More Miscellanea

Lots of reading this last week.

• Still working my way through the voluminous but excellent Playing At the World, which as a history of the foundation of Dungeons and Dragons delves (heh) deeply into the roots of wargaming, roleplaying and fantasy. There are sections on Diplomacy, the Brontes, Hyboria, Kriegspiel and much more along with the expected Braunstein, Blackmoor, Chainmail etc. A very good, if slow, read which I only have another five days to finish before returning it.
• Have been reading a lot of Rosemary Sutcliff after a coworker showed me a bunch that had been returned to our branch. The most recent is Knight's Fee, set at the end of the 12th century in Sussex, a coming-of-age story about a "dog-boy" who becomes a knight against the background of dynastic campaigns. Some characters recall the Battle of Hastings, or "Senlac Fight" as they call it, and there is mutual if grudging respect between the Norman lords of the manor and their peasants who fought on the opposite side.
• Set in the century before this, I still have Queen Emma and the Vikings to read.
• Also The Flutist of Arnhem, a graphic novel about Operation Market Garden.
• Also read Leviathan, a fantasy steampunk novel of the beginning of WWI, in a world where the Central Powers have walkers and the Allies have mastered genetic engineering. There are two more books and an anime to look forward to. Reminds me quite a bit of Girl Genius, and would make an interesting wargame setting.
• African Myths and Legends, picked up at the local African American Research Library, where I went to a convention yesterday. I also bought Ron Chernow's biography of U.S. Grant. The stories are short but quite good, and I recognize several from their children's book versions, like The Mosquito That Buzzed in People's Ears and Manyaro's Beautiful Daughters. It'll be a useful source for storytimes.

The library doubles as an archive of local history and art museum. They had some interesting wooden panels. Until I noticed they were by a Zimbabwean artist, I at first thought the soldiers depicted were German; someone from the Virtual Wargames Club recognized them as the Matebele Wars of the 1890s instead. These were fought by "company" armies rather than British regulars, which explains the hats and carbines.

This one might be the Shangani Patrol.

A Ndebele chieftain; there was also a Shona woman.

 

Finally, adding some bits of equipment to the militia figures. I also found the final VBCW fluff volume, a book on Royalist factions and flags, and an Event Deck. Both of these I'd ordered ages ago and didn't realize they'd been delivered until I found the package going through old mail and books stacked on my dining table... yeah, I have cleaning to do!

Back to learning Kill Team, then. I have taken another week off and might take a road trip, undecided as yet. After that, work will be busy due to short staffing, but I hope to take more time off later in the year. See you next time.