Got a very nice email from Richard at KT books, will be going out this week. Also, a new book on Koniggratz has appeared, no idea of quality as yet but ordered it anyway, here -

https://wordery.com/the-battle-of-koniggratz-in-1866-patrick-joseph-shrier-9781519790866?currency=GBP&gtrck=TEJZNm03VGY0ckNXM0ZZcFhkOXc3V1E5YTJRK2Z2c1ZVVGZKeFdtblg3OFo0dG5vc3U0eFdJcGRVOUo5TStBbTRTdG1KRWlCSlQ5b3pWZzJxQ3BzeHc9PQ&gclid=CPvB7bDuvNMCFRIz0wod3akE2A

I'll put a review up here in a week or so.

Less than a tenner incl. postage? Looks good... now, do I wait for your review or just take the plunge

I did.

I'd wait. The Trotman book will be as good as the first therefore a guaranteed good buy, this might be a sub Wawro turkey, I'll let you know - BTW, Wawro's latest book is on the demise of the AH Empire and he narrates it himself, absolutely awful !

That good!

Worse.

Can you listen to it in the style of "Plan 9 from Outerspace"? Worth a good laugh that way, treat it as a comedy so awful it's funny?!

No. For one I generally can't stand Americans narrating anything with the exception of Kerry Shale doing Bill Bryson or anybody doing the Ken Burns ACW documentary. Wawro isn't either, also, even in the short sample on the website, his rancour and disdain for all things KuK is apparent, no this is one turkey I won't be stuffing this year !

Two one star reviews ! Not looking good -

By Michelle on March 13, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition

Unreadable

By Amazon Customer on November 15, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

I don't expect a history offering to be a masters thesis, cost about $6 and given no warning its description about its origin. this is simply duplicity.

I think I've just wasted £5

Flicking through reviews of a few of his books at Amazon. They're a little... mixed... at best!

The Trotman book arrived yesterday, very nice indeed, reading for the weekend methinks. The Joseph Shrier 'Koniggratz' arrived also, as expected, very lightweight, nothing new and what is is highly contentious (wrong).

Yes, I must say the Wargaming in History is good - very nicely put together and great looking games, very handy from a wargaming PoV.

The Shrier book is an expansion of a MA dissertation/thesis (not sure which at that level). The first half of its 140 pages is about the development, weapons and tactics of the Prussian army in the C19th, including the military doctrine of auftragtaktik. The second half is brief descriptions of the various actions in Bohemia during the Seven Weeks War. The basic contention is that the needle gun contributed to the Prussian victory, but was no war winner on its own. Rather of more importance was the Prussian General Staff, military doctrine, and the resulting ease of manouevre of the Prussian army, vis-a-vis the Austrians. All very interesting, but not a single map and so far no mention whatsoever of Austrian Stosstaktik! 

Shrier book very poor - sorry. Just reading 'Moltke and the German wars, 1864 - 1871' by Arden Bucholz, he's talking about the battlefield of Trautenau, quote: 'Nowhere was it favourable for the actions of cavalry or artillery'. FFS, first Wawro tells us that the Jicin field was a 'plain' now Bucholz tells us that Trutnov was unsuitable for cavalry or artillery, what is wrong with these people !

I wasn't there at the time, nor have I physically walked either now, bit a cursory glance at the map let alone reason any description of the actions suggests they're doing some radical descriptions there that overturn what we know of physical geography. Perhaps they should go into experimental physics and find dark matter or cold fusion

I have been to Trautenau several times and have seen where the cavalry and artillery fought. Both sorts of locations are not ideal. Which is why commanders look at the ground and decide how to get the maximum advantage from it. Which they did at the time, being trained professionals. It is certainly true that there were not very good positions for the Prussian artillery as the Prussian Infantry columns filed through Trautenau, which might have got the Prussians thinking about putting flank protection out.