Books, Blogs and Basing...

Some good feedback from the various posts in the last few days for which 'thanks'... I don't think I could blog in a vacuum! J

So some catch up items - I was contacted by Giles Allison after the Salute post to let me know he was one of the guiding forces behind that magnificent Waterloo game at Salute that I raved over.. I still think it's a fantastic looking game and I learn from Giles's Blog (for which I have added a link in the 'Blogs of Note' section to the left) that I was right.. the game won the award for "most impressive troops" at Salute... always nice to find out you're right once in a while!I'd recommend his Blog by the way - his interests coincide with mine in the area of the American war of Independence, but he also has lots and lots of pictures of his units and they are very nice!

Had a meeting in London on Tuesday that allowed me to finish off a couple of books (if I commuted to London to work on a regular basis, I could have read the entire British Library by now, but unfortunately, I would also be certifiably insane.. I don't know how the regular commuters do it)

First off, my sister got me a book for my birthday, it's historical fiction and is by writer by the name of C. J. Sansom called "Sovereign". Not a bad book, the first of his I've read, and interesting for being in a period that I don't know a lot about - specifically the later years of Henry VIII. The hero of the book is a lawyer involved in various investigations/work for senior members of the Kings court - Cromwell (as in Thomas, not Oliver) and Archbishop Cranmer so is set against the dissolution of the monasteries, and the change from Catholicism to Church of England. Lots of period colour, not much wargaming material, but still interesting, and recommended as a good, easy, read if your into history and detectives..

I also finally got time to read Tincey's "Blenheim 1704" in the Osprey Campaign series. Again Mr. Tincey is very easy to read, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend the book as a general introduction to the battle, but other than a couple of excellent colour plates, and the 3 detailed maps showing the separate stages of the battle and the order in which the main actions took place, there wasn't really anything that I hadn't read elsewhere - so, it was good, but I would also recommend the Battleground Series book of the same name for similar coverage... which is good in a way, as it looks like I am now ready for a little more detailed knowledge!

On the wargaming front, last night was the first opportunity to take out all the little plastic bags and sort out the figures I bought at Salute... having opened up all the bags, organised them in piles, then rows, admired them from far and close up, I ended up getting the mounted, and dismounted, camel corps ready on painting sticks, as they are definitely next on my list to paint (the picture is from the Peter Pig site, and I'm hoping my guys look half as good!).. I also prepped some Dervish cavalry as they are on the list after them. The Peter Pig figures are lovely and I'm looking forward to wielding paint brush in the near future...

Finally, I also glued the Egyptian cavalry to bases, so they're now ready for flocking and terraining - I'll post some pictures once they're done..