|
|
|
||||||||
IX. Military Modelling, Gaming, and Militaria Collecting
PLEASE NOTE: We ask that you use the title link on our page direct to the Amazon site as it does benefit our service a bit more than entering titles once at their site. And over 15% of what is earned via all KrADeG Book Review Service web sites and their affiliations goes to worthy charities such as disaster relief organizations.
Gardiner, Robert. Frigates of the Napoleonic Era. Chatham Publ. (UK)/Naval Institute Pr. (US) 2000 [Publisher supplied info: For every naval officer, in fiction or reality, the frigate was the most sought-after command. As dashing as a modern destroyer, the frigate offered the excitement of independent service with the prospect of a glorious single-ship battle or a fortune to be made in prize money. Their actions have been the stuff of history and sea fiction for generations, but the ships themselves are hardly documented at all. This book fills that gap with comprehensive descriptions of the design, construction, armament and fitting of individual classes, as well as the factors that influenced their development and the roles they were expected to perform. Supporting the narrative are detailed lists on all classes, including the prizes captured from opposing French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, and American navies and comparative aspects like performance under sail. Based on extensive new research, the author goes beyond the frigate's specifications to background issues like the construction experiments prior to the adoption of the Seppings' diagonal system, and the improvements to guns, mounting, and powder during the wars of 1793-1815. This handsome large-format volume is fully illustrated with original plans, photographs of models, and contemporary prints. It will be a rich addition to any maritime bookshelf and provide first-time readers of this genre with an in-depth look at a sailing vessel steeped in naval lore.]
Gardiner, Robert. Warships of the Napoleonic Era. [Blueprint Series/National Maritime Museum] Chatham Publ. (UK) 1999/Naval Institute Pr. (US) 2000 [This is the first book in the Blueprint Series. Publisher supplied info: The wars of 1793-1815 are widely regarded as the apogee of the sailing man-of-war. Many seapowers became involved in the conflict, and at some point virtually all aligned themselves against Great Britain. Thanks to its superiority, the Royal Navy took many of its enemy ships in battle and developed the habit of drawing plans of the ones they captured. This book reproduces a representative selection of these plans for the main protagonists--French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Russian and American--and for the British themselves. All of the principal types of warships employed during the conflict are included, from huge three-deckers down to gunboats and even the support craft on which every dockyard depended. The narrative describes the function of each of the bewildering variety of rates, concentrating on their technical development and how they were used in action. An appendix lists other relevant plans available. For ship modelers and age-of-sail enthusiasts, the book offers essential reference material that showcases the incomparable collection of original ships' plans at the National Maritime Museum.]
Lumsden, Robin. A Collector's Guide to Third Reich Militaria, Revised Edition. Ian Allan (UK)/Combined Books (US) 2000 [This book was originally published in 1987.]
Lumsden, Robin. Detecting the Fakes: A Collector's Guide to Third Reich Militaria, Revised Edition. Ian Allen (UK)/Combined Books (US) 2000 [This book is a well illustrated guide to original and fake German orders and decorations, dress daggers, headgear, combat and dress tunics, insignias, and miscellaneous regalia. It was originally published in 1989.]
Non-Violent Politically-Correct War Card Game. University Games [An inexpensive card game that could make for a fun holiday gift. "An ancient game gets a PC makeover in this portable card edition. The object is still the same--losing all your cards--but key differences between this version and classic War are that the Joker is the lowest card in the deck, the first player to get rid of his or her cards wins, and players putting down cards of the same rank cooperate by trading decks before engaging in war. Cards stress unity, diversity, love, and peace, and the illustrations are at times delightfully self-effacing. This pocketsize version is great for both home and travel." -- Tom Keogh, Amazon.com.
Ryan, Edward. Paper Soldiers: The Illustrated History of Printed Paper Armies of the 18th, 19th & 20th Centuries. Golden Age Editions/New Cavendish Books 1995 [Although not exactly a new book, I have just read it, so it is new to this web site and very much worthy of prominent attention. "This is truly a work of the highest quality. Ryan has systematically assembled everything anyone would want to know about paper soldiers. The book is not only well-researched and comprehensive, it is readable and heavily illustrated. As a child, I had lead soldiers, plastic soldiers, etc., but few paper soldiers. So I never knew just how significant their production was in Europe and the US. The US has had over 90 publishers alone, the big three being McLoughlin Brothers and two key competitors -- Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley (who purchased McLoughlin in 1920). The work goes well behind US production of paper soldiers and covers soldiers made by 550 companies in 24 countries, including the leading center of manufacture, Strasbourg France (probably due to the German concentration on metal soldiers), plus Germany, England, Canada, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and so on. Some of the soldiers sport generic uniforms, but many were beautifully made with the utmost attention to detail. The eras represented by the publishers range from the medieval up through WW II, although most appear to be eighteenth and nineteenth century figures. Ryan concludes with a chapter on the pleasures of collecting paper soldiers, an idea that this book makes completely understandable. There are four appendices (publishers of paper soldiers, censorship practices relating to printed armies, a glossary, and military sheet and board games), a bibliography, and an index. This stunning 528-page landscape format hardcover is printed completely on glossy paper (it weighs a ton), and has 580 high-quality color -- and 130 b&w -- illustrations It was printed in a signed, limited edition of 2,000 copies." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine.]
Smeed, Vic & Alec Gee, eds. The Encyclopedia of Military Modelling. Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole (US) 1998 [orig. 1981.]
Smith, Robin. Master Modellers. [Brassey's Master Class Series] Brassey's 1997 [This is a wonderful book for those who love model soldiers. It is brings together over thirty award-winning model makers and painters from the US and the UK. Each modeller has a chapter where they describe for the author their sculpting and/or painting techniques and reveal the secrets that make their work stand out. What makes this book such a delight though is the format. The book is oversized and loaded with 150 color photographs. Many of these photos are large, closeup, and they reveal stunning details. They are a visual delight for those who appreciate military modelling at its best. The book is rounded out with two chapters that are "workshops" -- the first focuses on painting your first figure, the second discusses conversion and painting techniques that produce unique models. The final chapter is a directory of modelling manufacturers, retailers and suppliers, and clubs and societies, in the US and Europe.]
Didn't Find What you Were Looking For?
Try this Amazon.com Search Engine:
Back to the Main Page.Text on this website and the Military Books Online logo are copyright 1996-2003, KrADeG Book Review Services.
PLEASE VISIT OUR AFFILIATES WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE:
Also worth checking out is Abebooks.
For the best assortment of military simulations, board games, card games, etc., from the US, Canada, and Europe at a discount, please visit: Funagain Games. And I do mean the best assortment, whether one is talking online stores or a bricks and mortar game shop.
For software and hardware at good prices we also recommend PC Mall and Mac Mall.
At over 1,300 periodicals, Magazania offers a good number of publications for the history and current affairs reader, e.g., MILITARY HERITAGE, AMERICA'S CIVIL WAR, OLD WEST, FOREIGN POLICY, THE ECONOMIST, AMERICAN HERITAGE, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, CIVILIZATION, SMITHSONIAN, and much more.
