As promised in some other topic, here I would like to present and suggest some interesting books available in English. I will comment only on books I have and read, so something may be missing from this list after all. Because of that I refer to editions that are in my possession – You may have access to different ones. I will add some more books in future. I will try to focus on 1648+ period, as per current BFaS timeline.
I. As introduction to subject I will recommend Robert Frost, The Northern Wars 1558-1721 (Edinburgh 2000). Despite some historical errors, it’s still the best book for non-Polish reader to start their journey , as R. Frost cover history of many countries and their mutual relations. His second book - After the Deluge. Poland-Lithuania and the Second Northern War 1655-1660 (Cambridge 2003) is also worth to read.
II. For those interested in primary sources the best option will be Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries 1635-1699. Recently published by University of Aberdeen:
Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries 1635-1699
it’s very interesting and full of eyewitness accounts. Gordon served initially in Swedish army, then enlisted into Polish one (where he fought against Swedes and Muscovites), finally end up as one of the ‘fathers’ of new pattern Muscovite army.
III. Some other books that cover Baltic region:
- Roberts Michael (ed.), Sweden's age of greatness 1632-1718, London 1973
- Oakley Stewart P., War and Peace in the Baltic 1560-1790, London-New York 1992
- Plakans Andrejs, The Latvians: a short history, Stanford 1995
[
The Latvians: A Short History - Andrejs Plakans - Google Ksi??ki ]
- Raun Toivo U. Estonia and the Estonians, Stanford 2001
[
Estonia and the Estonians - Toivo U. Raun - Google Ksi??ki ]
Last two are interesting as they show history of current Baltic states, that were scene of many wars during 17th century.
IV. Those interested in Ottoman Empire and its army may want to have a wee look into some primary sources:
Paul Rycault, The history of the present state of the Ottoman Empire..., London 1686
[
The History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire: Containing the ... - Sir Paul Rycaut - Google Ksi??ki ]
Elias Habesci, The present state of the Ottoman Empire..., London 1784
[
The Present State of the Ottoman Empire,: Containing a More Accurate and ... - Elias Habesci - Google Ksi??ki ]
And/or some good articles and books about Ottoman warfare:
Gabor Agoston, Guns for the Sultan, Cambridge 2005
Mark L. Stein, Guarding the Frontier. Ottoman Border Forts and Garrisons in Europe, London-New York 2007
Selcuk Aksin Somel, Historical Dictionary of the Ottoman Empire, Lanham-Maryland-Oxford 2003
Mesut Uyar, Edward J. Erickson, A military history of the Ottomans, Santa Barbara-Denver-Oxford 2009
Rhoads Murphey, Ottoman warfare 1500-1700, London 2001
V. Another interesting pieces about Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its politics:
Britain and Poland-Lithuania. Contact and Comparison from the Middle Ages to 1795. Editedy by Richard Unger, Leiden-Boston 2008
Dariusz Kołodziejczyk, The Crimean Khanate and Poland-Lithuania, Leiden-Boston 2011
Andrej Kotljarchuk, In the Shadows of Poland and Russia. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Sweden in the European Crisis of the mid-17th Century, Huddinge 2006
Diary of Lord Rochester during his embassy to Poland in 1676, London 1828
VI. Some information about Polish, Muscovites and Cossack flags:
In Hoc Signo Vinces. A presentation of the Swedish State Trophy Collection, Stockholm 2006
VII. Another piece about army reforms in Muscovy:
Keep, John L. H., Soldiers of the Tsar. Army and society in Russia 1462-1874, Oxford 1985
VIII. And something about Swedish army:
Invasions, Insurgency and Interventions: Sweden's Wars in Poland, Prussia and Denmark 1654 - 1658. A Dissertation Presented by. Christopher Adam Gennari.
http://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/...ennari_grad.sunysb_0771E_10118.pdf?sequence=1
Hope that will help a wee bit as part of historical background for BFaS.
Best regards
Michał ‘Kadrinazi’ Paradowski
By Fire and Sword team