This time last year I visited Paris properly for the first time staying 4 nights in two different hotels one some distance from the Defense an Ibis which was fine if a little off the tourist trail but it was not far from where my cousin lives so served its purpose, the other I booked through the tourist office and was not far from the Bastille and was better suited to me needs as it had a decent restaurant nearby. This time I had booked the Ibis at Place d’Italie this I had done whilst in Granville at the Ibis next to the marina with the help of the receptionist who found me the reduced offer of 8o euro per night, to which I added another night on at 130! I had hoped to stay an extra night as I found out the first reasonable timed boat back to Jersey was on the  following Friday, I also had no great wish to swap hotels just for a night. With my schedule being open I was wondering if I was going to extend my stay and thought it best to make sure I had adequated funds in my current account so I decided to look for a possible Barclays, the one in my dated guidebook was no longer there, and I did find one by the Champs-Élysées but this was an investment bank and I was unable to access my account, there are numerous Barclays in Paris I presume they are all for those wanting to put their money into offshore accounts in Jersey! I did try on the phone but the number I was given in Jersey was not the right one and after being passed on, cut off, or given someone with very little understanding of the situation I gave up, and then I discovered I had the right number in my wallet and the issue was solved in 1o minutes, a similar thing happened last year so I will be prepared next time.

The hotel was clean tidy and the staff were friendly and helpful, the first few nights were noisy with weekend idiots going off their heads in the middle of the night and police whistles and horns echoing around, this was a little surprising as my room looked out onto a courtyard that was only semi open on one side to the street. The good thing was I not far from the metro with three lines passing through and only four or so stops from Mont Parnesse station where I had arrived and where I would depart from. I purchased a five day metro pass for 44 euro I think, which also covers you for some of the buses but I did not use one this time. Restarunt wise I chose to eat in an tidy place done out with old wood shelfs and old bits and pieces this was off the main round about, the third noght I got the metro down a few stops towards the river but this although cheaper was not as good a quality, and on the last night I ate at a place across from the metro which I had bypassed the previous nights, this was to turn out to be best place all round with a friendly waiter who spoke good English. On my penultimate day I also discovered the shopping mall across the other side of the road which had just about everything one needed including a supermarket.

I paid my first visit to Arc de Triomphe which had christmas stalls all along the Champs-Élysées leading up to it after seeing a few I took to the pavement out of the way, it certainly is an impressive area and the arch itself is a wonderful bit of Napolenic extravagence that is to be seen so much over Paris, with rememberance day only a few days past all the war monuments that I was to see on my travels were well decorated with flags and flowers and dedications to all those involved who suffered with their loss of life.  There was also plenty of extravagence on show in the shop windows with many of the major brands showing off their goods. Inside the arch the names who served the Revolution and Empire, those that died are underlined.

There were a couple of demonstrations on the weekend I was there the first one was against gay couples being allowed to adopt, and this appeared to entail the whole family children included going on a march, I did not see it but saw hundreds of people on the metro or waiting to get on. the Other I was fairly close to and saw all the police getting prepared, this was the Arabs protesting about the conflict in Palestine, this I could hear from Mont Parnesse and it sounded a heated affair I was tempted to go and see, in the end I was pleased I did not, the sirens went on for most of the night so not sue exactly went on, by what is on you tube it looked a tame affair.

Published by Gallery Books, 27 November 2012

Blurb

Chance led to Charlotte Raven’s transformation from chimney sweep to wealthy, educated noblewoman, but she still walks a delicate tightrope between two worlds, unable to turn her back on the ruthless crime lord who was once her childhood protector.
When Lord Edward Durnham is tapped to solve the mystery of England’s rapidly disappearing gold, his search leads him to the stews of London, and Charlotte becomes his intriguing guide to the city’s dark, forbidding underworld. But as her involvement brings Charlotte to the attention of men who have no qualms about who they hurt, and as Edward forges a grudging alliance with the dangerous ghosts of Charlotte’s former life, she faces a choice: to continue living in limbo, or to close the door on the past and risk her heart and her happiness on an unpredictable future.

Heat Level 1 Mystery/Romance

Regency/Napoleonic

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 STARS

Review by Caz

I thoroughly enjoyed this book – although it eventually missed out on getting a 5 star rating, of which more later.

The heroine, Charlotte Raven is an unusual one in that she was once a street urchin and has retained her links to London’s underworld, mainly through her friendship with Luke Bracken, who has risen through the ranks of the criminal fraternity to become what we might now term a gangland boss. Although she is well aware of the restrictions that come with her position as a young, unmarried woman, she is nonetheless very direct in her manner and is not afraid to come forward with information that could help others while possibly endangering her own position in society. I liked that she was fairly straightforward with Edward, too – there is no Big Misunderstanding between them in order to drive the story – she is honest about her attraction to him, even though she is wary of acting upon it.

Her relationship with Luke is very well drawn. They share a bond that neither is willing or able to break, even though Charlotte makes it clear several times that she loves him like a brother, Luke can’t help torturing himself with his desire that she will return to him and love him in a romantic way. Their relationship is dysfunctional, messy and not good for either of them, but there is a real depth to its portrayal that makes it quite compelling to read.

Edward, the romantic hero is less well fleshed out, I felt. He’s all a reader would expect in such a character – handsome, titled, rich and clever – but I never really felt like I got to know him. That said, he and Charlotte make an attractive couple, and the parts of the book where they are working together have a real undercurrent of sexual tension. But this is part of the reason for the 4.5 stars instead of 5 – and why I hope that perhaps we will encounter Edward and Charlotte in a future novel – the ending of the novel is rather inconclusive. On one level, that works very well as we are shown Charlotte, finally free of her demons and realising that she can now be her own person in a position to make her own decisions. On another, it’s a little frustrating that we don’t get at least a glimpse of the hero and heroine together at the end of the book. Looking at it in a positive light however, I suppose that gives the reader the chance to draw their own conclusions and it certainly makes Charlotte into a stronger person.

In her author’s note, Michelle Diener points out that her inspiration for the plot of the novel is drawn from the real-life attempt by Napoleon Bonaparte to destabilise the British establishment by undermining its financial system, thereby bringing about revolution and chaos. The story in the book centres around the gradual realisation on the part of Charlotte and Edward of the attempt, by a small group of so-called gentlemen to enrich themselves by smuggling gold out of England and into the hands of the French government.

This was a real page turner for me, one of those books I was eager to pick up during every spare moment I had. The thriller element was very well done indeed, and kept me guessing as to the identities of the conspirators right up until the reveal; and Charlotte’s progression from someone who feels she belonges nowhere to a woman who finally knows who she is, was extremely engaging.

With thanks to Gallery Books and Edelweiss for the review copy.

About me

I’m a musician, teacher and mother of two girls and have always been an avid reader. I was introduced to the novels of Jean Plaidy at the age of eleven and have never looked back! I love good, meaty, well-researched historical fiction – whether it’s about real figures (Sharon Penman) or fictional ones (Dorothy Dunnett), but I’m a sucker for a well-written historical romance, too.

This is easily my favourite book of this series, perhaps before or after Temeraire. It’s way better and more exciting than either “Throne of Jade” or “Black Powder War”. I believe it is because of the time limit: both “Throne of Jade” and “Black Powder War” had things that were necessary to accomplish, but it wasn’t so urgent as it was in this one. Also, since failure would result in death of everyone and not merely the loss of a war….which is kinda more motivating. The composition in this book is also better – it feels more complete as a book than ToJ or BPW did, as they sometimes felt like they were two stories combined in one book.

…seriously, what kind of ending is that? I don’t even know if I want to cry or be angry at the author. I NEED to get my hands on the last books to see how they can manage to work their way out of this mess and still be somewhat happy with the outcome (although I’ve spoiled for myself by accidently reading on wiki…the internet is dangerous indeed). I was seconds from rushing to my library when I finished it Saturday evening, and felt surprisingly idle once I tried to do anything else, as if I only wasted time. I feel like I’m rubbing this into your faces, but my un-knowledge of the Napoleonic wars has turned to my favour since I have no idea how the ending will be – sadly enough, I don’t even know if the French or Britain won. Haha, ignorance at it’s best?

I can’t make up my mind if I should love or dislike the ending. I honestly felt severely upset by it. Not because it wasn’t right, but because it was hard for both Laurence and Temeraire, and sort of  a taboo. I don’t think I’ve felt for Laurence ever as I did then, the decision really shows his and his dragons character somehow. It’s so nice to finally be able to meet Lily and Maximus again, even if I don’t understand Harcourt any more.

Also, I’ve found a new and way more intriguing/cryptic way of telling people of pregancy (though it sadly doesn’t translate comprehensibly).

I must apologize for the utterly boring reviews I’ve written lately, it’s really hard to write about the same author four times and still come up with something new to say each time.

Published by Carina Press, 5 November 2012

Blurb

Northumberland, 1815

At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.

Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he’s back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…

Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in name only. But winning his wife’s love may be the greatest battle he’s faced yet.

RHL Classifications

 Historical Romance

Heat Level 2

Napoleonic Era

REVIEW RATING: 5 STARS/ Top Pick

Review by Caz

This is easily one of the best historical romances I’ve read. The story of a marriage of convenience is not an unusual one in the genre, but what I really liked about this one was the fact that at least a third of the book is taken up with showing us what life is like for the protagonists after they have made a go of their marriage and admitted their love for one another. In many books, that’s more or less the end of the story, but not here.

The characterisation in the novel is excellent. Jack and Elizabeth come across as real people with real flaws, and their marriage, while eventually very happy, has its ups and downs, and they regularly tease each other about their annoying habits. Jack is a soldier through-and-through, having joined the army at sixteen and spent most of his life away from England in the US and mostly, Canada. The historical detail is well-researched in the sections which describe some of the actions in which he was involved, and I especially liked the way that the author showed us exactly what it meant – to Jack – to be a military man. There’s a moment in the last section of the book where he is recalled to active service where he says that at last, he feels like a whole man again; which is no reflection on his wife or his marriage, but it tells us so clearly how he defines himself. That is not to say that he is dissatisfied with the live he has with Elizabeth, and to her credit, she understands that; it’s just who he is.

Elizabeth is strong and capable; in her husband’s long absence, she learns to manage his home and farm and is making a place for herself in the rather limited local society until a malicious neighbour informs her rather gleefully of Jack’s activities over in Canada, and from that point, Elizabeth becomes reclusive, unwilling to subject herself to the scorn and pity of others.

I have to point out here that Jack is unfaithful to Elizabeth in the early days of their hasty marriage. I know that for some people adultery in a romance is a big no-no, and no matter how good the book is, they won’t want to read it. If that’s the case, then this might not be the book for you. But what happens happens “off-screen”, as it were, and while it’s not something one might wish to condone or excuse, I think the reader has to bear in mind that at the period at which the novel is set (and even today) even the best of husbands were not always faithful. Jack does have reasons for his behaviour – even though they can’t excuse it.

So the first part of the book details how Jack and Elizabeth eventually reconcile and fall in love, and it’s quite beautifully done, especially in the early stages, when Elizabeth is beginning to fall for the man writing her such charming letters. But when he returns, she doesn’t hold back her anger when telling him how much he has hurt her; this is another thing I liked very much in the book – this couple communicates verbally as well as sexually and their marriage is very much an equal partnership.

Naturally, things cannot remain as settled as they are, and as soon as Jack hears news of Napoleon’s escape from Elba, he is anxious for a new army posting. Elizabeth doesn’t understand his thirst for action, but she accompanies him to Brussels, where they wait and join the social whirl that is the calm before the storm of Waterloo.

But there is one more crisis to be faced when on the eve of the battle Elizabeth receives some information that could separate her and Jack forever.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. The writing and characterisation are both excellent, and the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth is beautifully drawn. They are warm, fallible and somehow ordinary in a way that characters in novels often are not, so I mean that as a huge compliment!

I loved it, and am definitely looking forward to reading more work by this author.

With thanks to Carina Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

Contents of the box:

With the box set you get a total of 48 minis.
There are 42 plastic soldiers spread out over seven sprues, each containing six different minis. Also included is a six-mini command sprue. They all come with separate heads and backpacks. Each sprue comes with enough heads to equip all men with either the early helmet, later shako or Landwehr Korsenhut (with the exception of the officer where you a bicorne instead of the Korsenhut). The backpacks are all cast with the swords and ammo pouch hanging down from them. All uniforms are the German variety.

Likes and dislikes here… The command sprue contains an officer, two NCOs, a standard-bearer, a drummer and a sapper. The later is really great, since this is one of the minis you usually do not see in a plastic set. The ratio of standard and NCOs came as a surprise to me though. If you are building one battalion from this box, then this is fine. If you are building more than one (either because your rules require less minis or you are depicting a unit that fought under-strength), you will have to get more command minis. But to be fair… this is a battalion box, so they never intended people to build two battalions with it and you can get separate plastic command sprues from the Perrys. What really confused me though is the lack of Grenadier heads! There would have been enough room on the sprue and they would not have any difference in uniform and equipment could have been solved with a hobby knife. So this is a chance missed in my opinion.

Perry Plastic Austrian Command sprue

Perry Plastic Austrian infantry sprue

Also included in the box are the usual bases and a two-sided A5 sheet with historic uniform information (facing colours and button colours for the German infantry regiments) and two flags, the regimental and Ordinar flags. Since the sheet is printed on heavy and glossy paper one would need to photocopy the flags for use as usual. The flags are quiet nice, only the shadows are a bit strong for my taste. The quality is good enough that one does not need to use aftermarket flags.

Perry Plastic Austrian Info Leaflet
[front and back]

Perry Plastic Austrian Info Leaflet
[inside]

Price (as in November 2012):

This box set retails for 18 GB£, which equals 0,38 GB£ per mini and also includes bases. By comparison the Victrix sets (a review of them can be found here by the way) cost 0,39 GB£ per mini (and include mounted officers) or in other words… virtually the same . So both Perry and Victrix are the cheapest option for Austrians on the market. And they are cheaper than metals as well. For example Front Rank are 1,15 GB£ per mini (or 1,08 GB£ if part of a Battalion pack) and Foundry are 1,50 GB£ per mini.

Detail:

The detail is good and as crisp as usual with the Perry plastics, but not quiet up to the level of metal minis. The undercuts are minimal. There are no mould misalignments, and the casting quality is back to superb again (not the strong mouldlines, sinkholes and flesh I got with their plastic Russians). Especially this made me really happy here!

Compatibility:

So now it comes to one of te most interesting part… how do they compare to other manufacturers?

I had both Front Rank and Victrix Austrians here and also used a Foundry Russian to compare them to.

The style of sculpting is vastly similar with Victrix and Foundry. You can see a difference in style when compared to Front Rank though.

When you compare them to the Front Rank minis, you will also find, that the Front Rank minis are taller and have a much stronger heft. I honestly would not mix these inside a unit unless you want the looks of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Front Rank) in a Kindergarten (Perry).

The Perry’s are taller than Foundry minis (please bear in mind, that I only had Russians to compare them to). This is enhanced by the fact that the Perry´s have thicker bases. The heft is comparable, but the Perrys look leaner. The Perry muskets are longer and thinner as well. In the end one could mix them inside a unit, if you slip a piece of card under the Foundry minis, but they do look different enough that I would advice against it.
[Edit: Just to clarify, I used a foundry Russian for comparison purposes since I had none of their Austrians. Please also see the comments below for input on how the Foundry Austrians size up!]

The closest match are Victrix and Perry. The Perrys are a little taller, but well within the normal variation in a population. Since the legs on the Victrix minis are not spread as wide, their coats appear longer, but I would say that this will not stand out once painted. The muskets on the Perrys are a tiny bit longer and thicker, but otherwise the equipment is the same size. Bottom line… they are a perfect match.

Perry Plastic Austrian size comparison
[Left to right: Front Rank, Perry, Victrix, Foundry (from their Napoleonic Russian range)]

Conclusion:

Again the Perry offer all one can ask for. They are the cheapest plastic Austrians around (together with Victrix), the detail and animation are good and the castings are generally crisp. If you want to build a big Austrian army on a budged, they are a perfect choice, especially since they mix well with the other budged offering out there. So my bottom line is… they are really recommended!

https://befreiungskriege.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/and-the-votes-are-in/

He is planning a small limited edition set of French minis sculped by no other then Peter at Calpe. So make sure you check it out!

Now as the kind reader of this blog knows since my picture report from last year, this year was the first year for Crisis to move to Hangar 29. It was a huge improvement over the old Metropolis. The light was far better and so was the air due to the much higher ceilings. So if you were kept from attending Crisis due to the stories of bad light and air over the last few years, you should definitely give it a go. Honestly… there is no reason why you should not give it a go if you live in western Europe or the South of the UK actually. The other positive thing was… there was much more space now than ever before, especially with much bigger aisles. And virtually all the traders had more space as well, which meant more table space to show the off good stuff. Oh and if you still remember the venue from before Metropolis (I do… does this mean I am getting old), Crisis has gone light-years from that!

But enough of that… on to the photos (which are all linked to bigger versions). I will do my best to describe what can be seen and which club hosted the game. If you find that I mislabeled your game, please feel free to contact me!

Oh and all the people on the photos are just there for size reference. So please do not complain if you can be seen on a picture!

First up is an aerial photos of the first hall (yes there as a second one about as big):

The French adventure in Mexico:

28mm Napoleonics (Stipsicz Hussars):

Zulu (South London Warlord):

DUX Britanicum (Too Fat Lardies):

28mm Medieval:

Cholet 1793, 15mm Napoleonics:

I assume this was Dutch East Indies in 15mm:

Battlegroup Kursk Demo, 15mm WWII:

Fireforge Games Demo, 28mm Medieval:

Stronghold Terrain showpiece 28mm:

15mm WWII Pacific:

Malifaux, “Soulstone Rush in Bayou City”, 28mm (Murphy’s Heros):

28mm Lord of the Ring demo piece (if I remember correctly, this was from someone building custom terrain):

Beneath the Lilly Banners, 28mm (League of Augsburg / Barry Hilton):

Sorry, I did not see you around Barry!

Fictional AWI encounter, 28mm (Wargames Soldiers and Strategy Magazine):

Fall Gelb, 15mm WWII and a real eye candy:

Monte Casino Campaign, 15mm WWII / FOW:

The Siege of Troy, 28mm:

20mm WWI (Crush the Kaiser):

20mm Cold War:

Freebooters Fate Demo, 28mm:

15mm Napoleonic Peninsular (De Alde Garde):

28mm War of the Roses:

28mm WWII Pacific, Bolt Action rules (and they made a hell of a lot of noise rolling the dice in a mess tin):

28mm Napoleonics:

20mm WWII, Pegasus Bridge:

Red Star Miniatures Demo table, 28mm Cold War (Belgians and British vs. Soviets):

18mm Fantasy (THS):

]]> http://thearmchairgeneral.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/the-battle-for-wendeburg/ Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:38:00 +0000 T.A.G. http://thearmchairgeneral.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/the-battle-for-wendeburg/ The eleventh and final battle of our 1813 campaign has taken place after the players had manoeuvred themselves on the campaign map to the village of Wendeburg which is a few miles north-west of Braunschweig (Brunswick in English). The opposing cavalry screens had been contesting each other for some time and the superior numbers of the Austrian commander a strong advantage in information about the forces he would be battling.

He deployed in Wendeburg, which was to have been the rendezvous point for the Austrians and their Russian allies but the French 2nd Corps, comprising French and Bavarian troops, arrived at the village before the rendezvous was made. The Austrian commander, uncertain when or if his Russian ally would arrive, decided upon an aggressive posture and attacked the French infantry division that was leading the Imperial attack. These two forces battled each other relentlessly throughout the day in a see-saw series of actions.

Meanwhile the Bavarian division deployed and set about supporting their French comrades by outflanking the Austrian advance. The division was itself supported by French line cavalry. This attack was initially countered by a regiment (two battalions) of Chevaulegers and a brigade of Hungarians.

However, the arrival of the Russian division on the Imperial left flank completely surprised the French commander, who was forced to issue some hasty orders to ensure that he himself was not outflanked and caught between two powerful formations. He did this with aplomb and successfully pegged the Russians behind the river Oker with a combination of cavalry and artillery.

Meanwhile the Austrians’ larger units were proving to be the determining factor in the outcome of the fierce and attritional hand-to-hand combat on the French right. Gradually, the Austrian ground down French units until the leading French brigade broke, exposing the French position to further assaults by Austrians infantry and cavalry. At this point the French commander accepted that a withdrawal was the only realistic option open to him and, after 12 hours of wargaming, the battle concluded.

This was a game fought between well matched forces, in which both commanders played and executed excellent strategies excellently. The game was therefore a fitting and enjoyable end to the campaign.

Next Post: Campaign Thoughts

T.A.G.

Napoleonic Code: Software & Internet Hosting Services 28×42 Giclee on Canvas

Product Description

Napoleonic Code: Software & Internet Hosting Services 28×42 Giclee on Canvas

Napoleonic Code: Software & Internet Hosting Services 28×42 Giclee on Canvas Feature

The battle resumed with the Poles being across the river on the Prussian right but with the Young Guard not across the river on the left. The Prussian commander decided to concentrate his main strength against the Poles and Saxons, choosing to counter the threat posed by the Young Guard with the combined fire of two artillery batteries.

The battle on the right flank was attritional, being mainly limited to counter-battery fire though the Young Guard infantry did suffer some casualties. Progress on this side of the battle was slow as the French commander sought to manoeuvre his way out of the Prussian batteries’ fields of fire.

The battle on the left flank was bloody, with neither side willingly conceding ground, position or casualties. The Poles pressed forward, slowly but surely pushing the Prussians out of the village and using superior numbers to always have the advantage in melee or fire fights. The Prussian commander fought an excellent strategy but was never able to achieve local superiority. Gradually, weight of numbers told and the Prussian force began to dwindle.

During the game the Prussian commander-in-chief arrived and, assessing the situation, concluded that the position was hopeless and sought to negotiate terms.

The resulting French victory effectively ended operations in the northern campaign sector. The outcome of the campaign will now depend on the campaign’s final battle, which will be fought in the southern campaign sector. The players are already gearing up for this last showdown…

Next Post: Wendeburg (Final Campaign Battle)

T.A.G.

The sudden popularity in the 1990s of Patrick O’Brian’s sea stories set in the Napoleonic wars quickly spawned a whole cottage industry of nonfiction books to provide context and technical explanation for readers who were a little shaky on the difference between a marlinspike and a dolphin-striker. And if the book was heavily illustrated, all the better. Ireland has been writing in this field for a long time, including a lengthy relationship with Jane’s (the publisher), and this is one of the better entries in the post-O’Brian competition that I’ve seen.

While there are charts to lay out the divisions of the seaman’s working day, and the organization of the crew, and standing rigging vs. running rigging, and so on, the author is more concerned with the growth of the Royal Navy — and of its rivals, especially the navies of France and the U.S. — and with the histories of specific warships, as opposed to classes or types. He defines the “age of sail” here as 1760 to 1820 (basically the reign of George III), when the navy was almost continually at war and technological innovation was nearly continuous. There are chapters on the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, Britain’s wars against the French Republic and Napoleon, and what is referred to in the U.S. as the War of 1812 (but which was largely a sideshow from the British point of view). His narrative is often technical in focus, which will delight and absorb some readers and probably bore others, and there are a great many reproductions of marine paintings and engravings and editorial cartoons from the newspapers, as well as detailed airbrush renderings of ships. There also are numerous summary biographies of important naval figures scattered in sidebars throughout.

While this wouldn’t be the first book I would recommend on the subject — that would be one of the works of Brian Lavery or Nicholas Blake — it’s still well worth the reading. The only things I can criticize, in fact, is the lack of a glossary of terminology and the complete absence of maps.

On the left, the Prussian defensive line started to buckle under sustained pressure from the French assault whilst the Austrians began to divert French attention and resources away from their Prussian ally. Gradually, the French, now reinforced by a further division of infantry from the Reserve pegged the Austrians in the village and began to push the Prussians back. There was no sudden breakthrough and, whilst the Prussians were giving ground, it was gradual and their reserves were close at hand. Likewise the Austrians were pegged but not really being pushed back.

On the right, the Austrians continued to press the Poles and Saxons and, ultimately smashed the defence, though the combat was hard and the eventual outcome hung in the balance for a number of moves. The Russians took advantage of the Austrian presence to cross the bridge, thereby claiming the first of the three Coalition objectives and began to threaten one of the two roads to Leipzig (which were the Coalition’s second and third objectives). The French brought up the Young Guard Division, which included the elite Vistula Legion brigade, and a brigade of dragoons to counter the threat of being outflanked. The dragoons attempted three charges to delay the Austro-Russian advance but each was thwarted by a roll of double six (very long odds against this happening but when its not your day, its not your day) and the brigade fell back in disarray.

The game ended inconclusively though it was accepted that the Coalition had the upper hand and that the French would likely execute a tactical withdrawal.

This was a good gathering and a rare opportunity to fight a very large Napleonic wargame over more than just a single day. Next year, the aim is to have a similar event, perhaps based on Russia in 1812.

Next post – Campaign Battle 10: Second Winsen (Luhe)

T.A.G.

Temeraire. Also published as His Majesty’s Dragon.

Temeraire by Naomi Novik is the first book in an ongoing series of seven books so far. The eighth book is on its way and the author has planned to end the story after nine books. It is set in a world very like our own; the only great difference is that dragons are a natural part of that world. The story takes place during the Napoleonic wars and begins at sea where the captain Will Laurence boards a French ship. On board he finds a dragon egg and the dragon within becomes the cause of many problems and much happiness. The story is 332 pages. The appendix is another 8 pages.

This dragon has absolutely nothing to do with the dragons in the series, I just drew it for fun a couple of days ago and wanted more pictures in my post

The book is written in a simple style which flows naturally and is easy to read. There are also no long inner monologues or philosophical reflections and this allows the plot to move forwards smoothly at a brisk walk.

The story has a good mix of calm and action. In the calm scenes the world and characters are shown in more detail and greater empathy is established with the reader. In the action scenes, great turns of the plot take place often with grand battles in the sky between the raging dragons.

The appendix, although not part of the story, is interesting to read. It explains in some measure how dragons came to be as they are in this world and also gives a small discussion of dragons’ weight.

The best thing about the book is the relationship between the captain, Will Laurence, and the dragon, Temeraire, which is both touching and interesting. It develops into a very strong bond that sometimes resembles the bond between a child and its parent, and it is not easy to tell if Laurance is the parent or the child.

All in all, Temeraire is both an entertaining and enjoyable read which is fast paced enough to keep most readers hooked throughout the story.

Throne of Jade. Number two in the series.

Tags: Friendship, dragons, war, social norms

This would be a good read for: Children and parents, people who like dragons, people who like a quick paced plot, people interested in altered history

This would not be a good read for: People who prefer long descriptions and lots of detail, people who prefer realistic novels, people who do not like series

Suggested further reading: The rest of the series. Number two is called Throne of Jade.

I’ll admit from the beginning that, despite this being the 13th Kydd novel, it is only the second that I’ve read, though I now realise that they are actually quite readable as standalone novels if the reader wishes.

I’ve recently been heavily devoted to reading ancient through medieval fiction, but I opened ‘Betrayal’ with enthusiasm. It has been a long time since I read Napoleonic era novels, but I was, to some extent, weaned on Forrester, Dudley Pope, and Alexander Kent. Having now read two of the Kydd novels I have confirmed for myself that Stockwin’s protagonist is easily the match for Bolitho, Hornblower or Ramage.

I won’t go too much into the specific plot of the book, as usual, to avoid spoilers, but the action begins in Africa, around Cape Town and with a magnificent opening chapter that evokes all the mystery and dangers of darkest Africa, the dangers of the French enemy, and the ingenuity and sheer daring of Kydd and his men. It also nicely introduces (or reintroduces) the main characters for those of us who have had time out from the series. Looking at a long period of excruciating boredom (and more importantly reduced chance of glory or advancement) patrolling the secure cape, Kydd’s commander, Popham, sets off on an unauthorized, outrageous and downright dangerous plan to try and subvert Spanish control of South America. Kydd, somewhat reluctantly agrees to join and is dragged into a little known action in history of which I had never even previously heard (thanks, Mr Stockwin, as I learned something new and particulary fascinating here.)

The action picks up very quickly and then sails along (pun intended) throughout the book. Checking the dust jacket I read of Stockwin’s history in the navy and realised whence one of the two things that impressed me most came. The author’s clearly first-hand and near-encyclopedic knowledge of all things ships and sailing combined with his obvious love of the period show through at every moment in the book without fail, bringing a depth of detail that adds to the read rather than stalling it. The other thing that impressed me most, even above the level of research that clearly went in, was the authentic feel just to the social aspect of the story. The speech is at once familiar and easy to read, and yet seems true to period and deeply atmospheric. The interaction between characters, particularly those of different classes or nationalities is wonderful.

But as in many good long-running series, one other thing worth mentioning is the clear growth of the characters and the ties that bind them together. As I said, I’ve only read one other Kydd novel before, and that was around six books ago. The result is that I could easily see how much Kydd has grown and changed over the books, while retainging those parts that make him the character people loved from the start. In addition the bond between he and Renzi is a joy to read.

In all, this was an excellent read as a standalone, so I can imagine that series devotees will love it. Stockwin stands up there with the best of Napoleonic and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Well done, Julian. Now I must go back and fill in the blanks.

All is not lost on the historical front, though. I’m going to take my time and continue to build up my WWII and Napoleonic figures. Here’s proof-I’ve started learning how to paint horse flesh.

I’ve only finished the basic horse’s coat here, but I’ve been using a series of washes and thinned paint, which is proving to be a really fun way to paint. I’ve got to work on blending colors together, but this horse looks pretty darn good at table distances. Not that you can tell from this zoomed in photo. I’m looking forward to mastering the technique, in any case.

The Prussians, seeing a large number of French battalions coming forward and knowing that these were supported by a similar number of battalions in the reserve line, took up a defensive position between a wood and a village.

The Russians advanced steadily and crossed the river by the lesser bridge enabling them to attempt to capture the major bridge from both ends at once. The Polish artillery maintained a steady fire on the leading units until the melees began.

The Austrian commander elected to split his force, sending some formations to support the Prussians and others to support the Russians. On the Coalition right, this relieved a lot of the pressure on the Prussians by causing the French to divert units to counter the Austrian presence.

Likewise, on the Coalition left, the Austrian move towards the key village meant that the Polish brigade was now outnumbered and fighting two potent enemies. It also meant that the Saxons, deployed across the river, on the extreme right of the Imperial line, were also outnumbered and more or less unsupported. Russian artillery fire inflicted heavy casualties on the units of the Saxon brigade, so that when the Russian infantry closed and charged, it quickly broke and retired.

The Poles fought valiantly against superior numbers of Russians and Austrians and, as the two sides closed and melees began, gave as good as they got. However, attrition began to tell and the Poles were forced to give ground.

The Prussian deployment was very compressed and this, coupled with the presence of Austrian cavalry, meant that neither side was able to manoeuvre effectively or gain a clear advantage. The combat rapidly became a battle of attrition as fire fights and melees raged.

The last move was completed at about 8:30pm and as, the players headed to a nearby pub, the game was delicately balanced with the French having a slight edge against the Austro-Prussians on the right but the Austro-Russians having the upper hand against the Poles and Saxons on the left. Everyone was eagerly anticipating day 2…

Next post – Day 2 Combat

T.A.G.

RHFL Classification:

Heat Level 2
Historical Romance/Mystery

Regency/Napoleonic

REVIEW RATING: 4 STARS

Blurb

Lady Jessica “Jessie” Carville gave up on up men six years ago, after being deserted by Lord Hugo Duran, the man she loved beyond all reason. She has carried on with her life and . . . shockingly . . . with her career. Although most of Society frowns upon a woman in business, Lady Jessica is a natural at collecting and selling antiques. She’s put the past behind her until one night at an auction, when Duran shows up. He’s back in England, and he has plans that involve her. Can she resist what he has in mind? Duran, though willful and mysterious, is a gentleman—when it suits him. Yet he left his lover without so much a note saying why. Now he’s on a mission filled with danger. If he doesn’t succeed, he will die. Can he convince Jessica to help him without endangering her as well?

Review by Caz

I do have a few quibbles about this book, but overall, I enjoyed the story. The mixture of treasure hunt and romance was well balanced and the characterisation was solid.

Hugo Duran and Jessica Carville are a well-matched couple, even though neither of then come across as particuarly pleasant people to start with. He’s a chancer who abandoned Jessica without a word of explanation and she is rather self-absorbed (to the extent that she’s blind to her sister’s unhappiness). They had been lovers for a short time before the story starts, but he left without explanation, so naturally, she’s not especially keen to have anything more to do with him. Jessica is independent and strong-willed, the black sheep of her family – her brother is a stuffed-shirt and her sister is dutifully and unhappily married to a man who beats her. She ran headlong into her affair with Hugo, and in the six years since he left, built herself a reputation as an expert in antiquities, and when we first meet her, is masterminding an exhibition and sale of artefacts at Christie’s.

Hugo returns unexpectedly from India (where he has lived most of his life) and hopes to enlist Jessica’s help in searching for the Golden Leopard, which has been stolen from an Indian potentate, and which he tells her he has to find or forfeit his life. What he doesn’t tell her is that whether he finds it or not, he is to die anyway, at the hand of his constant shadow, Shivaji or the band of silent, invisible “Others”, who have been dispatched to watch his every move. Personally, I found this part of the story to be the most readable and convincing; how Hugo secures Jessica’s help, her disbelief and mistrust, their eventual success – and especially, in the last quarter of the book, Hugo’s escape and their reunion.

The quibbles I have are largely due to the development of the romantic part of the story – or more specifically to the way their sexual relationship is renewed. Jessica doesn’t trust Hugo for most of the story and yet she falls into bed with him at almost the first opportunity. I imagine we’re supposed to think they’re picking up where they left off six years previously, but the sex scenes add little or nothing to the story and feel as if they’ve just been tacked on for titilation (!) It’s difficult enough to believe that a well-bred young woman of the 1820s would have fallen into bed with a man – no matter how gorgeous or charismatic (and Hugo is both!) – at the drop of a hat; and I found it just as difficult to believe Jessica would want to resume it so quickly. The romantic part of their relationship worked much better as we see them both come to realise and admit how much they care for each other. There are times I wanted to smack Hugo around the head though, because he deceives Jessica on several occaions (or lies by omission) because he believes it’s best for her. And of course, his final deception is because he wants to keep her alive, so while what he does is rather underhanded, his motives are of the best.

Those caveats apart however, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a dash of romance in with their mystery (or vice-versa).

Thanks to NetGalley and Bell Bridge Books for the review copy. This title was originally published in 2002, so this is a review of the recent re-issue for Kindle.

About me

I’m a musician, teacher and mother of two girls and have always been an avid reader. I was introduced to the novels of Jean Plaidy at the age of eleven and have never looked back! I love good, meaty, well-researched historical fiction – whether it’s about real figures (Sharon Penman) or fictional ones (Dorothy Dunnett), but I’m a sucker for a well-written historical romance, too. Current favourite authors include Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas and Cecilia Grant.

Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie
[Knötel Band XIV, Bild 3]

Just like their infantry brethren their training was no worse than with any regular unit, but their equipment often was. So their uniforms were often plainer, with less piping or fringe. [The trooper in the background of the Knötel print is representative of troopers during the 1813 period, while the one in the foreground is representative of the newer uniforms around the time of Waterloo.] tried to depict this here as well, leaving their cuffs in the colour of the coat, which was often the case with the Landwehr cavalry. While most Silesian Landwehr cavalry units used white sheepskin covers as saddle cloths, I intentionally went for black here. I wanted to depict them at the lower end of the supply “food chain”, so their horsecolours are less to regulation than with the other cavalry units I painted, with a higher number of light coloured horses. So to get a contrast I went for black sheepskin covers.

The minis are all from the Calpe range (except for the French casualty one of them is jumping his horse over, which comes from Perry). They are based for Republic to Empire and the pennants are from GMB (although I did bend them so much that I actually rubbed them thin and had to repaint them in many places). I have to say that I am happy, that this will be the last Silesian unit for this project. I was getting quiet sick with the yellow trim for the blue uniforms after painting three units of Silesian Landwehr already.

But now on to the photos. Please excuse the shine on the minis. The weather has really gotten poor here over the last few days and the varnish I use dries better with lots of UV light. But they will turn perfectly flat in a couple of weeks.

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie (1st base)

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie (command base)

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie (2nd base)

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie (3rd base)

5te Schlesische Landwehr Kavallerie