The Continental Wars Society deals with European warfare 1815-1900/14. An off-shoot from the Victorian Military'Society; the CWS newsletter The Foreign Correspondent ( A4 size : 26pp : £5 for four issues : details from R Weaver, 37 Yeading Avenue, Rayners Lane, Harrow HA2 9RL) Issue 24 has articles on the Danish War 1864, Paris Commune. Polish military manuals, Armies of the German States 1830.48, & the Austrian Army of 1866 ( part 17 ). The falter piece is 10 pages of regimental lists ! One positive aspect the CWS deals with, is the composition ( including uniforms) of the little known 'patchwork states' which made up Germany between 1830-70. These would make small & unusual wargame forces to fight each other ; or combine against a Prussian or Austrian army of 'unification'.
Warfare in the Ancient World ( 1989 ISBN 0-283-99591-2 : ll'x8' : 250pp ) comprehensive survey of military systems from Assyrians to Late Roman Empire. Each chapter written by acknowledged expert : well Illustrated & Includes double page colour drawings which are a boon to wargamers.
Osprey Men At Arms Series Mexican Adventure 1861-67 (1994: ISBN 1-86532-430-X: £7 48pp ) useful booklet which concentrates mostly on the Mexican troops who fought for the Republican & Imperial causes. French and other foreign units are also covered.
I visited the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the first (and lost) time. One of the themes was the history of the Gordon Highlanders : an 'episode' from the Battle of Waterloo was played out with fifty men a side ! Definitely one for the tourists!
Chasing the Deer is the film dealing with the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. It was made on a budget and unfortunately it shows. As a Sunday afternoon T.V. serial it entertains ; otherwise, it's a disappointment of what might have been. The same film company Cromwell Films are making a movie on the life of Robert the Bruce. Let's hope they make a better job of it than 'Chasing the Deer', which is bound to appear on Channel 4.
Gettysburg was made as an NBC Cable Series. At four hours plus; the film used 5,000 extras ( mostly from the ACW re-enactment societies in the US ) and can be split into two parts. The first part I liked, mainly because of Jeff Daniels portrayal of Colonel Chamberlain ( 20th Maine ). The battle at Little Round Top looks exciting and convincing.
Part Two ( Pickett's Charge ) came across as both boring and dull. Some of the reasons are as follows :
- 1) The charge itself is dreadfully slow, badly filmed & the music repetitive & deafening - presumably to pump up the audience.
2) Because the film is concentrating on the officers too much, the soldiers are reduced to being so many ciphers who wait their turn to fall over and die.
3) The made for TV status kills off the chance to show convincing battle scenes ( compare this film with "Glory' ) which might have shown the urgency & personalised danger of an ACW battle. At one point ( during the artillery duel ) I thought I was watching the 'A' Team - all flying stuntmen and flailing limbs. Having said the above, I would advocate all wargamers to rent the videos & decide for themselves.
The TSP ( The Softback Preview ) book club are offering a 9 video set of 'The Civil War' documentary series shown on BBC : includes 4 hours of footage not screened in UK: total viewing lime 11 hours ), £60 reduced from £100. It's still probably over-priced!
Games Workshop ( who bought Wargames Foundry and the 'Parry Twins' expertise in figure design ) took a listing on the stock market. On October 6th dealing began with shares at 115p each. On the 15th October, they were 122-125p. The prospectus I applied for was an A4 : 65 page job! In the introduction it says ... "GW is a leading manufacturer and retailer of tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures which are marketed as a complete hobby."
Their strategy ( basically ) is to make lots of money & establish new markets. I wonder if this means knocking off other wargame manufacturers ; so that in say few years lime, you'll have to buy through GW of a high cost per casting? But what am I saying : such a thing could never happen, could it?
Finally, Rockets Red Glare: A Guide to the War of 1812 (A4 size: 75pp Canadian Wargames Group: available from Caliver Books or Freikorps 15; 9.50 pounds approx) ... in the same style as Habitants and Highlanders (1756 America) & Flower of Chivalry (medieval), these rules provide a complete package including uniforms, tactics, etc ... not less than three sets of rules (naval, land battle, and land small scale), take up to 8 pages. The best part however, is the scenarios provided, of which 9 are land, 10 naval (many with small vessels upon the Great Lakes) & 1 joint land-naval operation based on Plattsburg.
If you're interested in the War of 1812, consider buying the book for the scenarios alone.
Targe Quiz
The Targe Quiz now gives you the chance to win a prize. Each question carries a number of points; that way you can still run up a score; even if part of you answer is wrong.
Example: Name the D-Day beaches & which one did the Canadians attack:.... (6)
Send your letters to me (Edinburgh address & the winner / answers will be given in No. 4. Give it a chance: U.S. subscribers welcome to participate. The books have to go; either as a prize or via the scaffle (refuse collector).
Targe Quiz No. 3 Prizes
260 Osprey Men at Arms: Peter the Great's Infantry
264 Osprey Men at Arms: Peter the Great's Cavalry
203 Osprey Men at Arms: Louis XIV's Army
221 Osprey Men at Arms: Central American Wars 1959-89
Soldier's Fotofax: World War I 1914
Soldier's Fotofax: World War 1 1915 "Lion of the North":
Thirty Years War Rules 1618-1648
Targe Quiz
1) Bastile Day saw the debut of which new unit? It was comprised of troops from which countries? (6)
2) How did a grenade get its name: (2)
3) What does 'Chickamauga' mean & who was the `Rock of Chickamauga?' (2)
4) Which WWII general was known in his early army days as "The Great Asparagus"? (1)
5) Who recently lost the Third Battle of Manassas? (1)
6) Name two wars named after a drug & include the dates. (4)
7) The film 'Gettysburg' is based upon which book? the author? (2)
8) Which Swiss cantons formed a League in 1291? (3)
9) Which flower has its name linked with a weapon of the ancient period? (1)
10) In the Irish Civil War, why were police auxiliaries known as 'black and tans'? (2)
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© Copyright 1995 by Craig Martelle Publications
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