent work by Alan Sapherson, Stephen Ede-Borrett, Pat Condray and others, he offered succinct text supported by original and engaging illustrations.

It is my great privilege to introduce material which has finally been combined into a hard copy volume. This content inspired and sustained my own passion for a period often described as the cradle of modern national armies. The plates and text herein are an essential for anyone serious about the study of 17th and early 18th century military history. Mark Allen’s work, in particular the meticulously posed battle shots accompanying the first four articles, combined with Duncan’s beautiful photography, inspired many of us to paint and convert in imitation.

Thankfully, this long neglected period is now supported by various figure ranges, rule systems, scenarios and websites and that is due in no small measure to the content of this long overdue book.


Barry Hilton

April 2018