Curt's Great Italian Wars Project (Updated Feb 7/18: 'Renaissance Duet')

[Steel fist]

 
I particularly like your realistic basing of the formation it really conveys a mass of men well.

[Leman]

Agreed, the basing style is superb.

[DintheDin]

Gaming gems, one after another 

[Hu Rhu]

Another great unit.  This project is coming on in leaps and bounds.  Keep it up, please.

[Anselm van Helsing]

Beautiful & great functionality.

[Leman]

That's definitely determined me for a rebase - nowhere near enough chaps in my units.

[Siegfried]

Fantastic! This topic is pure gold. Love the bases and the painting you've done to miniatures. I especially like those Spanish rodoleros, those are some amazing figures. Premium stuff!

I myself just starting doing Italian Wars, @Curt, and I must say it's been a wonderful project thus far. Also, I've been reading the book you mentioned at the beginning of this topic 'The Italian Wars 1494-1559: War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe'. Very informative and useful to get a sense of what type of period we're working on. That to me is really valuable to know, as I myself took the project from another angle and created an alternative timeline in which after the War of Cognac, the 7th Italian War, the whole of Europe (except for the Papal States and Tudor England), turn their swords against Charles V and try to take back the lost lands to him. It's fascinating tale to be egaged with and your work has proven to be all the more motivating. Thank you, cheers, Curt!

[Leman]

I would also recommend (if you can find a copy) The Art of War in Italy 1494-1529 by F L Taylor. Although written in 1920 it is an absolute mine of information on the weapons and tactics of the time and concludes with an in-depth study of the Battle of Ravenna 1512. It has been reprinted a number of times over the years - my copy being published by Greenwood press in 1973, but it has certainly been reprinted since then.

[Curt]

Thanks for the encouraging words chaps!

@Siegfried: I'm delighted you're enjoying the thread and are having fun with your new project - your alternate 'what-if' timeline sounds very interesting and should provide rich inspiration for gaming.

@Leman: Great book suggestion. I'll pop that recommended title on the first page's biography listing and start looking for a copy for myself.

[Aaron]

I would also recommend (if you can find a copy) The Art of War in Italy 1494-1529 by F L Taylor.

You can get that one for free via archive.org: https://archive.org/details/artofwarinitaly100taylrich . I read it a few years back and it is a good suggestion.

[olicana]

Books in English have always been few and far between. I have these - list with a few notes:

https://olicanalad.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/my-16th-century-book-list.html

The Taylor book is a good one.

Hope that's of use,

James

[Curt]

That's a great resource, thanks James!

[Siegfried]

Thanks @Curt! I'll try to post some pictures and let you know how it all goes.
As for the books, I thank you, @Leman and @Olicana for those great recommendations. That list of material you shared with us, Oli, is simply pure gold. Now I'll have goodness to fill my free time with. The one written by Taylor, 'The Art of War in Italy' is particularly easy to find on the web, just like Aaron mentioned it's on Archive site. It certainly is a life-saver for me, as it has most of the information I was curious about when I first started this project. From the armies' composition to the various tactics in deployment used by the generals at the time, it's truly the goldmine you decribed it to be. Can't wait to get it printed and start reading it! Thank you once again, chaps! I wish to all of you the best.

[Leman]

Marvellous thing the web. When I ordered my copy of Taylor, in 1978, from a now extinct bookshop in Liverpool, I had to wait for it to arrive from the US.

[Leman]

Well there you go; that's the Mallett and Shaw book ordered. Many thanks Oli.