What are you currently reading ?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

What was the average age?

[kipt]

Pulling out my calculator, the average age comes to 40.36 years old.

Several over 50 Generals; Jenghiz Khan, 51, Simon de Monfort, 53, Timur 62, Marlborough, 54, Dumouriez, 53, Lake, 59, Blucher, 73, Bugeaud, 52, Pelissier, 61, Joseph Johnston, 57, RE Lee, 57, Moltke,66. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Obviously not counting the French 1870 generals, that would upthe average significantly!;D

[Matt J]

Shadespire rulebook.... (GW the dirty mistress I can't help going back to  )

[pierre the shy]

Found a copy of Mark Adkins book "Goose Green - A battle is fought to be won" in my bookshelf that I must have hidden away years ago in a back row. The first major land battle of the war from both Argentine and British point of view.

Best single book on a modern battle I've read for a long time and by far the best Falklands War book I've seen.

A powerful and emotive read, especially the fight on Darwin Ridge and the command decisions made by 2 Para's Lt Colonel "H" Jones (and Major Kebble after the CO's death) and Lt Col Paiggi, the Argentine commander.



 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Sounds a good read, will keep an eye out

[Chris Pringle]

Pulling out my calculator, the average age comes to 40.36 years old.

Several over 50 Generals; Jenghiz Khan, 51, Simon de Monfort, 53, Timur 62, Marlborough, 54, Dumouriez, 53, Lake, 59, Blucher, 73, Bugeaud, 52, Pelissier, 61, Joseph Johnston, 57, RE Lee, 57, Moltke,66. 

I've read a couple of striking instances recently where the relative ages of the opponents seemed to have a very important impact.

One is from Michael Reynolds's classic "Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy"
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steel-Inferno-Panzer-Corps-Normandy/dp/1885119445
where he makes a point of contrasting Kurt "Panzer" Meyer (33) racing round the front lines on a motorbike vs deskbound British brigadiers in their 50s who never left their command posts. Consequently Meyer manages to just about hold the line against huge odds, while the British miss opportunities.

The other is the young Napoleon (28) vs the geriatric Austrian Beaulieu (70) in Italy in 1796. Hard to find a better illustration of youthful dynamism and energy vs elderly ponderousness. In fact I've just written a draft BBB scenario for the first week of the campaign, culminating in the two battles of Dego, which should highlight this very aspect. It's in the BBB Yahoo group files now.

Chris (deskbound)

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/

[FierceKitty]

Pulling out my calculator, the average age comes to 40.36 years old.

Several over 50 Generals; Jenghiz Khan, 51, Simon de Monfort, 53, Timur 62, Marlborough, 54, Dumouriez, 53, Lake, 59, Blucher, 73, Bugeaud, 52, Pelissier, 61, Joseph Johnston, 57, RE Lee, 57, Moltke,66. 

Tokugawa Ieyasu was seriously wounded in action at 73.

[Westmarcher]

I've read a couple of striking instances recently where the relative ages of the opponents seemed to have a very important impact.

One is from Michael Reynolds's classic "Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy" where he makes a point of contrasting Kurt "Panzer" Meyer (33) racing round the front lines on a motorbike vs deskbound British brigadiers in their 50s who never left their command posts. Consequently Meyer manages to just about hold the line against huge odds, while the British miss opportunities.

The other is the young Napoleon (28) vs the geriatric Austrian Beaulieu (70) in Italy in 1796. Hard to find a better illustration of youthful dynamism and energy vs elderly ponderousness.

Don't suppose it would be helpful of me to mention George Brinton McLellan (age 36) vs. Robert Edward Lee (age 56), Chris?   

[Chris Pringle]

Don't suppose it would be helpful of me to mention George Brinton McLellan (age 36) vs. Robert Edward Lee (age 56), Chris?   

You must remember young George had a difficult childhood, i.e., being a US military observer at the Crimean War.

Chris

[Dr Dave]

McClelllan - there's a good one  . Seeing the Brits in the Crimea would certainly give him a lot to try and emulate. Poor little Napoleon, being named after a prolific loser who always abandoned his army when it got into tricky spots is a difficult one to live down to, but George managed it.

Wasn't Kurt Meyer quite tall as well? Was it his youth, height or all that positive combat experience gained over the previous 5 years?

I think Brueys was younger than Nelson at the battle of the Nile.

I think age might be a bit of a poor comparison start point. Someone did a study of senior US army officers (general rank and above) years back by looking at their West Point photos. And guess what the single most prominent feature was to reach high rank... a strong angular jaw line!

[mollinary]

Steinmetz against Ramming and Archduke Charles.  Moltke against Benedek. 

[fsn]

Wolfe (32) vs Montcalm (47)?

[Chris Pringle]

Wasn't Kurt Meyer quite tall as well? Was it his youth, height or all that positive combat experience gained over the previous 5 years?

I think age might be a bit of a poor comparison start point. Someone did a study of senior US army officers (general rank and above) years back by looking at their West Point photos. And guess what the single most prominent feature was to reach high rank... a strong angular jaw line!

Dr Dave, good points. Perhaps age is irrelevant except, in the two cases I cited, simply as a symptom of large armies and large casualties allowing meritocracy to operate and talented commanders to emerge at a relatively young age.

Chris

[kipt]

Finished "Weapons of Choice" by John Birminghham.  This is a military Sci-Fi read.  A UN battlegroup in 2021 gets sent back to 1942 due to an experiment by a civilian ship traveling with them.  Most of the group ends up in the middle of the US fleet heading for the battle of Midway with some unfortunate consequences (blue on blue fire, meshed together).  Two of the carriers are sunk as well as several DD's and CA's on the '42 fleet and similar to the 2021 group.

Japanese also have an encounter and do not go to Midway.  And things happen from there.  More books in the series.

All in all a fun read.