Hard to believe, but this issue will end the ninth year of SAGA's existence. Dave Armer and I started SAGA in 1986 with a grand total of fifteen subscribers. Dave has long since gone on to other endeavors (such as getting married and raising a family}, but says he plans to return to the hobby at some future date, though who knows when . . . probably when Molson opens a brewery here in Rochester.
Anyway, thanks to the invaluable contributions of many of you through the past decade, I have somehow managed to keep the newsletter going. At this point in time, I need your help to continue doing so. No, not monetary help, but articles, battle reports, etc. I would also like to change the physical look of SAGA as I prepare for the tenth year of publication. (See notice later in this issue for more on this).
There have been a plethora of recent studies out dealing with Medieval military studies. Barnes and Noble have reissued Beeler's Warfare in England 1066-1189, a great source book which I have used previously. Also, Hayes-McCoy's classic Irish Battles - A Military History of Ireland from Appletree Books (available through the Barnes & Noble catalog as well), is a great source book, quoted extensively by any writer dealing with Clontarf to Arklow. Many other reprints are also being made available by Gareth Simon's PALLAS ARMATA series - of booklets (98 Priory Lane, Tonbridge, Sent, TN9 2BP, England). Write to Gareth for a current listing of these extensive titles.
I must say that my gaming has been very much on the back burner as of late. Bruce and I will be playing at the end of April, I thought it would be a good idea to dust off the Siculo-Normans for the WRG 7th tourney at HISTORICON this July . . . though I should use Hohenstauffens just to get Scott Holder going! Received some new figures from Lance Ranulffson, 25mm galloglaichs. These will fill in nicely for my Dark Ages hordes, now numbering close to 1,000 figures in this scale. The older I get, the harder it is for me to paint 15mm. Not an uncommon problem, others tell me in the 40-something age group, though I don't like to haul 25's around very much, they are fine for home use.
Most of you will be up for renewal with the arrival of this issue. Please check the address sticker on the front and if it has the number 54, please send me your renewal check as soon as you can. I am looking forward to some new challenges in the coming year, and hope you will enjoy SAGA as much as I enjoy putting it together (I must enjoy it, right? Why else would any sane person choose to do it?) Anyway, please send me anything you have that I can publish, including those letters to the editor. Until next issue . . . .
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© Copyright 1996 by Terry Gore
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