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Post by macbeth on Mar 15, 2020 22:45:11 GMT
With the latest in my "Corps D'Elite" series done and dusted I moved back to the Akashic Noir series and read "Stockholm Noir" from midweek to Friday then polished off "Hong Kong Noir" on Saturday followed by quickly reading "Of Gods and Mortals" - the Osprey Wargame over Saturday/Sunday.
I am now back to more DBA related reading - "Storm on Horseback" by John Freely - a history of the Seljuks
Cheers
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Post by goragrad on Mar 16, 2020 9:10:42 GMT
Dipped into 'Tiger of the Ch'in' by Leaonard Cottrell. A bit dated, but gives an overview of early Chinese history.
Read his book on Roman Britain - 'The Great Invasion,' in HS and enjoyed it.
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Post by vtsaogames on Mar 18, 2020 20:08:32 GMT
Bernal Diaz, Conquest of New Spain.
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Post by ammianus on Mar 18, 2020 21:35:59 GMT
Diaz' account is a fascinating tale.
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Post by macbeth on Mar 22, 2020 22:40:57 GMT
The weekend saw me finish off 'Storm on Horseback' by John Freely - a history of the Seljuk Empire 'Nairobi Noir' - another of the Akashic Noir series 'One Hour Skirmish Wargames' - John Lambshead. Not a bad system, diceless but using playing cards for resolution. 'El Cid' by Justo Jimeno - this is one of the Concord Fighting Men series, but the artwork is cartoonish and the text a little uninspiring by comparison with many of the others I acquired over the years.
With those done I am now reading "Inside the Foreign Legion" by John Parker
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Mar 26, 2020 1:21:12 GMT
I finished "Inside The Foreign Legion" early this morning - a good read. I have Parker's similar histories of the SBS, The Ghurkas and the Commandos and will give them a look over soon.
In the meantime I have just started "Snake Agent" By Liz Williams. This is a Modern Supernatural Mystery set in Singapore. Should be good source material if I ever go back to playing Feng Shui (The RPG not the furniture arranging guidelines) or start playing "Fistful of Kung Fu"
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Mar 29, 2020 8:22:32 GMT
After powering through "Snake Agent" and finishing it this morning I have now picked up "Bronze Mirror" by Jeanne Larsen This is a Historical Fantasy set at the time of the Southern Song dynasty and follows on from "Silk Road"(set during the Tang) which I acquired and read in the dying years of the 1980s from a bargain bin - it was similar to Barry Hughart's Master Li and Number Ten Ox series - so I was delighted to find out that Larsen had written others.
Larsen's stories are written in the style of a marketplace storyteller - they run off in tangents, engage the reader directly and cover a several subplots. I can now get them all from Book Depository in one publication run so they will all look similar on the shelves.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Apr 3, 2020 3:24:58 GMT
I finished the most enjoyable "Bronze Mirror" this afternoon. Not action packed but still a very enjoyable romp through Southern Sung Dynasty China.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Apr 5, 2020 22:44:29 GMT
With 'Bronze Mirror' done I am now reading 'Shadows of Anzac' by David W Cameron a locally based historian and wargamer
Cheers
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Post by nangwaya on Apr 5, 2020 23:26:59 GMT
I have been reading "Transit to Scorpio", a Dray Prescot series by the "author" Alan Burt Akers. I am a sucker for Sword and Planet books, but I just found out that this series is 52 books long! and with my age and reading speed, not in a rush to get the them all.
However, if I had macbeth's penchant for reading, that would be a different story
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Post by gregorius on Apr 6, 2020 1:21:31 GMT
With 'Bronze Mirror' done I am now reading 'Shadows of Anzac' by David W Cameron a locally based historian and wargamer Cheers David what does the Cameron book cover, and if he is a local wargamer why hasn't he played in any of your tournaments š? Cheers,
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Post by macbeth on Apr 6, 2020 3:04:54 GMT
With 'Bronze Mirror' done I am now reading 'Shadows of Anzac' by David W Cameron a locally based historian and wargamer Cheers David what does the Cameron book cover, and if he is a local wargamer why hasn't he played in any of your tournaments š? Cheers, Hi Greg,
This book covers the Gallipoli campaign in a series of short sharp accounts based on personal accounts from the time. All up a great set of stories. The book was given to me by my younger brother. It does contain a personal disappointment wrt the Scurry (Water Drip) Rifle that was an ingenious part of the evacuation from Gallipoli.
For as long as I can remember it was an article of faith amongst my family and in our wider circle that my grandfather was instrumental in the development of the water drip rifle. We had pictures of it and were told about it as youngsters. My grandfather was a carpenter by trade before going off to the Dardanelles - and as a retired gentleman (after years of running businesses - including managing Myer in Bendigo) he would potter around in his workshop with wood.
Sighting the rifle in the Australian War Memorial, last century, as a teenager, he was credited with donating his water ration to LncCpl Scurry on the plaque. Come the mid 80s when the Gallipoli wing was opened at the AWM they updated the plaque and he was given co-credit.
To my surprise when taking the little warbands to the AWM this century (I think I was a parental volunteer for a school excursion) all references were removed.
Cameron's book mentions a mate "Buntie" (incidentally how my grandfather was known all through my time) who gathered the water - gave a full two day ration and only laughed and said "I've got plenty". (side note - younger brother adds, Bunty was a good Baptist boy at the time and was most likely trading his rum ration for water). Cameron ends with '.. the identity of William [Scurry]'s mate Buntie remains unknown...."
I am not sure what happened over the years - but I have been reliably informed by friends in Bendigo that in the small War Memorial/RSL Hall and Theatre there is another example of the Scurry rifle which mentions my grandfather by name. I will have to check it out next time I go back.
As for David Cameron in Canberra - he is a member of the CRWG Facebook Group, and his own profile shows cover pictures of other books he wrote so I can be sure he is one and the same. However his FB picture is of Sergeant Schultz of Hogan's Heroes fame.
If he is the one I think he is (can't confirm as there is no pic of him on FB) he is not a DBA Player.
Cheers
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Post by gregorius on Apr 7, 2020 0:05:59 GMT
David, that's a great family story. It's important to hang onto family history and traditions.
Cheers,
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Post by paulisper on Apr 7, 2020 6:31:03 GMT
Crusaders by Dan Jones has recently been published in paperback and Iām now reading it to my wife - she has no choice, as lock-down has made her a captive audience š
P
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Post by Cromwell on Apr 7, 2020 7:10:24 GMT
Just finished "The Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde" I have long had an interest in these pair since childhood due to a tenuous family link!
Now reading "Horns of the Buffalo" by John Wilcox. Very well written story of a young infantry officer during the Zulu wars.
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