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New Saxons book
Posted by Martin on February 3, 2010
New Saxon book by Bunde et al.
I’ve just picked up the news of the publication of a new book about the Saxon army, 1810-13, from a posting on TMP by BfK friend Stephen Summerfield. Despite the minor inconvenience of it in being written in German and published in Germany, I still feel very excited by it, especially since it is co-authored by another of our BfK friends, Peter Bunde.
Die Sächsische Armee 1810-1813 is written by Peter Bunde, Markus Gärtner and Markus Stein and published by Preußische Bücherkabinett in association with Andrea Press as part of their “Heere und Waffen” series. Which means I feel another connection to this book because I’ve visited the publisher’s shop in Berlin myself in the past and I thoroughly recommend it if find yourself in the city. The book runs to 64 pages in paperback with colour illustrations. According to Stephen these are large format reproductions of many contemporary illustrations including those of Baldauf, Sauerweid, Opitz, Schrader, Beyer and the Augsbilder plates as well as additional illustrations by Patrice Courcelle. If you click on the “Vorschau” link in the page, you can see previews of several pages of the book.
For those who struggle with German, here’s my slightly iffy translation of the blurb:
“No army of the German Confederation states was subject to such a fundamental change in organization and uniform as the Saxon forces of the Napoleonic era. Based on the experience of the campaigns of 1806/07 as an ally of Prussia and 1809 as an ally of France, a major reform of the Saxon army was carried out.
Issue 13 of the Heere un Waffen series portrays this new Saxon army in numerous contemporary accounts, in plates by Patrice Courcelle and Edmund Wagner as well as in computer drawings of all the regiments by Dr. Peter Bunde. A description of the war record completes the presentation of this issue and puts a good, comprehensive introduction to the organization, uniforms and history of the Saxon army 1810-1813 in the hands of the reader.”
All in all, at under 20 Euros, this looks like a must-have for me.
Befreiungskriege 1813-14 
Andrew Brentnall said
Martin,
It is a great book, with masses of material on OOBs and uniforms, and interesting text. Sadly, althought the information on the cavalry flags is excellent, the info on the infantry ones is somewhat less so. There are curious discrepancies between the contemporary illustration of the Leibgrenadiergarde ordinarfahne and the modern one, and the shield for the royal monogram are represented as field colour instead of universally white. I am still waiting on info from Dr Bauer which might help resolve the issue of he background colour of the borders (white or field colour) but do have some exciting news. Dr Bauer has just written to me to tell me he has found in his personal archive the colour photos and description of provenance of a “von Rechten Ordinarfahne” which was offered to the museum by a collecotr in 1998. Sadly they could not afford to buy it, but he is sending me the photographs and details, so I may be able to add a little more shortly, depending on the satte of the flag itself. More later!
Best regards
Andrew
PS None of this should put anyone off what is otherwise an excellent book.
Martin said
Thanks Andrew. Please keep posted about what Dr Bauer tells you about the flags. I’m still gradually piecing together evidence to write up a (hopefully) accurate account of the flags.
Andrew Brentnall said
Martin,
I’ll certainly keep you, and other interested parties, posted. I too am (hopefully) aiming to write up an accurate account of the flags. Perhaps we need to consider de-confliction? I think we are very nearly there. Watch the skies!
Andrew
von Peter himself said
Oh no – more spending decisions! I’ve already got several Bunde Brigade plates and my German isn’t that good.
FYI, Stephen Summerfield has posted more info in the TMP thread. There may be an English translation, but not before 2011 and it will probably contain other states as well, eg. Bavaria. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.
I know. I’ll let Martin buy it and give further feedback. 8O))
It’s certainly nice to see more information becoming available on armies other than British & French!! 8O)
And I see that Caliver Books are selling this for 20 pounds.
Salute
von Peter himself
Alan said
Foundry have just released some early (pre 1810) Saxons. Anyone seen any samples? It’s about time someone released some, it’s a big gap filled for anyone doing the 1809 campaign. Does Peter Bunde do plates for this period?
von Peter himself said
A late update …
I have just ordered “The Saxon Army 1810-1813” by Markus Gärtner , Peter Bunde and Markus Stein. The picture on the front looks the same so I am picking that it is the English version of the book.
It’s possibly been out for years and I haven’t stumbled across it until now.
Salute
von Peter himself