1632

I've just finished Eric Flint's novel 1632, something I'd put off for years. I have a love-hate relationship with alt-history fiction. When it's really good I enjoy it a great deal. When it's bad, it makes me crazy. To avoid being driven crazy by what might be bad alt-history set in one of my favorite historical periods, I've studiously avoided this series for quite a long time.

This is not bad alt-history.

First, from a historical perspective, Flint knows his history. The period is depicted very well. There's decided bias toward certain factions in the Thirty Years War but it's a bias that I happen to agree (rather strongly) with, so it didn't bother me. It is also rather strongly pro-American common man (and woman), an attitude that might not be terribly popular in a lot of circles these days given the recent election.

More Books

This weekend's haul from Half-Price Books. The one clipped off in the upper right is Chandler's The Military Maxims of Napoleon. I'm most interested/excited though in the book in the center, Conserving the Enlightenment, a scholarly work on the early French engineering corps.

The book on Marlborough is a little light, but it has some nice maps and seemed like something I could give someone as an introduction.

Pike & Shot Reading List I

My recent posts on the Early Modern era and associated games have lead to some requests for book titles on the period. Since I've read pretty extensively on the subject recently, I have a pretty good list. Recognizing that not everyone wants to dive into this the way I have, I've pulled together what I think are some good introductory titles.

The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough

Currently reading. I'm developing a real fascination with the period of warfare ranging from about the end of the English Civil War through the Seven Years War, and the accompanying period of history.

I grabbed a used hardback, but for those interested in an electronic copy, there are several resources available.

For an excellent breakdown of one of the more famous battles during the period, Obscure Battles does their usual great job.

The Renaissance Art of War

My current obsession is warfare during the Renaissance, specifically the 16th and 17th centuries. In particular I've been focused lately on the Italian Wars, though I've also been gaming some of the English-Scots battles and some of the fights in France during the first half of the 16th century.

The French arrive to relieve the siege of St. Quentin

Vorwärts meine kinder!

I've been bitten by a Napoleonic bug. Recent posts by JC and Chris prompted me to take a more serious look at this era than I have for several years.

16e Division of the V Corps defending the village of Ludwigsdorf during the action at Lowenberg. My defense has smashed a Prussian cavalry brigade and is preparing for the attack of a Prussian infantry brigade.

Reading to Go With Combat Mission: Red Thunder

As I often do with new games, I went searching for books that were pertinent to Combat Mission: Red Thunder. I was, first, interested in a good overview of the operation. The first book I found is relatively short and probably mostly of interest if you're very into an analysis of late-period WWII Soviet offensive doctrine.