Lots of Balkan interest in the wargame and military society journals this month.
The latest edition of the New Mosquito has several excellent articles on the WW1 Salonika campaign including a description of the actions involving the Derbyshire Yeomanry on the Struma front. Another on the actions of a RHA battery plus the work of the Kossovo Day Committee in the UK during WW1. The anniversary of this battle is later this month.
The lead article in this month's Slingshot covers the reign and Balkan campaigns of the Roman Emperor Decius AD249-251. He fought the Goths, fairly incompetently, including the defeat at Abrittus in AD251. He squandered the first real elite Roman cavalry army.
Arquebusier has a piece on the Olaschin campaign of 1696. Friedrich Augustus, Elector of Saxony commanding the Imperial army was defeated by the Ottomans. Another of his less than successful encounters.
Finally The Foreign Correspondent has a translation by Richard Brooks of a visit to the battlefield of Grivitza 1877. The author accompanied the Russian army on this campaign.
Bumper editions for the Balkan historian and many thanks to those authors who contributed articles to these non-commercial publications.
Showing posts with label Journals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journals. Show all posts
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Wargame Magazines
Caught up with my growing pile of wargame magazines this weekend. I hope the great choice we now have reflects a healthy and viable hobby rather than the economics of publishing. Perhaps it is both.
Wargames Illustrated has long been my favourite. Good use of photies and a good balance between historical and gaming articles. It has come in for a fair degree of criticism since being taken over by Flames of War. However, in fairness there is plenty of non FoW material in every issue.
I gave up on Miniature Wargames some years ago. It started to look very dated and tired and I found little of interest. Under new direction it has certainly improved. Not sure if they are not trying to reach too wide an audience with the computer and fantasy sections. A risk that they appeal to no one enough.
Very pleased to see Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy back with an English language version. I like the themed issue format and they have a strong historical focus that appeals to me. Strong presentation has always been a feature of this magazine.
At the risk of contradicting myself I still enjoy the Battlegames format. It may not have the presentational strength of the others but it is strong on content. Maybe I am just nostalgic about my early wargame experiences.
Not sure about Recon but I have persevered. I want to see plenty of reviews in my wargame magazines but I am not convinced that it justifies this as the main content. Some of the reviews are also a bit eclectic for my taste.
Let's also not forget the wide range of society publications. I take Slingshot, Arquebusier, Hobilar and the Foreign Correspondent to name just a few. These don't tend to be up to the presentational standard of the commercial offerings, but often have great content.
Overall, I think we are well served as historical gamers by our magazines. I hope they all flourish.
Wargames Illustrated has long been my favourite. Good use of photies and a good balance between historical and gaming articles. It has come in for a fair degree of criticism since being taken over by Flames of War. However, in fairness there is plenty of non FoW material in every issue.
I gave up on Miniature Wargames some years ago. It started to look very dated and tired and I found little of interest. Under new direction it has certainly improved. Not sure if they are not trying to reach too wide an audience with the computer and fantasy sections. A risk that they appeal to no one enough.
Very pleased to see Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy back with an English language version. I like the themed issue format and they have a strong historical focus that appeals to me. Strong presentation has always been a feature of this magazine.
At the risk of contradicting myself I still enjoy the Battlegames format. It may not have the presentational strength of the others but it is strong on content. Maybe I am just nostalgic about my early wargame experiences.
Not sure about Recon but I have persevered. I want to see plenty of reviews in my wargame magazines but I am not convinced that it justifies this as the main content. Some of the reviews are also a bit eclectic for my taste.
Let's also not forget the wide range of society publications. I take Slingshot, Arquebusier, Hobilar and the Foreign Correspondent to name just a few. These don't tend to be up to the presentational standard of the commercial offerings, but often have great content.
Overall, I think we are well served as historical gamers by our magazines. I hope they all flourish.
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Hobilar and the Longbow
Just finished reading the latest edition of Hobilar, the journal of the Lance and Longbow Society.
There is a particularly good article by Paul Reeve, Longbows and Bowmen and the End of the Medieval Army. Paul gives an overview of longbow use and sets out comparisons with the gun in terms of range, accuracy, rate of shooting and impact. He also addresses some of the fables around guns and armour such as armour made arrows useless; and it takes a lifetime to earn the bow and day to fire a musket.
His conclusion is that the decline of the longbow had more to to with other military and social factors such as the decline in the popularity of military service. It was also a matter of training given the lack of shooting drill compared with the musket's use in practice and the regularisation and integration of the later musket armies.
As always this debate will go on and I expect a response from the longbow advocates in the next edition. Thankfully only time travel will end this type of historical debate.
There is a particularly good article by Paul Reeve, Longbows and Bowmen and the End of the Medieval Army. Paul gives an overview of longbow use and sets out comparisons with the gun in terms of range, accuracy, rate of shooting and impact. He also addresses some of the fables around guns and armour such as armour made arrows useless; and it takes a lifetime to earn the bow and day to fire a musket.
His conclusion is that the decline of the longbow had more to to with other military and social factors such as the decline in the popularity of military service. It was also a matter of training given the lack of shooting drill compared with the musket's use in practice and the regularisation and integration of the later musket armies.
As always this debate will go on and I expect a response from the longbow advocates in the next edition. Thankfully only time travel will end this type of historical debate.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Wargames Recon
I received a complimentary copy of a new wargames magazine this week Wargames Recon. The economics of magazine publishing must be improving for someone else to join what looks like quite a crowded market.
My first impressions are positive. This is a glossy, well produced magazine in the modern style with plenty of eye candy to accompany solid text. There is a strong emphasis on product reviews that I always find helpful. Some quality contributors as well from this very obviously Geordie led enterprise. They include Ray and Mark from Under the Bed Enterprises. very pleasant and knowledgeable guys, so anything they are involved in is worth a second look.
So I for one will be taking out a subscription and wish the Geordies well.
My first impressions are positive. This is a glossy, well produced magazine in the modern style with plenty of eye candy to accompany solid text. There is a strong emphasis on product reviews that I always find helpful. Some quality contributors as well from this very obviously Geordie led enterprise. They include Ray and Mark from Under the Bed Enterprises. very pleasant and knowledgeable guys, so anything they are involved in is worth a second look.
So I for one will be taking out a subscription and wish the Geordies well.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Wargames Illustrated
Finished the February edition of Wargames Illustrated. There are mixed views in my club since this publication was taken over by Battlefront, the Flames of War people.
Several say it has just become a house magazine for Flames of War on the Games Workshop, White Dwarf model. Not sure I agree. Yes, there is a lot of FoW content but it is easily adaptable for other WW2 rulesets. Plus there is plenty of non FoW content as well. I particularly enjoyed the Battle of Stresow piece by the Borders Reivers Club. There is colonial, napoleonic, vietnam buildings and the usual reviews. Plenty of non FoW advertising as well.
So for the present I for one will carry on.
Several say it has just become a house magazine for Flames of War on the Games Workshop, White Dwarf model. Not sure I agree. Yes, there is a lot of FoW content but it is easily adaptable for other WW2 rulesets. Plus there is plenty of non FoW content as well. I particularly enjoyed the Battle of Stresow piece by the Borders Reivers Club. There is colonial, napoleonic, vietnam buildings and the usual reviews. Plenty of non FoW advertising as well.
So for the present I for one will carry on.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Foreign Correspondent
Just a quick plug for The Foreign Correspondent, the newsletter of the Continental Wars Society. This is something of a labour of love for the Editor Ralph Weaver, who always puts together an interesting collection of original articles and reprints on warfare in 19th Century Europe.
The latest edition (No.85) has some Balkan interest with a reprint of Captain von Herbert's 1906 study of the Bulgarian Army. To modern eyes his stereotyping of the character of a country's inhabitants is anachronistic at best. Bulgarians and Turks are apparently 'stolid', and have the "virtues of sobriety and moderation, and morality in family life; the Russian has not." This not entirely objective view might just have been influenced by a period of captivity in a Russian PoW camp!
An annual subscription is a very modest £6. Cheques to Ralph Weaver, 37 Yeading Av, Rayners Lane, Middx. HA2 9RL.
The latest edition (No.85) has some Balkan interest with a reprint of Captain von Herbert's 1906 study of the Bulgarian Army. To modern eyes his stereotyping of the character of a country's inhabitants is anachronistic at best. Bulgarians and Turks are apparently 'stolid', and have the "virtues of sobriety and moderation, and morality in family life; the Russian has not." This not entirely objective view might just have been influenced by a period of captivity in a Russian PoW camp!
An annual subscription is a very modest £6. Cheques to Ralph Weaver, 37 Yeading Av, Rayners Lane, Middx. HA2 9RL.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Slingshot - Battle of Pydna
The latest edition of Slingshot, the journal of the Society of Ancients has been my current reading . Rarely a light read, but it does provide a nice balance between scholarly articles on ancient history, practical tips for wargamers and those essential reviews.
Issue 267 has Balkan interest with a detailed article on the Battle of Pydna, fought between Rome and Macedon in 168BC. The article takes the reader carefully through the sources on each aspect of the battle and follows that with the author's (Richard Taylor) interpretation. Plus a helpful section on wargaming the battle. An excellent read and inspiration to dust down my Macedonian and Republican Roman armies.
Issue 267 has Balkan interest with a detailed article on the Battle of Pydna, fought between Rome and Macedon in 168BC. The article takes the reader carefully through the sources on each aspect of the battle and follows that with the author's (Richard Taylor) interpretation. Plus a helpful section on wargaming the battle. An excellent read and inspiration to dust down my Macedonian and Republican Roman armies.
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