THE DRAGOMAN - A JOURNAL OF NEWS AND OPINION CONCERNING THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE a newsletter review by c

This is an 8 page A4-ish quarterly newsletter designed to cover to all military aspects of the Ottoman Turks during the Napoleonic wars. The newsletter is nicely produced on computer and stapled, and includes monochrome drawings of uniforms. The Dragoman is produced in America by William E. Johnson, author of the only two wargaming books on the Ottoman Turks. William is as enthusiastic (obsessed?) about the Ottomans as I am, and he has preempted me by producing this newsletter, as it was something I was planning to do. I'm glad he has produced this though, as it will promote and bring together research on the Ottomans, a much neglected nation of the Napoleonic wars.

Two issues have been produced to date, and already one of the major mysteries of the Napoleonic era has been solved, i.e. the weight of shot of Turkish cannon. Other articles include the Kapitan Pasha naval commander, Yamaks, 1 5nun figure manufacturers, Organisation of Ottoman artillery, and a request for help section.

Whilst primarily covering the Napoleonic period, William has no objection to covering the whole Ottoman era 1300 to 1918, provided subscribers contribute the articles. An ideal forum for DBR and Age of Reason garners to debate the Turks perhaps.

Subscription is $4 a year in the US. From the UK I suggest sending a 5 pound note hidden inside a letter, which should cover his extra airmail costs - I have also sent some articles, and plan to send more in the future. As with all such "interest groups"/newsletters, it is up to the readers to support the voluntary efforts and enthusiasm of the editor with letters and articles to make it succeed.

I thoroughly recommend this newsletter to all Napoleonic and Ottoman fans. Even if you've never really thought about Turkish Napoleonics, give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised by the wargaming qualities of an Ottoman army and fascinated by their history. A free sample is available on request If requesting from the UK, I suggest enclosing a few IRCs to help cover the extra costs.

Contact the Dragoman at 1524 S. 10th St., Ocean Springs, MS 539564, USA. e-mail address is WEJJER@aol.com.