Wednesday 14 April 2021

Newly published: "Hungary 1848: The Winter Campaign"

I am delighted to record that my book "Hungary 1848: The Winter Campaign" was published today.

I believe this fills an important gap in the English-language literature on a major conflict that deserves to be better known. I hope readers will judge my efforts kindly.

As an indication of what the book's 371 pages contain, here is a sample map (no, the red panels aren't part of it, I've added them to highlight its key features) followed by the table of contents:

Map 3a: Hunting Görgei, hunting Schlick, December 1848 to late January 1849


Contents
 
List of Maps
Introduction
Acknowledgements
A Note on Wargaming Hungary, 1848-1849
Table of Place Names
The Austrian and Hungarian Armies
Prologue: Events Leading Up to the Winter Campaign
Preface by Feldmarschall Fürst Windisch-Grätz
Foreword by Feldmarschall-Lieutenant Johann Nobili
 
Chapter 1: The army’s deployment. Events from the start of operations until the imperial troops’ entry into Ofen-Pesth [Budapest]. The period from 1 November 1848 to 5 January 1849
The situation at the start of the campaign, 1 November 1848
Forces available, December 1848
Preliminary moves, 10 November to early December
Plan of operations
The advance on Pressburg, 16-23 December
Simunich takes Tyrnau, 14-22 December
The advance on Raab, 23-28 December
The plan for the advance on Ofen-Pesth
The flanking detachments’ actions during December
The action at Moór, 30 December 1848
The investment of Komorn, 29-31 December
The march to Ofen, 1-4 January 1849
The occupation of Ofen-Pesth, 5 January 1849
Schlick’s corps musters in Galicia, 5 November to 1 December 1848
Schlick crosses the Carpathians and occupies Kaschau, 5-11 January 1849
From the occupation of Kaschau to the battle of Kaschau, 11 December 1848 to 7 January 1849
 
Chapter 2: Events from the occupation of Ofen-Pesth until after the battle of Kápolna. The period from 6 January to the beginning of March 1849
The situation after the occupation of Ofen-Pesth, 6 January 1849
Wrbna takes Waitzen, 7 January
Ottinger takes Szolnok, 13 January
Rear security and the Mining Towns, 30 December 1848 to 10 January 1849
Csorich hunts Görgei in vain, 10-15 January
Concern for Simunich and Neustädter, 13-14 January
The Feldmarschall orchestrates Simunich, Neustädter and Csorich and reinforces Schlick, 16-21 January
Görgei eludes Csorich, 17-22 January
Events in the rear and on the Theiss, 13 January to 1 February
Csorich takes Schemnitz and returns to Pesth, 20-29 January
Miscellaneous troop movements, 25-30 January
The general situation at the end of January 1849
Schlick’s operation against Tokay, 19 January to 1 February
Events around Leopoldstadt, Komorn, and rear areas, 31 January to 9 February
Events in the south, 30 January to 20 February
Events on the middle Theiss, 1-12 February
Upper Hungary: Görgei escapes the trap; Schlick eludes Görgei, 29 January to 29 February
The lead-up to Kápolna: co-ordinating with Schlick, 15-24 February
The lead-up to Kápolna: covering the right flank, 15-24 February
Final prelude to Kápolna, 25 February
The battle of Kápolna: the first day, 26 February 1849
The battle of Kápolna: The second day, 27 February 1849
Aftermath of Kápolna: pursuit to Mezö-Kövesd, 28 February to 1 March
The Hungarian army escapes through Poroszló, 1-2 March
The imperial army shifts back to the middle Theiss, 3-7 March
 
Chapter 3: From the start of the army’s concentration on the middle Theiss between Szolnok and Pesth until the recall of Feldmarschall Fürst zu Windisch-Grätz from the army high command. The period from the beginning of March to 14 April 1849
I. Armeekorps is driven out of Szolnok, 5 March
The Hungarians avoid being counter-attacked at Szolnok, 6-10 March
The imperial army shifts southward and reorganizes, 10-12 March
Abortive preparations for a reconnaissance in force across the Theiss, 14-17 March
The brief Hungarian foray from Czibakháza, 17-19 March
The new Hungarian plan to debouch through Poroszló
The Feldmarschall prepares to receive the new Hungarian attack, 19-25 March
Events on other fronts, 10-25 March
Hungarian plans and order of battle, 25 March
Schlick’s reconnaissance in force: The action at Hatvan, 2 April 1849
The Feldmarschall concentrates around Gödöllő, 2-4 April
The Feldmarschall’s reconnaissance toward Hatvan and the deployment at Gödöllő, 5 April
The battle of Isaszeg, 6 April 1849
The retreat to Pesth, 7 April
Hungarian forces and movements leading up to the battle of Isaszeg, 25 March to 6 April
The siege of Komorn progresses; reinforcements arrive; and events on the southern front, 29 March to 10 April
Screening Pesth 8-11 January and the action at Waitzen on 10 January
The Feldmarschall’s last plans are thwarted by his subordinates and then he is removed from command, 12-15 January
Hungarian dispositions, 7-18 April
Concluding remarks
The Feldmarschall’s farewell messages
 
Epilogue: Events on the Main Front from 15 April to the Beginning of May 1849
 
Appendices:
Appendix I: The Transylvanian Front
Appendix II: The Southern Front
Appendix III: Notes on Orders of Battle
 
Bibliography
Index


I am pleased to say that my excellent publisher has been sufficiently impressed (or at least, advance sales have been strong enough) to sign me up for the sequel: "Hungary 1849: The Summer Campaign". I have already finished the translation but still have to tackle the substantial task of creating the maps. I expect to deliver the final manuscript to Helion later this year for publication in 2022.

Finally, just a reminder of my three recently published Clausewitz translations in collaboration with Professor Murray of the US Naval War College:

Napoleon's 1796 Italian Campaign

Napoleon Absent, Coalition Ascendant: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 1

The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 2




5 comments:

  1. Hi Chris,

    Great news on your new book - congrats ;-)

    Can I ask. Would it be possible for you to put up a few screen shots of what the book has in it please eg the table of contents, maybe a map or two and a few pages...just so we can see the scope, style and layout of the book and whet the appetite.

    Thanks

    Happy Wanderer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, HW. Good suggestion. Let me check with Helion as to what I can post for you.

      Delete
    2. ToC and sample map duly added.

      Delete
  2. Well, this and all of the Clausewitz translations have now been added to my wish-list!

    ReplyDelete

Comments welcome!