Never let it be said that my job isn\'t fun. Hot on the heels of the Osprey Men-at-Arms: A Celebration  volume, which saw me spending days rummaging through all our Men-at-Arms books and selecting the best artwork going, I was lucky enough to be asked to do a similar thing for Battle - a collection of postcards of some of the greatest battlescenes Osprey artists have ever depicted.

While this was a smaller-scale task (40 postcards compared to the hundreds of plates used in the Celebration), it was still something of a tricky job (albeit a fun one), trying to establish a balance between different artists and historical periods. Once again, I was found sitting on the floor, surrounded by Campaigns, Elites, New Vanguards, Men-at-Arms and Warriors, covering half of the office archive in Post-Its and bookmarks!

So here it is, the final 40 from the hundreds of options. There are a few notable absences, and not as much Border Reiver-y stuff as I might personally like, and I\'d love to hear your opinions on the list, but I hope you agree that it represents some of the best Osprey has to offer.

  • David Crockett and his Tennesseans fall back into the Alamo church, by Angus McBride. From CAM 89: The Alamo 1836
  • Henry Every boarding the Gang-i-sawai treasure ship, by Angus McBride. From ELI 67: Pirates 1660-1730
  • Solway Moss, 1542, by Angus McBride. From MAA 279: The Border Reivers
  • The last Highland Charge, Culloden 1746, by Angus McBride. From WAR 21: Highland Clansman 1689-1746
  • The battle of the Teutoburg Forest, AD 9, by Angus McBride. From WAR 71: Roman Legionary 58 BC-AD 69
  • The charge of the Russian Imperial Guard, by Christa Hook. From CAM 101: Austerlitz 1805
  • Royal Marines on the forecastle of the Royal Sovereign, by Christa Hook. From CAM 157: Trafalgar 1805
  • Crusader counter-attack at Arsuf, by Christa Hook. From CAM 161: The Third Crusade 1191
  • Riflemen at La Haye Sainte, by Christa Hook. From WAR 47: British Rifleman 1797-1815
  • A Parliament sally during the siege of Gloucester, by Graham Turner. From CAM 116: First Newbury 1643
  • The melee at Towton, by Graham Turner. From CAM 120: Towton 1461
  • The Foot Guards crossing the Nebel stream, by Graham Turner. From CAM 141: Blenheim 1704
  • The second French charge, by Graham Turner. From CAM 71: Crécy 1346
  • The 69th Foot at Velore, by Graham Turner. From WAR 20: British Redcoat 1793-1815
  • HMS Bellisle continues to fight, by Giuseppe Rava. From DUE 9: Victory vs Redoutable
  • Luftwaffe dive bombers sink the Marat at Kronshtadt, by Howard Gerrard. From CAM 148: Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2)
  • The bombing of the aircraft carrier Ryuho at Yokosuka naval base, by Howard Gerrard. From CAM 156: The Doolittle Raid 1942
  • 15th Panzer Division attack towards Alam Halfa Ridge, by Howard Gerrard. From CAM 158: El Alamein 1942
  • The Luftwaffe attack on Kingcol, 17 May 1941, by Howard Gerrard. From CAM 165: Iraq 1941
  • US 17th Airborne Division glider troops landing, by Howard Gerrard. From CAM 178: The Rhine Crossings 1945
  • Panther tanks advancing, by Howard Gerrard. From DUE 4: Pather vs T-34
  • The Regina Rifles streetfighting in Caen, 9 July 1944, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 143: Caen 1944
  • Grenadiers of the 78th Highlanders storming Ahmednugger, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 166: Assaye 1803
  • Clash of Patrols, 14 June 1918, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 177: Château Thierry & Belleau Wood 1918
  • Assault on the Red October steel plant, 23 October 1942, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 184: Stalingrad 1942
  • The crippling of 'Bandit II' - Fontaine, 23 November 1917, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 187: Cambrai 1917
  • The charge of the Polish Winged Hussars, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 191: Vienna 1683
  • Night attack on Epipolai, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 195: Syracuse 415-413 BC
  • Dogfight between 32 Squadron RAF and Jasta 15, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 197: Amiens 1919
  • The capture of the fortress of Pusan, by Peter Dennis. From CAM 198: The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98
  • The Athenian charge reaches the Persian line, by Richard Hook. From CAM 108: Marathon 490 BC
  • Lithuanians and Tartars clash with the Teutonic left wing, by Richard Hook. From CAM 122: Tannenberg 1410
  • The storming of Casesy's Redoubt, by Steve Noon. From CAM 124: Fair Oaks 1862
  • Streetfighting in Aachen, 15 October 1944, by Steve Noon. From CAM 181: The Siegfried Line 1944-45
  • The fall of Xanthus, by Steve Noon. From CAM 199: Philippi 42 BC
  • Constellation fights Vengeur, by Tony Bryan. From NVG 147: American Light and Medium Frigates 1794-1836
  • Takemata Hirotsuna at Hachimanbara, 1561, by Wayne Reynolds. From CAM 130: Kawanakajima 1553-64
  • Battle with Strathclyde, AD 744, by Wayne Reynolds. From WAR 50: Pictish Warrior AD 297-841
  • The battle of the Kalka River, 1223, by Wayne Reynolds. From WAR 84: Mongol Warrior 1200-1350
  • The battle of Riade, AD 933, by Wayne Reynolds. From WAR 96: Carolingian Cavalryman AD 768-987