Friday, July 1, 2016

Some Summer Reading

This past June I made the decision that forty years in education was quite enough thank you and retired from my middle school position.  Among the many gratifying outpourings of appreciation came a great many Amazon.com gift cards from my students.  So with time no longer a likely deterrent I've been picking up books to pursue my love of reading and history.  Presented for your edification, my initial summer reading list.  Remember to click the pic to enlarge.

First up an account of the Luftwaffe's last gasp attack on New Year's Day, 1945.  Full of planning details and anecdotal bits from both sides of the lines.  The Stackpole series has been very good to me over the years.  Highly recommended.

Next is what I'd classify as one of the final actions of the French and Indian War, rather than the Seven Years War.  All the campaigns in the Caribbean and North America seem somehow interrelated.  I see quite a lot of gaming potential to be found in this one and a chance to use my Spanish figures.

If I could only do one period of gaming for the rest of my life, it would have to be Napoleonics, and having grown up reading Chandler, Oman and Napier the Peninsular War is right near the top.  Converting historic actions to the tabletop is often problematic, so since it's been done, why reinvent the wheel?  Large collections of figures await.

Now this one has some serious eye candy.  Chockablock full of color pictures of some of the most magnificent figures and scenery imaginable, plus history of the hobby and a complete set of rules.  I anticipate hours spent savoring it while perhaps sipping cognac.

This battle has always fascinated me.  So much so that I've played it out on the game table at least three times.  This book will likely inspire a fourth attempt.

The last one was more of a "complete the collection" purchase.  I have the related series on the naval battles during the Republic and Empire plus the War of 1812 and frankly love them.  So this seemed like a no-brainer.  The fact I could get it at an "antique store" for just 15USD was gravy.

Now mind you I have a great many more books that have been piling up waiting for that mythical point when I'd "have time."  Well in theory that time has arrived.

No comments:

Post a Comment