Fellow Historians: What a big quarter for getting out and around! First, let me start with my wedding and honeymoon. We met Mark and Heather Hannam on 3 Jan 00 (after the big Y2K washout) in Edinburgh Scotland. The next two days were a huge bash in Dalhousie Castle! Then we were whisked off to Vienna, Austria for our Honeymoon. We took trips to Prague, Salzburg, and toured Vienna. My wife even agreed to visit the Military History Museum in Vienna (although the Napoleon section was closed for renovations until Sep 2000). All in all a great time. I highly recommend Prague as a getaway destination. It combines inexpensive prices with an incredible history and architecture (and everyone we dealt with spoke English). Back in Russia, I finally made it to the Museum of the Revolution. The history in Moscow is probably some of the best you'll find in the whole world. So much in one small space. Magazines. I'm sure people out there wonder what magazines I subscribe to. Just for your information, here's the list: MWAN Wargames Illustrated The Lone Warrior The Society of 20th Century Warriors Journal Military History Vae Victis (out of France and in French) MAGWEB.com - this is to get access to all those others, including Courier Not to short anyone, but this is my complete list. I buy a number of other things off the shelf, as I see them, but the above come in the mail regularly. Wargames Illustrated, comes to me directly from the UK, bypassing the U.S., so I probably get it around the same time as stateside customers. It makes for a great read each month (and yes, if you must know, there is a stack of them in the bathroom). The pullout center section in this quarter's issue is a $10 value, included for free. To sell them under a flag company label would mean to cut the page in thirds and market each for $3.50. If you aren't interested in the Russian Civil War, then give these to a friend who is. All I ask is that you not take them to Kinko's and have copies made. This copy is provided for Gauntlet subscribers' personal use. When mounting these, be careful not to get the front wet - the bubble jet ink will run. Use standard white glue and a spray primer when finished. This seals the color and hardens the flag on the flagpole. Painted figures. I've had to pull the painted figures off the market as a catalogue item. I did not maintain a stock of them (this would be a bit cost prohibitive). So, I revised my approach to simply request items pending their availability. The turnaround of approximately 2 months from when an order is received until it is sent, is not how I want to do business. So I will send out lists of what figures I have and folks can purchase from that - it will be an e-mail auction of sorts. Also, prices fluctuate on the figures, depending on what they cost me. The easiest for me is to just put the figures on E-Bay. Other research material is improving. I've bought into the company that produces the Armada Series, M-Hobby, and also Zeughaus. This will be a great business relationship for me being able to offer new products and for me to be able to obtain copies of old material. The new Zeughaus hits the street any day, now. It's been over a year since the last issue. Hopefully with the cash injection, they can publish a little more regularly. Also, we will see almost all of the new stuff coming out in dual text (Russian & English). This will save me the trouble of providing after-market translations, although I will contribute to the original translations run off the press. The very first publication in this joint venture is Red Army Tank Camouflage, 1930-1945. Yes, I already offer this, but now it is completely in English. It is the first of many to come. Second is a book on the Joseph Stalin IS-2 Tank (also in English) and by the time you read this, it will be available, too. What a great time to be in Russia! Let me explain the center insert. It takes up four pages (from 49 through 51). In order to get the flag quality I wanted, I had to trade a few pages of material. I also assumed that the flags would be cut out and who wants printing on the back of their flag? So, it only appears that pages 49 and 51 are missing. They are actually the blank backs of the flag sheet. What other projects are ongoing? What wargamer doesn't have a bevy of them? Chariot racing. Don't ask me why, but there I was, on E-Bay, and the next thing I know, I am the proud owner of a vintage copy of Avalon Hill's Circus Maximus… I will use this to come up with a proper chariot racing scheme. I've heard these games are a blast and Circus Maximus is something my wife will play with me, too. Although, we do play a lot of Yahtzee. Russian Civil War! Yeah! If I can't come up with a scenario book, then I just can't work. My Russian improves daily and my contacts in the Russian Military History community are also growing. WWII. There is so much available and that info is growing, too. I think I should do a photo-expose on Park Pobedi (Victory Park). It is the WWII memorial park, right here in Moscow (just down the street from the U.S. Embassy). As for scenario books for the Western front (Russian perspective - Eastern Front if you look at it from Germany), I think the opportunities are endless. Of course, what comes first are the translations of the material I still have hanging. I need to finish the translation of the Russian Artillery of 1805 (hopefully this will be done by the time you receive Gauntlet 19). I need to finish the entire Weapons series. These should be simple, once I figure out the format… I'm behind!! Who isn't? Also, the good news is that by the time you read this, I will have received my shipment from Korea. Yes, I sent my stuff in April of last year and it finally arrived at the end of February. That means that I finally have my 500 Foundry ACW figures. Of course I will have them painted. No time to do it myself (as if I ever intended that!). Romans! ACW! RCW! WWII Russia! Napoleonic 54mm St. Petersburg Figurines! So many figures. So much history. So little time. Good luck on those morale rolls! Back to The Gauntlet No. 19 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com