Osprey Publishing

Osprey Publishing

Parent company	Bloomsbury Publishing
Founded	1968
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Headquarters location	Londonsince 2015
Publication types	Books
Nonfiction topics	Military history
Imprints	Shire,Old House
Official website	www.ospreypublishing

Osprey Publishingis a British publishing company specializing inmilitary historyformerly based inOxford.Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company produces over a dozen ongoing series, each focusing on a specific aspect of the history of warfare. Their publications include theMen-at-Armsseries, running to over 500 titles, with each book dedicated to a specific historical army or military unit. Osprey is animprintofBloomsbury Publishing.

History

In the 1960s, theBrooke BondTea Company began including a series of military aircraft cards with packages of their tea. The cards proved popular, and the artist Dick Ward proposed the idea of publishing illustrated books about military aircraft. The idea was approved and a small subsidiary company called Osprey was formed in 1968.The company’s first book,North American P-51D Mustang in USAAF-USAF Service,was published in 1969. Soon after, Ward proposed trying the same idea with famous military units, and in 1971 the firstMen-at-Armstitle appeared. In the late 1970s, the firm was acquired byGeorge Philip Ltd.In 1988, Philip was acquired byReed International;it was sold to the private equity firm Botts & Company.

During these years, the firm grew steadily, adding new titles and new series to their catalogue. Although they have produced books of all types, the main focus remains on military history, particularly the military history of Britain. Osprey Publishing now publishes an average of 10-12 books a month, the titles in their military series having by 2024 surpassed the 3,100 mark and still counting.

Shire Bookswas acquired in 2007, and the science fiction, fantasy and horror imprintAngry Robotwas purchased fromHarperCollinsin 2010.The reprint house Old House was acquired in 2011.To continue expansion, a majority stake in Osprey was sold by Botts to Alcuin Capital Partners in 2011.In 2012, Osprey acquired Duncan Baird (later renamed Nourish) and its Watkins imprint.In 2013, Osprey acquiredBritish Wildlife Publishing.

In 2014, Osprey and its imprints were sold by Alcuin. Angry Robot, Nourish, and Watkins went toEtan Ilfeldwhile Osprey, Shire, Old House, and British Wildlife went toBloomsbury Publishing.

Series

A range of books published by Osprey at a bookshop. Each series has a different coloured spine, and there are some differences between series in how the covers are designed.

• Air Vanguard – technical aviation series whose books give a concise history of an aircraft's design and operational history.
• Aircraft of the Aces – A series that focuses on fighter pilots who became aces with first-hand accounts, aircraft profiles, unit listings, and scale plans.
• Aviation Elite Units – Provides a full combat history of a fighter or bomber unit that earned particular distinction in action with first hand accounts, stories of the members of each unit, and specially commissioned aircraft profile drawings and illustrations.
• Battle Orders – details the organization of famous military units.
• Campaign – individual battles or campaigns in military history.
• Combat – Launched in September 2013, this series details the differences between soldiers of opposing armies in the field.
• Combat Aircraft – Concentrates on aircraft in aviation history, the technology behind it, and the men who flew it.
• Command – details the lives of important generals and admirals.
• Dark Osprey – a comedic series detailing paranormal topics such asNazi zombiesand alien invasions.
• Duel – comparing contemporary opponents, such as French and British frigates in theage of sailor German and Soviet tanks on theEastern Front.
• Elite – details individual units or tactics.
• Essential Histories – Each book studies the origins, politics, fighting, and repercussions of one major war or theatre of war, from both military and civilian perspectives.
• Fortress – details important fortifications fromRoman fortsto Hitler's bunkers to theBerlin Wall.
• Men-at-Arms – An illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms, and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.
• Myths and Legends – Examines the great stories that have echoed down through time to help shape our cultures. Each title focuses on a specific legendary figure retelling the related myth and also provides information about the history behind the story and its evolution over time.
• New Vanguard – books on military equipment such as vehicles, artillery, and ships
• Osprey Wargames – a series ofwargamingrules.
• Osprey Modelling – how-to guide to military model making.
• Raid – details about famous military raiding actions or daring plans.
• Warrior – focuses on a specific type of warrior of a certain period or culture, examining their experiences on the battlefield as well as training, fighting methods and day to day living.
• Weapon – discusses individual weapons fromsidearmsto artillery.

Publications

• Classic Volkswagens(1998)
• Field of Glory(2008)

Reception

M Harold Page reviewed Osprey booksSteampunk Soldiers,The Wars of AtlantisandOrc WarfareinBlack Gate,saying "each book is an excellent worked example of fabricated military history, fun to read in its own right, inspiring for a writer, and potential background material for a Games Master".

Martijn Lak noted that "Osprey Publishing are to be applauded for paying attention" and publishing works about events that are "largely unknown to the Anglo-American audience". Lak also noted that many Osprey books, for example from its Raid series, are "superbly illustrated with pictures, maps, and photos."

External links

• Official websiteof Osprey Publishing