1. The Magazine Antiques,

July 2003 issue has an article on a Chinese house. Unfortunately you cannot make out the dimensions but the drawings and photographs are very nice, this should help anyone making their own Chinese houses for the Boxer Rebellion or Back of Beyond. The house is 18th century, has defensive info, colors, and construction ideas, cut out some of the fancy design carving and it should be easy to build this with removable floors and roof.

2. The Journal of Military History,

Vol. 67, No. 3 July 2003. Contains the article “Russians at the Gates of India”? Planning the Defense of India, 1885-1900”, by Robert A. Johnson makes for thought provoking ideas and may even give you ideas for your the Great Game or an invasion of India by the Russians. Very good reading; can’t wait for his book The Great Game: The Imperial Secret Service and the Defense of India due soon? But will look now for his British Imperialism.

Other articles listed that might be of interest include: Eckert, Henri. “The Native Army in Indo-China: Conquering Force or Bone of Contention? Tirailleurs Tonkinois, Chasseurs Annamites and Militiamen in the 1880’s” South East Asia Research 10 (November 2002): 277-307.

3. The Courier,

issues 87 and 88 contain parts I (“A Leader Emerges”) and II (“The Rise to Dominance”) of “African Warlord, The Rise and Fall of the Empire of Rabih Fadl Allah, Miniature Wargames in the Central Sudan, 1874-1911.” The article starts with a nice skirmish involving 4 French Officers, 3 Mountain guns, 44 Senegalese and Congolese Tirailleurs supported by 500 native troops versus 3500 (1500 mounted) natives, with 2700 firearms (900 Remingtons) supported by 10,000 spear and bow armed auxiliaries. In this skirmish Rabih loses 63 commanders and 500 regulars (he must have rolled very poorly and got bad cards). Other sections include ’The Career of Zubair Pasha and the Rise of Rabih’, ‘Azande Warfare’, ‘Battles’, Rabih’s Army – Organization – Standards – OBs’. The article has everything you need for several very nice campaigns. As a bonus the back cover of each issue his a color uniform plate 87 is Rabih’s forces and 88 the French.

4. Soldiers of the Queen,

issue 113. This issue has three interesting articles to read around which lots of scenarios can be formed. Dorothy Anderson’s “The Last Visitor to Kafiristan: George Scott Robertson, 1809-91” gives good details and background material on the Kafirs—Robertson later is a hero during the Chitral Siege 1895.

Robert Johnson’s two articles “Two Sieges: The Siege of Chitral 1895” a nicely written piece on the siege with sufficient detail to game it. One photo of the Koragh Defile is especially useful for terrain making. And “Two Sieges: The Siege of Malakand, 26th-31st July 1897” is another well written descriptive article with photos and maps with topographic and unit positions delineated very useful for gaming. Loads of information here for scenarios/campaigns. There is a camp photo of the 45th (Rattray) Sikhs that is both useful for uniforms and terrain making.

The book review section notes that Michael Barthorp’s 1982 The NWF: British India and Afghanistan: A Pictorial History 1839-1947 has been reprinted in paperback as Afghan Wars and the NWF 1839-1947.

5. Wargames Illustrated,

issue 190.

Chris Peers’s article “In the Heart of German East Africa” adapting “in the Heart of Africa” for the 1914-1918 campaigns. Everything you need with information on witch doctors to machineguns to armored cars with army lists. Ken Fisher’s article “Gunboats on Chinese Rivers” contains five color uniform plates covering everybody involved, the article gives background information and rules for using 1/900, 1/1200 or 1/600 models (Navwar has suitable ships in 1/1200) loads of info, the ship info is somewhat lacking in detail so check out Jane’s Ships Before 1900 or some such title for more and better details.

Emily Brontesaurus’s “On the Trail of Living Fossils: Two more scenarios for ‘Saurian Safari’” (from HLBS or RLBPS). Interesting data for encounters.

The Battle Honors ad – 19th Century Miniatures, 300 Watson St., Cooperville, MI / Walrus & Carpenter, Parramatta NSW in Oz / Battle Honours, 3 Shor St., Evesham, Worcs WR11 3AT, UK shows some of their new line of Great War figures Turks, Arabs, Highlanders, Brits and Germans for the Middle Eastern campaigns with more coming.

Issue 191

Kevin Calder’s “Vehicles to Die Cast for (wheels for Back of Beyond)” contains ideas and photos for painting vehicles.

There is a photo spread for “John Riddles Wargames Garden” I have seen this spread or like it before and the idea is very interesting to me. The garden contains beautifully made concrete buildings and towns and shipyards and harbors and trains and ships and not in 1/1200.

Ads include: Monolith Designs, 25mm resin Middle Eastern style buildings and wall units that look pretty good. Prices are in pounds and range from 10-15 for buildings and 1-2 for walls. www.monolithdesigns.co.uk

Artizan Design (from Brigade in the US) has some foot and mounted Berbers in 28mm. The figs are for Crusades period gaming but the mounted and foot spearmen have open hands that could accept Cannon Fodder or Castaway Arts rifles. I bought a pack of three mounted at Historicon from Brigade and like them very much. Brigade Games ad showed some of their new King’s African Rifles in fez, very nice looking.

Two Hours Wargames’ “Legends of Araby” was reviewed by Mike Siggins and sounds as though it might be useful. He indicates that these RPG rules are most useful for skirmish gaming and would work quite well in fleshing out characters. A good all around review.

6. Miniature Wargames,

issue 239 April 2003. Frank Catinella’s article “The Italian Wars against the Dervish: The Battle of Agordat, December 21, 1893” is worth the cost of the issue and also contains information on units and wargaming the battle, with 2 color photos and 4 color uniform plates, nicely written.

7. Strategy and Tactics

issue 216, contain a 20 pages article “The Great Game” that has some good info, some nice photos.