After the Battle

What After the Battle does

After the Battle is a UK-based military history publishing imprint founded in 1973 by Winston Ramsey, specializing in 'then and now' comparison photography of battlefields researched on location. The company produces books organized into six series (World War One, World War Two, Military, Aviation, Photographic, and Then & Now) covering conflicts from the Zulu wars through to the Falklands, alongside two legacy magazine brands — the After the Battle quarterly (195 issues, discontinued May 2022) and Wheels & Tracks (75 issues, edited by Bart Vanderveen). All magazine back issues are progressively available as digital downloads through Pocketmags, while physical and digital books are sold through the company's own website and through its parent company Pen & Sword Books Ltd, which acquired the business in October 2021 following Winston Ramsey's retirement. Rob Green, who had worked alongside Ramsey for 34 years, continues to run the imprint for the new owners.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer niche publisher targeting military history enthusiasts, battlefield researchers, and military vehicle collectors globally, with no named enterprise customers and a horizontal segmentation approach across subject-matter personas. Book prices range from £16.50 to £20.00 per title against recommended retail prices of £22.00-£25.00, generating one-time unit-purchase revenue, while digital magazine downloads through Pocketmags provide recurring subscription-style income from the archival catalog. The company has 11-50 employees and is headquartered at the Pen & Sword Books offices at 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Distribution channels span the company's own e-commerce site, Pen & Sword Books' wholesale and retail network, and Pocketmags' global digital platform, with worldwide market reach and no geographic restrictions.

Name

After the Battle

Legal name

After the Battle

Website

https://afterthebattle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

After the Battle is a UK military history publishing imprint, founded in 1973, that produces books and digitized back-catalog magazines featuring 'then and now' battlefield comparison photography for enthusiasts, researchers, and military vehicle collectors worldwide, now operating under Pen & Sword Books.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Harlow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: One-time purchase revenue from publishing military history books in both physical and digital formats. Books cover World War One, World War Two, military topics, aviation, and photographic comparisons.
2. Digital Magazine Downloads: Digital distribution of After the Battle magazine (195 issues) and Wheels & Tracks magazine (75 issues) through Pocketmags platform. Magazines are available for download to computers, laptops, tablets, and phones.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

After the Battle is a publishing company that produces military history books and digital magazine archives using 'then and now' comparison photographs. All content is researched on actual battlefields to show how they appeared during conflicts versus today, covering topics from the Zulu wars through the World Wars to the Falklands. The company sells physical and digital books directly and through Pen & Sword Books, and offers digital magazine archives through Pocketmags.

Product overview

After the Battle is a traditional publishing company (now an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd) that produces military history books and previously a quarterly magazine. The portfolio consists of two main product lines: periodicals (After the Battle Magazine and Wheels & Tracks Magazine) and books organized into series (World War One, World War Two, Military, Aviation, Photographic, and Then & Now). The company's signature format uses 'then and now' comparison photographs, with all content researched on actual battlefields. Following the October 2021 acquisition, print magazine publication ceased in May 2022 to concentrate on book publishing, while both magazines remain available digitally through Pocketmags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wheels & Tracks: A military vehicle publication, now available in electronic format for download. The complete series of 75 magazines, edited by Bart Vanderveen, are progressively becoming available for digital download.

Products and services

• After the Battle Magazine Quarterly military history magazine featuring 'then and now' comparison photographs documenting battle sites from the Zulu wars through the World Wars to the Falklands conflict. The magazine ceased print publication in May 2022 after issue 195 but all 195 issues remain available for digital download via Pocketmags. Targeted at military history enthusiasts and researchers.
• Wheels & Tracks Magazine Military vehicle-focused publication edited by Bart Vanderveen. The complete series of 75 magazines is progressively becoming available for digital download through Pocketmags. Targeted at the military vehicle fraternity, with content covering aircraft and vehicle recovery on land and sea, useful for restoration and model building reference.
• After the Battle Books - World War One Series Historical publications covering World War One battles and events, using 'then and now' comparison photography researched on actual battlefields. Sold via the After the Battle website and Pen & Sword Books distribution.
• After the Battle Books - World War Two Series Historical publications covering World War Two battles and events using 'then and now' comparison photography. This represents the largest portion of the After the Battle catalogue, distributed via Pen & Sword Books.
• After the Battle Books - Military Series General military history publications covering various conflicts beyond the World Wars, including the Zulu wars and Falklands conflict, using 'then and now' comparison photography.
• After the Battle Books - Aviation Series Aviation-focused historical publications covering military aircraft operations, recoveries, and aviation history from various conflicts.
• After the Battle Books - Photographic Series Collections of wartime photographs documenting military events, aircraft and vehicle recoveries, war film making, and military artefact preservation.
• After the Battle Books - Then & Now Series Publications featuring side-by-side historical and contemporary photographs showing how battle sites and locations appear today compared to wartime imagery.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pen & Sword Books LtdcoreOthers · 1 October 2021In October 2021, following Winston Ramsey's retirement, After the Battle was sold to Pen & Sword Books Ltd. After the Battle became an imprint of Pen & Sword Books. Rob Green continues to run the company for the new owners. The acquisition ensures After the Battle can continue publishing quality military history content.
• PocketmagsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital distribution partnership for magazine downloads. All 195 issues of After the Battle magazine and 75 issues of Wheels & Tracks are available for digital download to computers, laptops, tablets, and phones through the Pocketmags platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The History Press: Generalist history publisher with a significant military history catalogue. Comparable in producing military history books for enthusiasts but with a broader historical scope beyond just military subjects.
• Pen & Sword Books: Parent company of After the Battle and broader military history publisher with a much larger catalog. Comparable in core subject matter (military history books) but at significantly greater scale and portfolio breadth.
• Imperial War Museum (Publishing): UK institution producing military history books drawing on unique archival holdings. Comparable subject matter but operates as an institutional publisher with museum-backed authority and grant funding.
• Hachette Book Group (Military/History Imprints): Major trade publisher with military history imprints (e.g., PublicAffairs, Da Capo). Comparable military history book production at much greater scale, offering broader market reach but less specialization.

Emerging players

• Osprey Games / Airfix: Osprey's gaming/wargaming extension and Airfix model kits serve the same military vehicle enthusiast and modelling community as Wheels & Tracks. Comparable as adjacent ecosystem players reaching the same hobbyist persona.

Direct peers

• Stackpole Books: US-based publisher with strong military history and military vehicle titles. Comparable niche military history publishing focus, particularly in vehicle recovery and military hardware subjects.
• Osprey Publishing: Specialist military history publisher producing illustrated books, Osprey military book series, and aviation titles. Directly comparable as a niche imprint focused on military conflict content, also owned by a larger group (Bloomsbury).
• Helion & Company: Independent UK-based military history publisher producing books on military conflicts, military vehicles, and wargaming. Directly comparable niche publishing operation with a strong military vehicle and conflict focus.
• Schiffer Publishing: Publisher producing military history, aviation, and military vehicle reference books with strong photographic content. Comparable as a niche history publisher with similar visual-comparison style titles.
• Casemate Publishers: Military and history publisher producing books on military operations, aviation, and warfare. Comparable as a specialist military history imprint serving a similar enthusiast audience in the US and UK markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/after-the

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about After the Battle