By Force of Arms

Don, I reckon anyone with a serious interest in the SYW as it involved the Austrians and their opponents (mainly the Prussians of course) should consider this book. It is, of course, a bit expensive but I have never regretted the investment.

It is basically a continuous campaign history of the Austrians for the entire war, with detailed descriptions of all significant actions, including a lot of the smaller encounters which rarely feature in less detailed accounts. Duffy's usual style mixing narrative and analysis is used, and overall the book is a fine read. The author gives the political and operational background as well as tactical detail, and the descriptions of the clash of various personalities is intriguing. You will also find some good information on Austrian cooperation with the French and Reichsarmee.

The format is roughly A4 in size, so with nearly 500 pages this a weighty tome. There are plentiful black and white maps in the usual Duffy style, which are extremely useful and informative. plus a selection of black and white illustrations and some very handy photos of local terrain. For the price, production quality is perhaps a little lower than I might have hoped - the paper is a little cheap and at first I didn't like the printing style which has the text in double column on each page. But really, these are minor quibbles - quality is adequate, and most importantly proof-reading has been thorough.

Overall, this is one of the most illuminating books on the period I have read, if not the most illuminating. The detail of small and large battles, along with the operational background, increased my understanding of how this war progressed and how it was fought enormously.

If you can afford it, get it.