Just finished re-reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: beautifully written; am now on to The Swan Thieves (also by her) - again, beautiful prose 

Ploughing my way through Max Hasting's '1914'. Excellent read. Never realised how many useless officers there were at all levels in all armies.

Chad

Good isn't it. I've just read about how crap we were at Heligoland Bight and we still won!

It was a surprise to learn that in the first French assaults
of the war they actually suffered more casualties than the
British on the first day of the Somme.

Chad

Not really - tactics used by the French were appalling.  Despite the impressions the Somme isn't particularly bad, it's 37% of the troops involved, the average for that type of operation was 33%. There is also the nature of casualty reporting. The Germans often falsified theirs, and did not include lots of minor stuff the British did. The Russian may well not of known what theirs were.

IanS

Tell that to my great uncle Tommy who's scattered all over the place around Mammetz.

Just finished Ian Robertson's "An Atlas of the Peninsular War".  Well done with good maps.  Helped me understand the battles in the Pyrenees better.

Quote from: Dour Puritan on 01 August 2014, 03:22:43 PM
Tell that to my great uncle Tommy who's scattered all over the place around Mammetz.

As is my Great Uncle Norman, a volunteer barbed wire cutter on July 1st, with one of the Pals Battalions of the Manchester Regiment.

Mollinary

Finished "Vespasian" (Tribune of Rome).....Was damn excellent (Thanks again, Ray !)
Now on to "Warrior of Rome" (The Wolves of the North) by Harry Sidebottom.

Enjoying it so far.....Though I was a bit put off by some of the names of the characters....(Maybe it was the way the reader was pronouncing them, to start with).
Not quite Sillius Soddus & Biggus Dikkus......But.......Close enough to wonder whether I was listening to a spoof, early on.

Cheers - Phil.

After being slightly mauled when I suggested that Greek warriors may have used spears underhand rather than overhand, I was gratified to see that Lindybeige had made a video expressing far better than I the same points. I know this doesn't sound like it should be in this thread, but it does follow from my previous posts. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYN0UCUkXQE

What, the top 10 anti-religious comedy routines? Hilarious, but Ancient Greek?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klOc9C-aPr4

Sorry.

But with a phalanx you are locked into the shields of the guys on either side of you. There is no room for manueover. You clashed shield to shield with your opponent, the only space was over a handed thrust between shield tops into the faces of the rank behind.
A thousand Greek vases can't be wrong...

Sending fsn a friendly and reassuring hug. Had no intention of even appearing to be trying to attempt to have a go at mauling him.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 06 August 2014, 12:54:50 AM
Sending fsn a friendly and reassuring hug. Had no intention of even appearing to be trying to attempt to have a go at mauling him.

Osprey's MAA, The Ottoman Army 1914-18.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 06 August 2014, 12:54:50 AM
Sending fsn a friendly and reassuring hug. Had no intention of even appearing to be trying to attempt to have a go at mauling him.

I took it to be a friendly mauling in the search for knowledge. 

Quote from: mad lemmey on 05 August 2014, 09:36:42 PM
A thousand Greek vases can't be wrong...

Well, LindyB makes the point that the overhand possibly more useful in a heroic one-to-one, but the vases that show groups of troops are more likely to be underhand.

Re-reading the Maurice rules prior to my next game. May have overegged the National characteristics last time round so hoping for an improved game by randomly selecting two only of those cards. Will be using the Grand Marquisate of Flamboyance army.

QuoteFinished "Vespasian" (Tribune of Rome).....Was damn excellent (Thanks again, Ray !)
Now on to "Warrior of Rome" (The Wolves of the North) by Harry Sidebottom.

Enjoying it so far.....Though I was a bit put off by some of the names of the characters....(Maybe it was the way the reader was pronouncing them, to start with).
Not quite Sillius Soddus & Biggus Dikkus......But.......Close enough to wonder whether I was listening to a spoof, early on.

I like the Vespasian saga, although they seem a little liek children's books at times. Currently on Volume IV, with the emperor to be trying to get one of Varus' eagles back.
The warrior of Rome series however left me cold. Read the first one,but gave up on this particular one.  Learning worn a little too heavily for my liking....

Nick Brown's Agent of Rome series is a bit lighter and has some interesting characters; Recommended if you like Roman fiction.

At the moment reading Collision of Empires about the opening months of WWI on the Eastern Front, before launching into Solzhenitsyn's August 1914 again. Tried to reread this a few years ago and got stuck so I'm hoping that the centenary will give the spur I need to get to the end.

Quote from: Malbork on 07 August 2014, 11:49:48 AM
I like the Vespasian saga, although they seem a little liek children's books at times. Currently on Volume IV, with the emperor to be trying to get one of Varus' eagles back.
The warrior of Rome series however left me cold. Read the first one,but gave up on this particular one.  Learning worn a little too heavily for my liking....
Nick Brown's Agent of Rome series is a bit lighter and has some interesting characters; Recommended if you like Roman fiction.

Thanks, M.

I think I know what you mean re the 'Warrior' book.
It's been something to listen too.....But it hasn't 'grabbed me' in the same way as the 'Vespasian ones'.
I can tell I haven't truly enjoyed it, as I haven't concentrated on it properly.
Cheers - Phil