1. Scholar’s Bookshelf, 110 Melrich Rd. Cranbury, NJ 08512, www.scholarsbookshelf.com/military There are several books of interest: Gunboat on the Yangtze; The Diary of Captain Glenn F. Howell of the USS Palos, 1920-1921. Paperback $29.95. Journal of the First Afghan War, Lady Sale Fiorentia, paperback $15.95. Ashes and Blood; the British Army in South Africa, 1795-1914, Boyden, Guy and Harding, paperback $39.95. Blood in the Sand; More Forgotten Wars of the 19th Century, Ian Hernon. $19.95. The Colonial Wars Sourcebook, Haythornthwaite $18.95 (Highly Recommended) Great Zulu Battles, 1838-1906, Ian Knight $9.95. (Highly Recommended) Rorke’s Drift, Adrian Greaves, $29.95. Slogging Over Africa; the Boer Wars, 1815-1902, Michael Barthorp, paperback $19.95. Zulu Victory; The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up, Lock and Quantrill, $39.95. Gunboat! Small Ships at War, Bryan Perrett, Paperback $9.95.

2. Books-a-Million, I got Gunboat! Small Ships at War, Bryan Perrett, hardcover for $9.95. Very nice book with useful (if small) photographs, overall an interesting read. The book covers gunboats during the Crimean War, Second Opium War, suppression of piracy in the South China Sea 1855-69, American Civil War, British gunboats in general, Nile gunboats, WWI Africa, WWI Mesopotamia, between WWI and II (mostly China), WWII Mediterranean, and 1949 China.

3. The U of South Carolina library got a copy of Robert Edgerton’s Africa’s Armies: from Honor to Infamy: a history from 1791 to the present. I was very disappointed with the book. Not only was there nothing for gaming purposes (can’t expect it from every book); but it has nothing to generally recommend it of reading interest. So I guess I really don’t like it. Not Recommended.

4. Castaway Arts First of the FFL, see the review. Also in the mill are FFL officers, more Egyptian War figs including Egyptian cavalry, dragoons, lancers, bashi bazouks, chain mail cavalry, Brit Hussars and camel mounted Naval Brigade that should be available at Historicon, hope to see you there!

5. Lone Warrior, issue 142. Unfortunately, there is nothing colonial this issue. However, it is still well worth reading for the gaming ideas.

6. Wargames Illustrated, number 188. No colonial articles here. One ad stands out – Amazon Miniatures ad for Legends of Araby rules and miniatures. Some interesting female characters are available.

Number 189.

Two articles are worth reading, first is “Wargamers Notebook 48” by Mike Siggins, and interesting and perceptive article about moving to a new town and trying to fit in with local gamers at the Games Workshop store. Second is Mike Blake’s “Big Scale Colonial Wargaming – The Lion and the Wind. The article is based on 54mm figures (Armies in Plastic) used in the play-by-mail Sitruc Campaign. Great ideas and concepts involving amphibious landings, orders fighting, moving, and characters. GREAT READ

7. The Virtual Armchair General (www.thevirtualarmchairgeneral.com) sent along three of his latest resin items. 1” Urban Barricade 2 to a pack, 2” Urban Barricade, and Hex bases 10 assorted. I mentioned these last time but had not yet seen them and they are even better in the buff. Cream colored resin pieces at $2.50 a pack these are a steal when compared to other resin items elsewhere. The barricades have multiple uses (wagonloads and dock shipments among other things). The hex bases came two of each cobbles, dirt, wood, blocks, and bricks. They have air bubbles and need a little trim but clean up easy and should paint well. Highly Recommended