Wednesday 30 December 2020

A Rabble of Gentility

Things have been quiet in the wargaming front here of late, not just because of the festive season. I might have mentioned recently how I have deliberately been holding back on ordering more books. Holding off that urge for instant gratification.

Part of my strategy has been to work my way through LOTR again. I finished the Twin Towers round about the time that my latest book order arrived. I’d almost forgotten I’d ordered it.


This cost me £5.99 plus postage from Naval & Military Press. It’s not a book I would have ordered direct from Helion, even at the discounted price. I thought it would be too narrow a field for me. There’s a couple of other books like that (the two Orange and the States volumes spring to mind).

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It covers, as the subtitle suggests, the brigades of Royalist northern cavalry from the later half of the first ECW. The Northern Horse were a group of brigades, numbering from 1,000 to 2,000 at different times, that were originally part of Newcastle’s army. They fought at Marston Moor and Naseby and had some semi-independent adventures in between and afterwards, culminating on the shores of Cumbria late in 1645 when they had their last ride. The formation seemed to have developed a distinct identity, rather like some of the famous regional British divisions of the World Wars. Loyal to the King, but always balanced by their loyalty to their own ‘countries’ (counties in modern parlance) and their desires to free the North from the rebels didn’t always sit easily with the national strategy of the King. Like this bloggist, typical bolshy northerners.

There’s a few editorial errors that initially distracted me in the beginning, but either it got better or I ceased noticing them. A thoroughly interesting read. There are also a few episodes that provide inspiration for wargaming scenarios. A recommended read from this corner of the blogosphere. A happy addition to my growing collection of John Barratt works.



8 comments:

  1. Looks like a good one. I have a large collection of Barratt’s works too.

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  2. Looks and sounds an interesting read. I am enjoying LOTR on audio book and also the Prancing Pony podcasts discussing the text. Any thoughts of gaming Lotr in some way?

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    1. 3rd attempt at replying to you! Flipping Blogger.

      I played a few games with the Games Workshop rules when my son was a boy. He got into it following an impromptu visit to a GW store in Grimsby on a trip to see family. He later passed his collection on to his little sisters but their interest didn’t last. Not that long ago the collection ended up in a charity shop after sitting unused for years.

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  3. Helion do do a great range of books, but at times the editing (or lack there of) drives me to distraction!

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    1. It seems the curse of publishing generally these days.

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  4. Retailer is new to me so thanks for that. WILLIAM III’S ITALIAN ARMY Piedmont and the War of the League of Augsburg 1683-1697 “Century of the Soldier” Series: looks an interesting bargain too. I (not very) recently invested in the three book(lets) in the Twilight of the Sun King rules series and they finally arrived today. Interesting approach in the rules and plenty of useful scenarios. I'm still waiting for my order of In Deo Veritas to land in Azerbaijan, but hopefully I will soon be able to compare the two sets. Waiting a month for things to arrive reminds me of our SYW figure orders from Toyne's shop in Grimsby. Very nostalgic but equally frustrating!

    Tony S


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    1. Ha ha! So tomorrow you’re going to party like it’s 1980. See you in the Lifeboat.

      There’s a late 17th C supplement to In Deo Veritas too. I’m trying to resist ordering as it’ll only lead to more toys being bought and painted.

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    2. I'm tempted to order that one too; but with the current 'distance - velocity lag' problems, it'll be a while before I see it.

      Don't forget you'll probably need a fiver for a proper night out!


      Tony S

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