Colchester Castle

 I was heading out to Ipswich to watch the football today; the less said about that, the better. There was nothing to see in Ipswich, so I stopped off in Colchester, which has a castle and remains of the Roman capital.

Built by the Normans soon after the conquest, it survived one siege during the Barons' War. At one and a half times the size of the White Tower's ground plan, Colchester's keep measures 152 by 112 feet (46 m × 34 m) and has the largest area of any medieval tower built in Britain or Europe. It remains an impressive building today, even though people destroyed its upper parts and used them as building material.

Roman Camulodunum was an important castrum and city in Roman Britain and the province's first capital.

The museum inside the castle has a fine collection of Roman artefacts; even if today it was disturbed by a witches' fair, with all sorts of guff on sale. The witches' broom idea as a present was not appreciated by my wife!

The temple model gives a good idea of how impressive it must have looked.

It was later the base of the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, who mistreated and killed many innocent women here in the 17th century. The prison cells are still there, and the victims are remembered. Vincent Price played him brilliantly in the 1968 film.

All well worth a look if you are in the area.

Imperial War Museum - War Art Exhibition

I am in London for a few days. A couple of work meetings today, and just time to pop in and see the war art exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Lots of different media covering the wars of the 20th century and modern conflicts. The paintings had a mix of classics and several I hadn't seen before.

I am sure they have done some work on both the First and Second World War galleries since I was last there. I don't recall the Serbian and Ottoman uniforms, and the storyline flows very well. They use modern display techniques without losing the exhibits' feel.

The Second World War exhibits looked familiar, except possibly for the Chinese uniform

 and the Soviet 122mm gun.

Well worth a return visit if you haven't been recently. When I lived in London, I visited regularly, including the fine Tradition Model Soldier shop around the corner.

Moghul: The Tainted Throne

 This is the fourth book in Alex Rutherford’s excellent series on the Moghul Empire. He sticks fairly closely to history while adding fictional authorial text.

This volume covers Jahangir, the empire's fourth emperor, who reigned from 1605 until his death in 1627. He rebelled against his father, Akbar the Great, but as the last remaining son, he reconciled with him before his death. On becoming emperor, he took the regnal name Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir—usually shortened to Jahangir, meaning roughly “world-seizer.”

His reign continued many of Akbar's administrative and territorial policies. He faced several rebellions, most notably one led by his eldest son, Prince Khusrau, in 1606. Jahangir suppressed the rebellion and imprisoned Khusrau. Externally, he attempted to expand the Empire to the Deccan region in the south, but without the same success as in the north.

A key element in the book was the influence of his wife Nur Jahan (Mehrunissa). They married in 1611, and she became an exceptionally influential figure at court. She participated in political decision-making, issued orders and coins in her name, and helped shape appointments and alliances. The author argues that she did this by keeping the Emperor addicted to alcohol and opium. It is difficult to know how true this is. He also developed an interest in England when the ambassador Sir Thomas Roe visited his court between 1615 and 1619 to seek trading privileges for the English East India Company.

The book ends with the inevitable succession battle, as Nur Jahan sought to retain her influence by trying to install her son as Emperor. However, Prince Khurram won the struggle, executed challengers and took the regnal name Shah Jahan.

I am a big fan of this period, and collected a lot of books while developing my 28mm armies for display games some years ago. 

Stafford

 I ventured south today to do a book talk on my way to a couple of days of golf with some old pals. I stopped in Stafford, mainly because it has a regimental museum and a castle I hadn't seen. I have passed the town many times on the M6, usually wondering why the traffic slows to a crawl in a relatively quiet area!

The Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum is on the top floor of the Ancient House in the town centre. It's only a small display of this regiment, which fought all over the world, although they often appeared to be sent to the Middle East. It was a volunteer cavalry regiment, with a history stretching back to 1794, raised at the Swan Inn in Stafford, just around the corner from the museum. Its motto was “Pro aris et focis” — “For hearth and home.” 

They served in the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, including at Thabanchu and Senekal. 

In the First World War, the regiment served in Egypt, Sinai and Palestine, taking part in the Gaza battles, Megiddo and the capture of Damascus. In the Second World War, they converted to tanks in 1941 and joined the Royal Armoured Corps. It fought in North Africa, including Alam el Halfa and El Alamein, and subsequently served in North-West Europe after D-Day.

Stafford Castle is close to the town centre and is well maintained by the local council staff. It was originally a Norman fortress, but the wooden walls were replaced with stone in the 13th century. The Roundheads slighted it during the Civil War, and it was partially restored in the 19th century.  Plenty of information boards and a pleasant walk around and up to the mound.

The Staffordshire Regimental Museum is also worth a visit if you are in the area. I have been before, but it had just closed as I passed it. I did get to see Tamworth Castle this evening, which looks like it is being assaulted by a siege tower 😂.

The pre-talk dinner was as tasty as the presentation was impressive!

My talk was on Russian 18th-century colonialism to the Black Sea, which is covered by my latest two books. I was very impressed by how many in the audience had read the books. Much better than getting them afterwards, as they ask much more relevant questions.

Korean War: Republic of Korea

 This is the latest in Osprey's MAA series on the Korean War by Benjamin Lai, covering the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) and United Nations Command. Another war that has faded from memory in the UK. My interest was sparked after researching the history of the Turkish forces that went there for my book on the early Cyprus conflict, published by Helion Books.

The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, aiming to unite the country under communist rule. The United Nations, led mainly by the United States, supported South Korea, while China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea. The war involved intense fighting and caused millions of deaths and widespread destruction. After three years of conflict, the sides signed an armistice in 1953, ending the fighting but not officially ending the war. Korea remained divided along a border close to the 38th parallel, with North Korea and South Korea continuing as separate countries.

ROKA was formed after the Second World War, almost entirely with American equipment left behind when they left the peninsula. While they had 65,000 combat troops, the quality and quantity of equipment were one of the causes of their collapse when North Korea invaded. Leadership at all levels was also weak. Despite retraining and re-equipment, they were treated as suspect by the Americans, with some justification, as they collapsed again when China entered the war. By the end of the war, ROKA had expanded to 12 front-line divisions, which performed credibly, allowing allied forces to begin leaving the conflict. The book covers uniforms, equipment, and the key units. There was also a Marine Corps.

The second part covers other United Nations forces. Britain provided the largest element after the USA, with infantry and armoured units, often on rotation. The uniforms were similar to WW2, and over one thousand died there. A memorial stands in Scotland just off the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The other countries providing troops are also covered. These included European countries like Belgium, France, Greece, and the Netherlands, as well as others worldwide, including Colombia, Commonwealth nations, Ethiopia, Thailand and the Philippines. Many of these armies were also being reconstituted after WW2, and for the Turkish Army, it provided vital combat experience.

As you would expect, there are excellent colour plates and illustrations. This book packs a lot into one volume, but it offers enough for wargamers to expand their armies beyond the USA and North Korea.

My Turkish forces defending against an attack by Chinese and North Korean forces. 10mm using Pendraken figures.

St Andrews

 I spoke at a meeting at the University of St Andrews yesterday evening, which gave me the chance to revisit the historical sights in this fine old town. 

The original castle was built at the end of the 12th century, although what remains is the rebuilt castle from 1401. St Andrews was the religious headquarters of the church in Scotland, but the bishops were also secular rulers, running their estates from this castle. It had many famous prisoners. During the Scottish Reformation, the castle became a centre of religious persecution and controversy. Referring to the bottle dungeon, the Scottish reformer, John Knox, wrote, "Many of God's Children were imprisoned here." 

The most famous events took place in 1546, when David Beaton imprisoned the Protestant preacher George Wishart and had him burnt at the stake in front of the castle walls on 1 March. In May of the same year, Wishart's friends entered the castle disguised as masons while building work was underway. After overcoming the garrison, they murdered Cardinal Beaton and hung his body from his window on the front of the castle. A subsequent siege badly damaged the castle, including a bombardment by a French fleet.

The Cathedral was built nearby at around the same time. It fell into decline after the Reformation. 

The University has a small museum, The Wardlaw, that includes both the university and the town.

The University is Scotland's oldest and was recently rated the best in the UK, above Oxford and Cambridge. The buildings are superb, and the students were very engaged in my meeting. 

Finally, St Andrews is the home of golf. I will spare you the sad story of my past performances here, but it was a glorious evening for a game. 

Moghul: Ruler of the World

 This is the third book in Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul series. A fictional adaptation of the early Moghul rulers. The first two covered Babur and Humayun, who established, lost and recovered the empire. This book covers Akbar, often described as 'the Great Moghul', who was the first to be born in India and greatly expanded it.

Akbar was born in 1542 to Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. He became emperor at 13 after his father's death in 1556. Akbar greatly expanded the Mughal Empire through military campaigns, diplomacy, and alliances. By the end of his reign, the empire covered much of northern and central India. He introduced important reforms to taxation and government. His administration divided the empire into provinces and established a more systematic system for collecting land revenue. He was known for religious tolerance. He abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims and encouraged discussions between Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jains, and other religious groups. Rather than relying solely on conquest, Akbar formed political and marital alliances with several Rajput rulers and incorporated many Rajputs into his administration and army.

The book reflects these developments, including his religious clashes with the Muslim Ulema and the newly arrived Europeans. The debate between the Jesuits and a British seaman was entertaining! The sheer wealth collected was enormous and allowed huge buildings to be developed and maintained cohesion. The magnificent complex at Fatehpur Sikri, which served as his capital for a period.

As was often the case, the book ends with the succession, with Akbar eventually choosing his eldest son. But not before plenty of internal manoeuvring. 

Despite his clever diplomacy, he still fought many wars. He conquered Rajput states, invaded Gujarat and the Deccan, and defeated rebels in Afghanistan and Bengal. The army still used elephants as well as traditional cavalry, artillery and musketeers. The Moghul army was as colourful as it was an effective blend of the old and the new.

My 28mm Moghul elephants