Well, it's Sunday, June 30th, four days after 'black Wednesday' and I'm still fed up and depressed. Therefore if this column lacks its normal sparkle you know why. A combination of the 'project from hell' and a 2 week business trip to the States have combined to prevent me wargaming since the start of May, consequently I'm a little short of inspiration regarding wargaming topics on which to write.

However, one benefit of travelling to the USA is that I always return with a suitcase full of books. One I returned with this time was The Defense of Hill 781 by James McDonough. This is perhaps best described as a Duffer's Drift for the 90s and is thoroughly recommended to all wargamers (not just the modern 'tankies' out there). Although the tone (and maybe the doctrine expounded) may be a little alien to British (and European?) readers you should nevertheless beg, borrow or steal a copy. The critiques following each of the six actions covered are thought provoking and form a useful basis for both what to do to win and what not to do. My club, The Exiles, from experience, know all about what not to do (and could probably expand on McDonough's list!) but have yet to crack the 'what to do' aspects so this may well become required reading!

Killer Angels

In addition to the normal combat reports, military memoirs and so forth I also came back with a work of fiction. This was Killer Angels by M. Shaara. This is an 'epic' novel covering Gettysberg from the viewpoint of some of the major characters involved ranging from Chamberlain (colonel of the 20th Maine on Little Round Top) to Longstreet. Now I am not a huge fan of the American Civil War normally but this novel interested me in the subject to a far greater degree than any of the various histories I have read. Indeed I hope that it will serve to kick-start the clubs rather vague intention of refighting Gettysburg (using Fire & Fury) into positive action.

Civil War buffs out there who have not yet found a copy of 'Killer Angels' should do so now. What I particularly enjoyed about 'Killer Angels' was the way it looked at Gettysburg from the perspective of several historical characters, embracing both sides and different ranks. As a result I felt I had been both entertained and educated- and it made me both want to find out more- and play it out on the tabletop, something which previous books on the Civil War I had read had failed to do.

I increasingly feel that whilst we might take our hobby seriously ultimately what we are doing is warGAMING. It therefore seems fitting that works of fiction should serve as a catalyst for inspiring interest in a period with a view to eventually seeing it on the tabletop. Whether I shall actually invest the time and money into assembling a Civil War army does currently seem doubtful, but at least now I am not totally dismissive of the idea. It must be said that this has been facilitated by some excellent Fire & Fury games over the past few years. Currently what little time seems available for painting is largely channeled into getting the (absurdly large number of) excellent Hallmark 1/2400 Napoleonic ships I purchased after cheerfully reading Patrick O'Brien's superb Aubrey/Maturin series from start to finish.

One of the main attractions of Killer Angels and the Aubrey series is that both are wide ranging yet with an eye for detail- but the reader is not swamped by the detail. Yes, hardware might be important but ultimately events are resolved by the men manning it- not the equipment. This is in stark contrast to the spate of modern sub WW3 technothriller things, new titles of which seem to regularly appear every month.

It is the multiple levels of Killer Angels which to me made it such a useful illustration of what happened at Gettysburg and why, and it is rare to find these multiple levels in warfiction- normally at quite a low level. The only other novel I have read recently which covers military events on such a wide canvas is Fate and Death by Grossman, a monumental work covering Stalingrad from the Russian viewpoint (a viewpoint that we come across all too infrequently in the west).

Other Novels

Of course, this is not to say that warfiction has to be wide ranging to be good/useful/inspirational. There are many fine novels, often semi-autobiographical, which give a picture of the realities of combat which perhaps no textbook ever could. From WW1 I have been especially struck by Manning's The Middle Parts of Fortune and Yeates' Winged Victory(just reprinted I think- hurrah!).

This latter work book is an especially useful antidote to the normal books and films which deal with WW1 air combat, valued by WW2 pilots as one of the few works on the subject which wasn't 'bunk'. Novels do not even have to be primarily concerned with combat to be both useful and inspiring to the wargamer. Ancient gamers have long been well served by Mary Renault's fine Alexander trilogy whilst Tim O'Brien succeeds in putting the Vietnam conflict into its rather stark context (especially in The Things They Carried)- and should be required reading for the more gung-ho Vietnam gamers out there. As for what it means to lose, Erich Maria Remarque and Heinrick Boll both starkly write about consequences rather more bleak than being ribbed in the bar.

Films as Inspiration

Films too can be a source of inspiration, many have commented that there seem to be a lot of highland armies being put together after Braveheart. I wonder how many of you got drawn into Napoleonic gaming following Waterloo - or are being drawn into it now thanks to Sharp? As for me, I'm busy watching and rewatching Dien Bien Phu, (a copy of which Karim kindly sent me from Belgium), rereading Hell in a Very Small Place by Fall (military history which reads like a novel) and wondering whether to build a French Para Group or Mobile Group. Then again, there's always Land & Freedom and someone told me that the old Hotspur range of 20mm Spanish Civil War figures was being reissued. Decisions, decisions.

Finally, I have long complained that what is holding wargaming back (in the U.K. at least) is its lack of 'professionalism'. A cottage industry (and Battlefields is no exception to this) for a hobby which really is not very interested in 'going places.' Recently, however, in trying to source various bits of information I've had to phone or write to you 'out of the blue' asking for assistance with this or that.

Without exception, the responses have been exceptionally helpful, many going to a great deal of time and trouble to help out a fellow hobbiest. In addition, there are readers such as Karim, who knowing of my interest in French Indo China sent me a couple of videos which are not available in the UK whilst others of you have sent in rare prints from your collection to help illustrate articles etc. because you want to help out a small magazine which you like. Thanks to all of you. What I can't help wondering is- if the hobby had been more 'professional' would this assistance have been so forthcoming, spontaneous and free?

Well, it's almost 7.00pm so "Come on you Czechs!"

Regards, Ben