What are you currently reading ?

[cameronian]

Oooooh, must buy that, thanks.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

The Ocean At The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman. Brilliant, devoured it in a day!:)

[Subedai]

Anyone seen these at 99p a throw for the kindle yet?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Franco-Prussian-War-1-H-M-Hozier-ebook/dp/B00LQBLOZC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1440149447&sr=8-2&keywords=franco+prussian+war

and

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Franco-Prussian-War-2-H-M-Hozier-ebook/dp/B00MBVDR10/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1440149447&sr=8-6&keywords=franco+prussian+war

and at £1.09

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1864-forgotten-shaped-modern-Europe/dp/1781252769/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1440149599&sr=8-2&keywords=1864

[Chad]

Bought the FPW items

Thanks

[kipt]

Read Chris Pringle's "Bloody Big Battles" rules and the BBEB scenario book.  The rules appear to owe a lot to Fire and Fury/Age of Eagles, but that is not a bad thing.  It has some changes I like: halt an attack, recover lost stands.  Not sure if 2D6 are really better than 1D10, but the 2 dice do produce a bell curve.

I probably will use the maps in the scenarios for some FPW games, but using my adaptation of "Snappy Nappy", "Sappy Nappy".

[kipt]

Finished "The Fateful Lightning" by Jeff Shaara (whose father did "Killer Angles" - battle of Gettysburg),

This book is the last of a 4 volume series on the ACW, a novel.  It deals with Sherman's March to the Sea, after the fall of Atlanta.

Another good read.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Ploughing through Dave Alsop's research archive, which was passed to me by another club member. Request on behalf of the editor of SOTCW Journal, is the Eastern Front Association still active.

IanS

[Steve J]

'The English Civil War, 1642-1651, an Illustrated Military History' by P Haythornthwaite. Just started for some more info for my 'The Pikeman's Lament' companies and for future Pike & Shotte games. So far so good with some nice little details that are perfect for small scale actions.

[haupt]

Just listened to The Shepperds Crown by Mr. Pratchett, the abridged version, ( I like Tony Robinsons voice characterizations .) Typical Pratchett. There won't ....be... any ...more.....man cough     (sob).

[Ithoriel]

Just finished Angus Konstam's "Sovereigns of the Seas" which was both very readable and informative.

Now about to launch into "Warfare In The Ancient Near East To 1600BC: Holy Warriors at the Dawn of History" by William J. Hamblin. Aiming to increase my knowledge of the first 50% of Military History!

[kipt]

Finished the "U.S Army Tactics Field Manual" put out by the Department of the Army.  Quite a slog - 476 pages.  Not something you refer to in the heat of combat.  Lots of army abbreviations - I need to make a list for reference.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Bet that was real page turning stuff. What edition ?

IanS

[FierceKitty]

The expurgated version - the one without the M16.

[kipt]

Re: "Tactics Field Manual".  It doesn't have an edition number, but says copyright 2013 by N=Morris Book Publishing..  Also has listed Lyons Press and Globe Pequot Press.  But it is an Army manual done by private printers(?)

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Only if it's a repro one....

IanS

[Leman]

Vardy. Only the second novel I've ever come across about the FPW (the other being The Debacle). At the moment the central character is in Metz and bad news, plus many wounded, is flowing in non-stop. Ooer missus!

[kipt]

Just finished a very different book for me.  "The Art of Forgery" by Noah Charney.  I heard him on National Public Radio discussing art forgery and decided to get and read his book.  It talks about thefts, copies, forgeries.

The only thing vaguely military in it (other than looting in wars) was a scandal from the British Museum when they had an exhibit of the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors that were not antique. (Evidently they were "authentic" in the Chinese thinking, actual copies, but not antique).

[Leman]

Have interrupted my current novel to read 'The Agony of Belgium - August-December 1914', by Major Fox, who was a war correspondent in Belgium at the time. This is a synthesis of his reports, published in book form in 1915. It is the only book I have come across specifically on the Belgian campaign and I have discovered stuff I didn't know, such as the bombing of Antwerp by Zeppelin, and the successes of the Belgian field army when the Germans transferred troops from the west to the east. For a short period the main forces confronting the Belgians were 2nd line troops, who were given a bit of a bloody nose. However, once the Germans reorganised themselves the Belgians didn't stand a chance. There are a few passages of propaganda on the frightfulness of the Germans, only to be expected in a wartime publication, but at least Fox acknowledges that some of his reporting may have been inaccurate. The prose moves at a rollicking pace and makes good background reading for my proposed campaign, especially his description of Carabiniers Cyclistes working in concert with armoured cars. The book lacks maps (only one, of the forts round Antwerp) and illustrations.

[Steve J]

The English Civil War, A People's History by Diane Purkiss. The style of writing is taking a bit of getting used to, but so far plenty of good background info for games and scenarios.

[Tawa]

Just getting ready to start "The Silver Spitfire" by Wing Commander Tom Neil.

The English Civil War, A People's History by Diane Purkiss.

Dammit. That's another one to add to my pile.....