Bruce Weigle's new book/rule set is now available from Caliver books.

He will be at Colours this year, so I imagine he will be show casing these rules. Details to follow when I know more...

Thanks for the heads up, Cameronian.

Thanks for that Cameronian, especially as I am currently ploughing my way through vol.2 of Barry's FPW.

Don't like Barry at all TBH, dry as dust, Fermor is good though, as is Prof Howard.

Read those as well. Don't find Barry as dry as I thought I might and he is very comprehensive in his coverage, e.g.. I found the other night the reason for the French white uniforms in the Army of the Vosges, where Barry quotes those complaining of inadequate weapons, ammunition, food and clothing.

Barry's book i very rich, but yes very dry and tough read. But lots and lots of info.

Great news on 1871! While I do not use the rules for gaming, the reference is of course perfect!

Barry is fine in small doses.

I suppose if you want a right  rollicking good FPW read, then Zola's 'The Debacle' is your best bet. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed Stone's 'First Reich'.

If you're going to read the Debacle for Pete's sake avoid the Leonard Tancock translation which is truly excrable.

https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/the-debacle-emile-zola/

Quote from: cameronian on 23 July 2017, 09:59:02 AM
If you're going to read the Debacle for Pete's sake avoid the Leonard Tancock translation which is truly excrable.

https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/the-debacle-emile-zola/

which would you suggest. Also I can understand about 60%-70% of a French Military History article. DO you think I could try it in the original?

Quote from: cameronian on 23 July 2017, 09:59:02 AM
If you're going to read the Debacle for Pete's sake avoid the Leonard Tancock translation which is truly excrable.

https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/the-debacle-emile-zola/

Oh well, it appears that my copy was indeed translated by the execrable Leonard Tancock, so...........as above re. Konstantinos.

I was rather hoping someone could advise me, sorry.

Quote from: cameronian on 23 July 2017, 09:59:02 AM
If you're going to read the Debacle for Pete's sake avoid the Leonard Tancock translation which is truly excrable.

https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/the-debacle-emile-zola/

Enjoyed the review and the reprise of the novel at the link. I read it in the Halcyon edition of Zola's collected works. E. P. Robins was the translator and I thought it read extremely well. As a journalist Zola had a great eye for landscape and an ear for dialog that really seems to capture the look and feel of 1870-71. Incidently Robins leaves the cursing in French so as not to lose its full meaning.

I have some scientific and military French but based on the vocabulary and richness of detail I would have been quite lost attempting to read it in the original.

Quote from: KTravlos on 23 July 2017, 11:07:12 AM
which would you suggest. Also I can understand about 60%-70% of a French Military History article. DO you think I could try it in the original?

Hello
Zola was (still is) one of our greatest writer.
You could try this in french :
https://books.google.fr/books?id=jGNOJQ23nx8C&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr#v=onepage&q&f=false

I hope this will help you

ok so trying that, I can get the gist of each paragraph, but I cannot get the full. I will try the halycon version

And here it is! (the E.P. Robins translation)

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13851

Not really, got lost after about three sentences. Suppose this might be one reason some want out of the EU - bilingualism is not a known British trait, and even where it does exist it usually means Welsh/English or Scots Gaelic/English.

Tried the Robins but its only marginally better, the kind of English up with which I will not put.

Original - 'Near the canteen, however, behind the stacks of muskets, there were two soldiers pertinaciously endeavoring to elicit a blaze from a small pile of green wood, the trunks of some small trees that they had chopped down with their sword-bayonets, and that were obstinately determined not to burn'.

Intelligible - 'Near the canteen behind the stacks of muskets, two soldiers were stubbornly trying to coax a fire from a small pile of green sticks, the trunks of some saplings they had cut earlier with their sword bayonets, but they were obstinately determined not to burn'.

Yes I know, what was obstinately determined not to burn, the green sticks or the sword bayonets but its a lot better than the original - IMHO.

Well...there is always this one: