Poltava 1709: Russia Comes of Age

Osprey Campaign #34

by Angus Konstam

Osprey's examination of the Battle of Poltava (1709), which marked the demise of Sweden as a European great power and the rise of Russia. In 1707, the seemingly invincible Charles XII led his army deep into Russia. It was to prove his undoing - the long march eroded the fighting strength of the invaders; a vital supply convoy was lost; and the winter of 1708/9 was the worst in living memory. Drawing upon primary source material previously unseen in the west, Angus Konstam recounts the events, looking in particular at how this battle led to the destruction of the Swedish Army.

Genres: History, Russia, Military History, Sweden, Nonfiction, Ukraine, Russian History

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Angus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.

Reviews

[Koit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this because I had just finished Peter Englund’s far longer and more descriptive overview of the battle. It was, therefore, a pleasant surprise when it looked as if Mr Konstam also relied on Englund very heavily. It is also clear that there’s a difference between an Osprey and a detailed historical description. Overall, this provides a clear if uninspired look at the entire campaign from 1707 through to 1709 which led to the destruction of the Carolingian army.

One thing I very much appreciated was how the author managed to make everything look both seamless and clear here. The actions logically follow from each other and we have a clear start to the troubles when Karl XII is prevented from following the direction he originally wanted to. At the same time, the necessary brevity forces the author to conclude the travails of Lewenhaupt’s column in one or two paragraphs — and the inclusion of the manoeuvres at Holowczyn and Lesnaya adds some great detail.

Yet, it sometimes looks as if Mr Konstam has skipped the detail in the wrong places. The surrender negotiations carried out by the two distinct Swedish forces are described in slightly misleading terms and the same applies to the fates of the imprisoned Swedes.

I think much of what I don’t like about this comes as a natural feature of the Osprey series where a lot of information needs to be condensed into a shorter volume — and from just having read a far more elaborate and human description of the final battle. For a brief overview, this serves very well, and yet I would recommend Englund’s graceful prose above Mr Konstam for this story.

This review was originally posted on my blog.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the subject matter (i.e. the campaign/battle) is of the right size, Osprey's Campaign booklets can be the perfect starting point for its study; this little volume is great proof to that fact. In 90+ pages it gives the reader overview of the initial situation, commanders, armies, events leading to the battle and in-depth analysis of the engagement itself. All that supported by graphical material and maps that are the hallmark of Osprey Publications.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konstam continues to show why he is among the best in the Osprey stable. The book itself is clear without being overly dry, and fair in its assessments.