The First Carlist War is most likely little known among those who are not drawn to military history in Europe, more precisely in the Iberian Peninsula. But this publication does not focus on military history, although there is sufficient history to frame the content with facts and figures about the military aspect of the First Carlist War. Rather, this publication is an entertaining and excellent resource regarding the uniforms and weapons used in this particular conflict.

The author, Gabriele Esposito is a well-known expert in the military history of 19th-century Latin America. While Latin America is the main area of interest for Mr. Esposito, it is by no means his sole area of expertise. Mr. Esposito has authored several books published by Osprey, those being MAA 499 Armies of the War of the Triple Alliance 1864-70, and MAA 504 Armies of the War of the Pacific 1879-83.

For those who are drawn by the historical aspect of the Carlist Wars, this publication covers the causes of the conflict and the course of the conflict from 1833 to 1839. For those who are more interested in the uniforms and equipment, Esposito provides extension coverage of the uniforms and weapons. This coverage is achieved by extensive detail in the text, written in very clear and precise language.

Illustrated by Giuseppe Rave (see cover image accompanying this review) the publication provides excellent images, some in full color, of the various uniforms described in the text. Those who paint figures will find all of the illustrations extremely useful.

Contents:

• Introduction ...a brief summary of the main characters, politics, social issues
• Chronology... pages 6 and 7... a table of events accompanied by an outline map
• The Liberal Army…Organization, Artillery, Militia, Foreign Allies, Weapons
• The Carlist Armies…Carlist Army of the North, Center, and South, Carlist Army of Catalonia, Carlist Guerillas, and Weapons
• Select bibliographies
• Plate commentaries

This publication is recommended for those interested in European History, and especially for Figure painters. It is a treasure trove of information and artwork featuring the uniforms and weapons that were used during this conflict. The book is very well written and informative. The illustrations are excellent in and of themselves, and add enormously to the overall high quality and value of the publication. Thanks to Osprey for providing this publication for review by IPMS/USA.