tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post7800268401765485243..comments2024-03-28T09:55:48.460+00:00Comments on <p align="right">Steve's Random <br>Musings on Wargaming <br>and other stuff...</p>: Dreich.....Steve-the-Wargamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-68158660875031919692014-01-23T07:34:13.510+00:002014-01-23T07:34:13.510+00:00Jubilo - bravo! It's a little known fact that ...Jubilo - bravo! It's a little known fact that the Zulu's introduced the pizza to the western world, but it failed to take off due to the poor choice of toppings ("wildebeast and widgety grub" not to everyone's taste); it was left to the Italians to take this little known delicacy and turn it into the world dominating food type it now is!Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-43949695639930793602014-01-23T02:13:36.920+00:002014-01-23T02:13:36.920+00:00Took your excellent advice and had the Zulu movie ... Took your excellent advice and had the Zulu movie party Sunday. My friends recited the script whilst I quaffed Spitfire ale, nibbled Double Gloucester and Welsh cheese and viewed the film. Being Yanks we ended with pizza. "No, there's something else; I feel ashamed."Jubilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15008211040948569509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-22124084709824491152014-01-20T21:02:31.251+00:002014-01-20T21:02:31.251+00:00Wrote this up over at Wargaming for Grownups at lu...Wrote this up over at Wargaming for Grownups at lunchtime. You should also look up the "iWonder" featurettes on the Beeb's website too, especially the one on the War Poets.Trebianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221916804339000102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-68887771545063409932014-01-20T14:14:32.108+00:002014-01-20T14:14:32.108+00:00Afternoon guys
Dan Snow on WW! myths http://www....Afternoon guys<br /><br />Dan Snow on WW! myths http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25776836<br /><br />Enjoy!Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-16256446550614464892014-01-19T17:49:16.910+00:002014-01-19T17:49:16.910+00:00David - you hit the nail most squarely on the head...David - you hit the nail most squarely on the head when you say "whether all those opinions are of equal weight is another matter entirely". The article in MWBG was a plea to wargamers who have read the history to point out to people who haven't that the traditional view of the Great War (as contained in "The Donkeys" and mainly propagated by writers of fiction) that what they may think happened was probably not the case.Trebianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221916804339000102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-11261633561047453912014-01-19T15:10:17.304+00:002014-01-19T15:10:17.304+00:00Trebian: living in a healthy democracy, as we are ...Trebian: living in a healthy democracy, as we are lucky enough to do and due to the efforts of so many who went before us, we are all entitled to an opinion, whether that be based on reading history, talking to veterans or merely reading the better works of fiction. now, whether all those opinions are of equal weight is another matter entirely. As to marking the anniversary of the Great War; of course its contentious, otherwise we would n't be discussing it here ~ and elsewhere.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06985725848702292911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-77346496828006757472014-01-19T14:51:56.286+00:002014-01-19T14:51:56.286+00:00I wouldn't diss the War Poets. I have them all...I wouldn't diss the War Poets. I have them all, and they do provide an interesting perspective. My favourite is Blunden. The issue with the War Poets is that because of the heavy focus on them in Eng Lit courses pupils get their perspectives on the Great War from their English teacher, not their history teacher. <br /><br />Steve - we will disagree on the fiction. I've read and enjoyed a number of Great War fiction books, and Pat Barker's are particularly bad. There's good stuff in Gary Sheffield's book on the fiction of the Great War.<br /><br />As for memoirs we get a lot of focus on Sassoon, but never anything on Charles Edmonds/Carrington. Memoirs have to be read with care, of course, as the writer doesn't see everything or necessarily understand their role in the great scheme of things. At University a lecturer reminded us of the Polish saying "Lying like an eye witness".<br /><br />At least I think it was Polish.Trebianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221916804339000102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-58596848906311013922014-01-19T13:20:38.526+00:002014-01-19T13:20:38.526+00:00"History is like standing on the fringe of a ..."History is like standing on the fringe of a huge desert, with only the most basic map, and trying to make your away across to the other side."<br /><br />Steve, as an old Navigating officer, that's an easy one, I get out my bubble sextant, Nories Nautical Tables, a good Almanac and a decent compass, where would you like to go?Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-76546377284030068272014-01-19T13:07:59.899+00:002014-01-19T13:07:59.899+00:00Meant to add
Compared to the Royal Navy, the Army...Meant to add<br /><br />Compared to the Royal Navy, the Army was light years ahead in preparing for WW1. I would argue that it was 1917 before we had a navy that was actually fit for purpose. <br /><br />People are understandably focused on the Western Front, I await with interest what will be made of The Goeben Affair, Gallipoli, Jutland, Convoys, if those issues ever receive the same level of scrutiny.<br /><br />If you have the inclination, take a look at the naval review archive, and do a search just on Jutland, the depth and bitterness of the debate, over many decades may surprise you!<br /><br />http://www.naval-review.org/tblcont.asp Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-81243837569210446132014-01-19T12:58:59.827+00:002014-01-19T12:58:59.827+00:00Mel - absolutely.. :o)
History is like standing...Mel - absolutely.. :o)<br /><br />History is like standing on the fringe of a huge desert, with only the most basic map, and trying to make your away across to the other side... which guide/guidebook do you trust?Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-77013640934417771592014-01-19T12:19:11.233+00:002014-01-19T12:19:11.233+00:00I suppose what I'm saying is I agree a bit mor...I suppose what I'm saying is I agree a bit more with Trebian than with Guy Halsell on this one, but, no one, (including me(, has nailed it, which for me at least, is what makes the study of history so fascinating.Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-79136642856600837252014-01-19T12:11:17.978+00:002014-01-19T12:11:17.978+00:00Steve
Absolutely :-)Steve<br /><br />Absolutely :-)Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-89332112208158411702014-01-19T12:09:46.769+00:002014-01-19T12:09:46.769+00:00Mel - love that Kissinger quote... and, errr, &q...Mel - love that Kissinger quote... and, errr, "vive la difference" :o) One last quote from a boss of mine "perceptions are never wrong"... applies equally to opinions I think..??Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-70006112260638695072014-01-19T12:06:07.086+00:002014-01-19T12:06:07.086+00:00David - look forward to reading the game reports.....David - look forward to reading the game reports... commemoration, no.. but while we may only be playing a game on a table top, in our small way I've always thought we remember their endeavours/sacrifices... just how I am... :o)Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-26014394960536195862014-01-19T12:04:05.949+00:002014-01-19T12:04:05.949+00:00Trebian - going to have to agree to disagree on wh...Trebian - going to have to agree to disagree on whether fiction allows you an opinion, as the best fiction has the ability to explain/describe just as much as non-fiction - "Birdsong", "All Quiet on the Western Front", the war poets all help to form an opinion... I wholly accept however that the opinion may be subjective..! :o)Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-49627414500455470442014-01-19T12:00:33.037+00:002014-01-19T12:00:33.037+00:00Trebian - never been one for the "not an hist...Trebian - never been one for the "not an historian" argument either... Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-82069262434089422772014-01-19T11:56:23.011+00:002014-01-19T11:56:23.011+00:00Trebian
Agree up to a point, I get slightly offen...Trebian<br /><br />Agree up to a point, I get slightly offended by the dissing of the poets, most of them were killed in action. As for Blackadder, its a great caricature, and like all great caricature it works because it exaggerates a truth.<br /><br />I'm all for revisionism, though in this case its really revisionism of the revisionism, the problem is that the pendulum tends to swing to far the other way, it will take time for the new insights to be fully integrated, as we edge closer to an ultimately unknowable truth.<br /><br />As far academic spats, Henry Kissenger summed it up, "Academic discourse id so vicious,precisely because the stakes are so small"Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431575639308629650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-3280117613858291872014-01-18T22:48:45.463+00:002014-01-18T22:48:45.463+00:00I'm working on a tank but it's a Mark IV!I'm working on a tank but it's a Mark IV!legatus hedliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-8720418237722704652014-01-18T09:28:49.631+00:002014-01-18T09:28:49.631+00:00Even if you were there (especially if you were the...Even if you were there (especially if you were there!) history can be subjective. The issue with marking the Great War isn't that it is contentious it's that people are ill-informed. Watching Blackadder or reading Birdsong does not make you an expert on the Great War. To push the point they do not entitle you to an opinion as to what is right or wrong. They're fiction.Trebianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221916804339000102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-49269153326831562942014-01-18T09:15:51.759+00:002014-01-18T09:15:51.759+00:00Unless you were there, and even then of course, Hi...Unless you were there, and even then of course, History is always a subjective analysis of events from partial and limited sources, often chosen to reflect a viewpoint anyway, that's what makes it such fun and grips so many. The Great War is seared in our nation's consciousness I think, so any commemoration is bound to be contentious in some way and that's what sells books, articles, newspapers, magazines and BBC series. <br />Here in GHQ and at OHQ too we plan any number of games from 1914 to 1918 this year. Commemoration? Probably not, rather just a tickled fancy by the anniversary if we are truthful.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06985725848702292911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-39254201765715978912014-01-17T20:06:42.299+00:002014-01-17T20:06:42.299+00:00Corrigan's is one of trhe books cited to me as...Corrigan's is one of trhe books cited to me as not being proper history as it is written by an ex-soldier, not an historian. It is a good, robust, read. Better, and more measured, is Gary Sheffield's "Forgotten Victory", but slightly less fun.Trebianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221916804339000102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-38473469099423249322014-01-17T15:44:48.573+00:002014-01-17T15:44:48.573+00:00Guy - that was one of the books mentioned in a rev...Guy - that was one of the books mentioned in a review of Terraine's work that I read... thanks for the prompt...Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-19372568505538529952014-01-17T11:51:29.120+00:002014-01-17T11:51:29.120+00:00I don't read much on WW1 but my father gave me...I don't read much on WW1 but my father gave me a book by Gordon Corrigan who he met on one of these battlefield tour holidays called Mud, Blood and Poppycock. I would recommend it if you can find a copy. <br /><br />regards,<br />guyguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02346804356499461777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-33767970062984175392014-01-17T07:50:39.285+00:002014-01-17T07:50:39.285+00:00Paul- thirty odd years ago when I was at universit...Paul- thirty odd years ago when I was at university all areas of social sciences were taught with a heavy emphasis on Marx - sociology, economics,modern history, they all had the Marxian view - probably not surprising, as the lecturers would have been fresh faced students in the sixties, and that was the fashionable view..... thirty years later and (some of) my fellow students are now in positions in government, public institution, bank, and even BBC... makes it easier to understand the left(ish) leanings of some organisations!Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33041938.post-2780840800998870152014-01-17T07:45:55.332+00:002014-01-17T07:45:55.332+00:00Trebian - I'm not even sure I've taken it ...Trebian - I'm not even sure I've taken it out of the postal bag yet.. must get to it... nothing like the site of a bunch of wargamers getting worked up! :o)Steve-the-Wargamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07077311120172727690noreply@blogger.com