Sources for Mamelukes and Turks?

[Piyan Glupak]

Has anyone got any suggestions about sources on the Ottoman Turks in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars?  I am hoping to do a Mameluke v. Napoleon in Egypt project in 6mm during the spring or summer of 2021.  Longer term, I wouldn’t mind doing a bit of Russians versus Ottoman Empire at some point, and perhaps even look at the British invasion of Egypt in 1807.

I have the Osprey Men-at-Arms “Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820” by David Nicolle with illustrations by Angus McBride.  There is a lot of information in it, but are there websites to visit or other books that I should have a go at?  I really like Ospreys but I tend to be a bit nervous of basing everything upon just an Osprey.  The Ottoman Empire seems to be the protagonist that a lot of books don’t delve into, if they even mention it!

Thanks in anticipation of any replies.

[General Slade]

I haven’t read this (it’s on the Christmas list I sent to Santa) but it looks pretty good: The Napoleonic Ottoman Army

By the same author there is also a Napoleonic Ottoman wargaming guide

If you buy both of these together you can get them at a discount: Napoleonic Ottoman Bundle

Caliver also sells a book of scenarios for battles involving Ottomans.  It is designed for General de Brigade but I imagine it is easily adaptable to other rule sets: Against the Ottomans

 

[Piyan Glupak]

Many thanks for that, General Slade, I have ordered them (ouch!).  This will give me another author’s opinions, as well as looking at what DBN says about Ottoman armies.  As I will be using my own home-brew rules, I can’t just rely on what the rules tell me to do!

[General Slade]

My pleasure Piyan.  Let me know what you think of them.  I may have to buy them myself (I have found from past experience that Santa tends to ignore my Christmas book list and brings me scarves and socks instead).

[Gattamalata Il Condottiero Magno]

Have you bookmarked this site: Ottoman Uniforms ?

[Piyan Glupak]

@gattamalata-il-condottiero-magno  – I have now!  Thank you very much.

[Piyan Glupak]

@general-slade – I received the 3 books yesterday, and am pleased with all of them.  I have had a brief glance at them and can give you my first impressions.

“The Napoleonic Ottoman Army” by C. Flaherty includes useful bits such as the problems of spelling Turkish in the Latin alphabet, and some of the reasons for the sparsity of primary material.  It gives a lot of information, much of it on the janissaries.  Inevitably, it touches on things before and after the Revolutionary Wars/Napoleonic Wars period, which, given the limited information known about Ottoman Armies, and that they were very conservative in matters of uniform and tactics, is not wasted space, in my opinion.  The author has a lot of pictures of his 25/28mm figure collection.

“Universal Wargames Rules Supplement 4 Napoleonic Army”, also by Chris Flaherty, has a lot of suggestions for adapting Napoleonic rules for the Ottoman army.  It gives his ideas of how effective the various elements of the Ottoman army were, and how they fought.  Very useful for someone like myself who is trying to cobble together a set of rules for the Napoleonic Wars.  Again, as well as nice pictures of his figure collection there is a lot of “meat” there, and has information about 25/28mm figures available.

I am also glad that you also recommended “Napoleonic Scenarios 4 Against the Ottomans” by Eclaireur.  This gives the orders of battle of most of what I am interested in, with additional information about the campaigns.  It is written for the “General de Brigade”  rules, but is clear enough for you to get an idea of what the author is trying to achieve.  I happen to have a copy of the second edition of the “General de Brigade” rules, although I haven’t played them, which is useful for me.

Thanks again for your recommendations.  There is a lot for me to digest, but it will be spring before I can paint and base the 6mm figures that I have ordered.  Until then, there isn’t an immediate need to supplement my rules.

[General Slade]

@Piyan Glupak  – I’m glad the books are going to be useful.  It sounds like I will have to get them myself.  I’ve got a bunch of Ottomans sitting in a shoe box and I really should get them out and get on with painting them.

 

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