Have You Any Book Recommendations for the New Year?

On the second mug of coffee after breakfast (and a glass of eggnog each) with the Young Master this morning. Still in robe and pajamas listening to German Christmas music online and mulling over my hobby past, present, and future.

As many of you will agree, reading, research, and the related inspiration are a large part of the wargaming life. Somehow, the word 'hobby' seems too small and insignificant for such an absorbing, all-encompassing pursuit. Right?

While they are a key part of things for many of us, wargaming in its broadest sense includes so much more than just the toy soldiers and miniature scenery. So, I suggest a not-so-subtle change in nomenclature. Wargaming 'life' it is!

Yet again, I digress! Returning to the point at hand, and because I have some Amazon birthday and Christmas money burning holes in my metaphoric pockets, at any rate, I seek suggestions for recent books specific to my own Frederickian, Napoleonic, and mid-19th century interests.

Besides Henry Hyde's recent trove of advice on running campaigns (and what a joyously useful tome it is), are there any recent titles specific to the 18th century -- history, rules, etc. -- that you might recommend? Any recent uniform guides. painting, scenery, or diorama handbooks? Model railway titles are fair game too.

Forgive the bad pun in there somewhere. Please don't cane me, Sir! I was led astray.

At any rate, and before I dig myself in further, please leave your books suggestions in the comment boxes below.

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On the figure painting front, I am getting very close to calling the 60+ Wied Infantry done and ready for flags plus glossing and permanent basing. You reach a point where you realize that you could go on and on and on with fixing minute brush errors, touch-ups, and so forth. But sooner or later, it is time to get 'em done. You know. Before decrepitude takes an even firmer grip.

While we want nicely painted figures, we are also after that mass effect of large units, so a dark brown mustache that strays slightly beneath a 30mm nose, or a tiny speck of another color in an out of the way place on one or two figures is not the end of the world. I am not a competition painter after all. So, let's begin the final stages say I and get 'em to the table!

All of that is just my usual long-winded way of saying, stay tuned for further photographic updates. Now, should I next begin overpainting the flags? Or prepare the permanent green bases to approximate those of the Wm. Britain's German and British toy soldiers given to me by my maternal grandparents for Christmas 1976?

And yes. I still have them along with some metal gun and tank models by Solido. Some Christmas gifts, you keep forever.

-- Stokes

Comfortable Rules for Games of Glossy Toy Soldiers in the Old Style. . .

Introduction A Tangled Mass is a game of toy soldiers in the old style, set more or less in the middle part of the 18 th century. Our miniature forces are colorful and, we hope, glossy. Although the latter, like so much else, is up to the discretion of the players. But it is the modeling, brushwork, and unit organization of hobby greats like Gilder, Mason, and Robinson that provide our visual touchstone and continue to inform "the look of the thing" even now. Tabletop armies in A Tangled Mass can be historic, semi-historic, or whimsically fictitious, but the more flags and mounted officers, the better. Formations, while bearing some resemblance to their historic precedents, are generic: column, line, or extended order for lighter types. Squares, while possible, are less common than during all of that later Napoleonic madness with its guillotines and Spanish ulcers. And we'll simply choose not to mention patent leather dancing pumps, or that unseemly bedr

Prussian 3rd Garrison Regt. Update. . .

Still a few small things to do, including apply fleshtone to a left hand on an officer that I somehow missed at some point plus lace on the drummers and officers , but we're very close to the glossing stage. L ots of painstaking work to clean up edges, highlight folds, and touch up various bits and pieces the last few evenings. My trusty little Sony Cybershot, I fear, has gone to that big electronics place in the sky and no longer seems to be working. Well, I've had it since 2013, and small electronics don't last forever, so I cannot complain. With that little hiccup in mind, I snapped today's shot with my iPhone, brightened, and cropped it in Fotor before sharing it here. Again, the blue is not quite so bright in reality, but the auto-improve, or whatever they call it, makes for nice bright photographs in which everything shows up. Not long before these are done, and The Young Master was suitably please when I asked him to have a look a few minutes ago. -- Sto

A Break in the Radio Silence. . .

S till plugging away at the 60 or so Wied Infantry currently on the painting bench as and when work and family life permit. Using three different whites for the clothing, shoulder belts, and officers' wigs plus trying some Army Painter quick washes. My friend and one-time online magazine co-editor Greg Horne (the man behind The Duchy of Alzheim , still one of my blog and hobby touchstones) suggested I give washes a try a month or two ago, and I think he might be onto something. Admittedly, he suggested the Citadel contrast range, but what I purchased eventually is in that general direction. I am especially pleased with the Army Painter flesh wash, which picks out the facial details on the Minden figures very nicely. I've applied it on top of my usual Windsor & Newton alkyd oil fleshtone and then highlighted the brows, bridges of noses, cheeks, chins, lower lips, and knuckles/thumbs the next day with more of the fleshtone. Suddenly, and with relative ease, my paint

tradgardmastare said…

“ From Reich to Revolution “ by Peter H Wilson is a book that helped me to try and understand how the Holy Roman Empire worked.
“The wild goose and the eagle” by Christopher Duffy . A reprint by Helion of a terrific book I used to border from the university library in my student days.
Hope this helps!

2:01 AM

Duke of Baylen said…

It will be interesting to see what's recommended. My current reading is for an earlier period but I suggest a good starting point is to browse the Helion catalogue for new and forthcoming titles. In what I've purchased the text is fascinating and the colour plates inspirational. If I had a stately home's library and the budget, I'd just buy everything - instead I'm concentrating on 17th century Sweden, Poland and Spain. You may also find this leads to a favourite author and you will seek out his/her books. Also with the loss of Christopher Duffy - Helion is publishing some of his work which scarcely needs my recommendation.
All the best for 2023, in which I will look forward to news on this blog.
Stephen
p.s. I'm not sure if I can agree about when to stop on touching up painting mishaps. The last five figures I completed needed three goes at completing them. Why is it that it's only at the varnishing stage you see the mistakes however carefully you look before hand?

2:09 AM

Neil Patterson said…

Saxon Army?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saxon-Austrian-Succession-Seven-Years/dp/1907417265/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1CR0NFNXGOLFE&keywords=Saxon+army&qid=1672394085&s=books&sprefix=saxon+army%2Cstripbooks%2C142&sr=1-4

Hanovarians?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HANOVERIAN-ARMY-SEVEN-YEARS-WAR/dp/1907417664/ref=sr_1_7?qid=1672394157&refinements=p_27%3AStephen+Summerfield&s=books&sr=1-7&text=Stephen+Summerfield

Neil

3:57 AM

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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