The Beast, The Emperor and the Milkman by Harry "Achtung Schweinhund" Pearson

This combines a trip to witness Flanders spring cycle races with a history of the region and its cyclists.
Humorous tales of getting soaked while travelling to watch cycle races, manfully digesting enormous Flemish snacks (and beer), and once being mistaken for an old Dutch cycling star.

The book follows the formula of Achtung Schweinhund.
The author writes and digresses on an obscure subject finding interest and humour in its more absurd and heroic aspects.

In this case, there's a limited number of ways to describe a bus/train ride to a race, grabbing a snack, finding a bar with a television and popping outside to witness the riders pass in a blur.
The author changes pace with accounts of famous sons of the towns he visits, seeking out their statues, the quirks of a nation/region wedded to a traditional sport.

Not up to Achtung Schweinhund's standards, but worth a punt if you're interested in cycle racing or Flanders.

The Vengeance of Vampirella and John (Penguin Monarchs): An Evil King?

Tanks - 100 years of evolution by Richard Ogorkiewicz

A very interesting read by someone who really knows his subject, reading about the post WWI 'Anticlimax' at the moment

Finished "The Waterloo archive; Volume 1: British Sources" edited by Gareth Glover.  It is as is says, original letters, journals, diaries from the British troops, officers and men, regarding Waterloo.  Some discrepancies from the written history makes for interesting reading.  Also, being too close to the action results in wild guesses.

I have 7 volumes but I think they may now go up to 12?

Too Little, Too Late by Mike Embree, about the campaign in SW Germany during the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. I read it before without knowing much about the conflict, so this time around it's making a lot more sense.

The Future of War by Lawrence Freedman

very interesting and insightful. I am only just starting the book but it has already gripped my imagination.

In the early chapters the author is looking at how past generations have attempted to predict what war in their near future might potentially look like, and often how very wrong they had gotten it.
However, there is one interesting instance were a 1908 academic 'think-tank' correctly guessed that the cause of the next Great War, would be triggered by an assassination attempt in the Balkans. They got the monarch wrong - a Bulgarian Crown Prince and he survived the attack - but they were pretty much spot on with the domino effect it set off. But they saw a war of fast maneuver and swift decisive grand battle action. along the lines of the Franco-Prussian War - not the lengthy trench warfare of the Western Front.

Freedman also makes the point that most predictions of warfare in the (near or far) future are marred by the era they currently live in - just like the Hammer's Slammers sci-fi novels have Cold War style tank battles in the far distance future - paralleling the era (1979) when the author (David Drake) wrote them.

I am looking forward to reading more.
NB I am only on page 20 of 284 ... so a lot more to come

Mark

Quote from: Big Insect on 28 October 2020, 09:31:01 PM
The Future of War by Lawrence Freedman

"I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." – Attributed to Albert Einstein.

Finished "Guide To The Battle Of Chickamauga" edited by Matt Spruil.  As it says a guided tour of the battlefield, based on the staff rides done by the US Army.  This is for anyone.  Actual reports from the Union and Confederate units involved.  Since I am currently into Regimental Fire and Fury, this totally complements those rules.

There is an appendix Medical Practices and the Handling of Wounded in the Civil War: Theory and Application, as well as an OOB.

I read this before when it first was published, 1993, but this was a good reread.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1177_B.C.:_The_Year_Civilization_Collapsed

Eric Cline's interpretation of the Bronze Age collapse.

One chapter in. Interesting stuff.
I'm familiar with the sources (Mainly Egyptian, Syrian and Cretan inscriptions and clay tablets.

The style is rather dry and academic, so don't expect the type of heroic narrative that's typical of most Bronze age media.

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 31 October 2020, 10:43:51 AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1177_B.C.:_The_Year_Civilization_Collapsed

Eric Cline's interpretation of the Bronze Age collapse.

One chapter in. Interesting stuff.
I'm familiar with the sources (Mainly Egyptian, Syrian and Cretan inscriptions and clay tablets.

The style is rather dry and academic, so don't expect the type of heroic narrative that's typical of most Bronze age media.

I really enjoyed that. He has a few good interviews and lectures on YouTube too.

His "1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed" Youtube video was what got me interested in the Sea Peoples.

Quote from: Ithoriel on 31 October 2020, 02:37:56 PM
His "1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed" Youtube video was what got me interested in the Sea Peoples.

It is a great video that I enjoyed very much.  I found 536 The Worst Year in History an even more gripping video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBdedLx-GI

If you've the stamina and interest for two and a half hours of info and speculation on the Sea Peoples, this is worth a watch

Quote from: Ithoriel on 31 October 2020, 06:50:07 PM
If you've the stamina and interest for two and a half hours of info and speculation on the Sea Peoples, this is worth a watch

And Sunday disappeared; in a puff of smoke...

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 01 November 2020, 10:48:18 AM
And Sunday disappeared; in a puff of smoke...

Sorry!