Bjorn Saltorp’s excellent first article on “Health” in Issue 140 of Lone Warrior reminded me of some notes I’d written in a similar but purely medieval vein (pun) a while ago-that are due to turn up in “Hobilar” at a later date.
However, there’s an excellent Penguin paperback which, if read in conjunction with Bjorn Saltorp’s article will give rise to an immense number of ’unhealthy’ wargames campaign possibilities. William McNeill wrote “Plagues & Peoples” back in 1976 and it has been re-issued as a Penguin (ISBN 0-14-055139-5, priced at £5.99) three times since then. It’s a 300-page expedition through disease and its effects upon people and more especially upon armies.
He begins in the Stone Age and deals with Eurasia up to the end of the Crusades before producing an utterly incredible short 40 page chapter entitled “The Impact of the Mongol Empire 1200-1500” and if you wargame the pirates of the steppes you should read it! McNeill then makes an interesting foray into the New World and then in a chapter on “Medical Science and Organisation since 1700” he looks at just the sort of military problems considered in Issue 140, but I do think McNeill lingers long over the impact of syphilis. This is a very readable book and it contains the most astonishing index I think I’ve ever read! Its called “Epidemics in China” written by a Chinese historian it lists over 300 major epidemics in modern history and their effects, but stops at 1911- which is a shame for those of us with Chinese Civil War armies to field, but sobering for those who prefer the Boxers and Manchu’s.
My mailing from Council of British Archaeology arrived this morning. It mentions that the final report on the CBA’s “Defence of Britain” Project is now available online at: www.britarch.ac.uk/projects/dob
Might be worth mentioning for those who wargame ‘Sealion’ or like me possess a small, rather under used ‘Home Guard’ unit.
[I would like to take this, public, opportunity to thank Rob for his many contributions to Lone Warrior. Kenn]
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