Besides Charge! and The War Game, additional inspiration for the ongoing Grand Duchy of Stollen project has come, in no particular order, from a variety of more recent titles by Charles S. Grant, the late Peter Gilder and his fabulous collection of Napoleonics at the old Wargames Holiday Centre, Phil Olley's 'Classic Wargaming' approach, various developments and events over the last several years in The Duchy of Alzheim, and the BIG battalion SYW-era maneuvers of Bill Protz and Jim Purky. Henry Hyde's Wars of the Faltenian Succession campaign, too, and his collection of vintage Spencer Smith miniatures have provided ample stimulus during those more trying times. The brushwork of John Preece, Doug Mason, Phil Robinson, Bill Gaskin, et al has encouraged me to stretch my painting muscles and try new approaches. Finally, the first dozen issues of Miniature Wargames from the early 1980s as well as the May 2006 refight of Sittangbad, staged by The Wargamers at Partizan in The U.K. continue to spur me on whenever my enthusiasm flags a bit.
Can't wait to retire to bed this evening with this new arrival!
Earlier this afternoon, Digby Smith's Armies of the Seven Years War arrived with the mail. A quick glance through the book -- after wrestling it from its Amazon packaging -- shows it to be chock-a-block with information on the various combatants who partook in the conflict, their uniforms, standards, etc. While I've been aware of Mr. Smith's book for a couple of years, I only got around to purchasing it with some of Mom and Step-Dad's Christmas gift on December 26th. I cannot wait to examine it more closely later this evening, and might hit the sack right after supper with some fresh coffee and the book, leaving the Grand Duchess and the Young Master to their own devices for the remainder of evening. Weeeeeell, maybe not quite that early. . . but all bets are off by 9 or 10pm!
Thursday, January 4th
I just wrote my first review for Amazon.com on this book. It reads:
A highly interesting title on the v…
Earlier this afternoon, Digby Smith's Armies of the Seven Years War arrived with the mail. A quick glance through the book -- after wrestling it from its Amazon packaging -- shows it to be chock-a-block with information on the various combatants who partook in the conflict, their uniforms, standards, etc. While I've been aware of Mr. Smith's book for a couple of years, I only got around to purchasing it with some of Mom and Step-Dad's Christmas gift on December 26th. I cannot wait to examine it more closely later this evening, and might hit the sack right after supper with some fresh coffee and the book, leaving the Grand Duchess and the Young Master to their own devices for the remainder of evening. Weeeeeell, maybe not quite that early. . . but all bets are off by 9 or 10pm!
Thursday, January 4th
I just wrote my first review for Amazon.com on this book. It reads:
A highly interesting title on the v…