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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 21, 2020 13:03:04 GMT -6
The Costain series is an excellent narrative history for the non-specialist reader. And by all means, take a look at The Black Prince by Michael Jones, which covers the battles at Crecy, Poitiers, and Najera as part of Edward of Woodstock's career. It's one of the best medieval biographies I have read in a long time. Downloaded "The Black Prince" epub and audiobook on your recommend Hehe, sweet books, Otto!Will likely go back and (re-) read "The Accursed Kings" this winter, in sequence. I read Eric Jager's entertaining "Blood Royale" earlier this year, and that has reignited my deep fascination for the era. I had forgotten about Maurice Druon's books, thanks for the reminder
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 17, 2020 14:14:25 GMT -6
Had to put Crecy aside for a little bit while I caught up on the Hundred Years War history so I could build my mental images. Always wanted to read Thomas Costain's series on the English Kings, jumped right into the chapters on Edward III.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 16, 2020 16:25:48 GMT -6
Wow, that's just what I remember. Seems like when I first started traveling to Lexington, the JoBeth store was in another location, and was just a single story structure. Then they moved out south of the loop and went to two stories. Very cool place--though like you, I do most of my book buying on line these days. I can still find good books on history, literature, and (sometimes) philosophy in brick-and-mortar stores, but if I want books on the Shaver Mystery, or collections of Lovecraft letters, or pulp reprints, then that's definitely going to take me to an on-line vendor. (And there used to be a pretty good music store just down the line from JoBeth--I remember buying, quite appropriately I thought, Blue Kentucky Girl from Emmy Lou Harris there.) I think it was in the same building but then they redid the atrium with the escalators and turned that into the bookstore, that was a long long time ago.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 14, 2020 16:59:15 GMT -6
Benbrook, Texas. About a mile south of the Fort Worth city limits. Hey, Otto Harkaman, I saw your post about being from Lexington, Kentucky. I made a number of business trips to Lexington back in the 1995-2005 timeframe, and in my spare time, I would check out the local book and game stores. I remember the Rusty Scabbard! Is the big JoBeth bookstore still there? Yes it seems to still be there, I used to go all the time. The traffic has gotten so bad in Lexington, especially over that way, I rarely venture far from home. Having accepted digital books, I hardly ever buy regular books anymore. If I do they are something I can only find by ordering online anyway. www.josephbeth.com/
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 12, 2020 10:34:52 GMT -6
Using my Zuntzu module I have been working on, the battle of Crecy 1346, King Edward III vs King Philip VI en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cyMy setup, French forces are in column of march following the English army which they have caught outside the city of Crecy. The English have prepared their defensive position on a low hill with small holes (divots?) in front of their positions to breakup a cavalry charge. The French plan of attack, The Count of Alencon will charge the English left and King John of Bohemia will attack the English right, the Genoese crossbowmen will skirmish to the front of the English.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 12, 2020 10:15:38 GMT -6
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 10, 2020 13:10:41 GMT -6
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 7, 2020 14:31:20 GMT -6
I notice the new Vassal 3.4.7 installs without the whole Java suite looks like it has its own runtime version. I really like this, never wanted all the java suite on my computer.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Nov 6, 2020 16:01:43 GMT -6
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 29, 2020 6:54:46 GMT -6
Reading a bit about the Battle of Lincoln 1141, King Stephen vs the nobles supporting Empress Maude; I relocated the position of the battle and tried to arrange the forces somewhat how they are described. The scenario was created by Steven Guy but I'm not sure I agree with the forces but I think its well balanced and should play well. The lake represents the town of Lincoln. Basically King Stephen's army has a center of infantry with wings of cavalry, Robert of Gloucester's army has a center of cavalry with wings of archers and infantry.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 19, 2020 6:11:21 GMT -6
Finished another Alfred Duggan novel, this one is about the Crusader kingdoms in Greece after the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Learn a lot of history in a fun way with these novels.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 19, 2020 6:05:36 GMT -6
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 15, 2020 6:34:47 GMT -6
My profile pic is from the back cover of Andre Norton's "Warlock of the Witch World." My username is a character from H.Beam Piper's "Space Vikings" Otto Harkaman is a Space Viking ships Captain. My sig under my avatar is a quote from one of REH's Conan stories.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 2, 2020 14:10:20 GMT -6
I think Glorfindel must have been pretty active in the Third Age once he returned to Middle-Earth, I can't see him just hanging out in Rivendell all the time.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Oct 1, 2020 22:11:21 GMT -6
Finishing up another Alfred Duggan book, "The Lady for Ransom" - The Emperor in Constantinople is hiring mercenaries to repel the infidel. Among them is the ruthless nobleman Roussel de Balliol and his wife Lady Matilda. - He was present at the Campaign of Manzikert in 1071, but did not participate in the battle, as he was previously dispatched by the Emperor Diogenes to Khliat to forage and plunder. Roussel de Bailleul
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 25, 2020 20:25:40 GMT -6
Reading Alfred Duggan's "Knight with Armour" Well finished "Knight with Armour" it was pretty long, gives a good idea of what the first Crusade was like. As realistic a historical novel about the time period as you can get. Don't volunteer to go on a crusade is the lesson I learned from this book.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 16, 2020 18:56:17 GMT -6
Tim Kask on TSR #3: Gary Gygax vs. Magic Users
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 16, 2020 10:09:45 GMT -6
Finished "Ardneh's Sword" it was OK, ending was a bit vague and scattered like "Empire of the East." I guess is due to Saberhagen's writing style which Heinlein notes in his intro that he just writes not forming a structure beforehand. I guess the prose flows easier this way but I guess I do like structure. Decided to put aside Alexander and Philip and read some on the Crusades. Reading Alfred Duggan's "Knight with Armour" Have two of Harold Lamb's Crusades books in Audio format, also have hard copies "The Crusades: Iron Men and Saints" "The Crusades: The Flame of Islam"
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 12, 2020 13:00:23 GMT -6
Found a copy of Fred Saberhagen's "Ardneh's Sword" 4th book in the "Empire of the East", good so far. Much longer than the original three which I would label novelettes, no wonder they were put in an omnibus. Started listening to Adrian Goldsworthy's "Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors" Harold Lamb had written a book on Alexander
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 11, 2020 12:00:39 GMT -6
Finished "Empire of the East" omnibus, enjoyed it
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 8, 2020 16:04:08 GMT -6
I know there is a lot of software out there to play online games but I was wondering if anyone has used zoom or know of a tutorial about using it for gaming?
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 5, 2020 14:39:27 GMT -6
I have the Empire of the East collection. Started it once but didn’t get very far. I need to get individual volumes, because I have grown a distaste for omnibi. Is there a big difference in the writing? Or you just like the covers of the singles?
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Sept 5, 2020 12:10:59 GMT -6
Just got my copy of Empire of the East in the post, so I'll be crossing another Appendix N book of my list this week. I am going to have to read some Fred Saberhagen, read some of his Berserker novels long ago. I vaguely remember reading Empire of the East, be fun to reread since I have forgotten much.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Aug 24, 2020 20:21:15 GMT -6
Maybe the miniatures they were using didn't have a magic-user with a weapon?
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Aug 1, 2020 13:07:56 GMT -6
Listening to The Galactic Patrol and The Legion of Space
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jul 30, 2020 5:42:17 GMT -6
I was lucky to have played OD&D in 1975-76 when 11 or 12 with a group of kids in high school. It was such a unique experience, hard to imagine with all the games today. I think the rpg rules I first purchased was Metamorphosis Alpha, it was hard to find the D&D rules. Prior to that I remember playing Milton Bradley's "Dogfight" I don't remember if I had "Risk" before or after.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jul 23, 2020 7:50:48 GMT -6
Seems to me that the ASTOUNDING book should also give some prominence to A. E. Van Vogt--he's not so well remembered today, but he was a great idea-man and influence at the time. I can't remember the last time I read, or re-read, Asimov or Heinlein, but I still dip into Van Vogt with some frequency. Now close to midway in the book, it is pretty long, I think A. E. Van Vogt, though a very contributing writer to Astounding, wasn't as personal a connection to Campbell as were Hubbard, Heinlein and Asimov. Heinlein comes across as a prig and a bully I am really enjoying this book.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jul 21, 2020 22:32:46 GMT -6
Seems to me that the ASTOUNDING book should also give some prominence to A. E. Van Vogt--he's not so well remembered today, but he was a great idea-man and influence at the time. I can't remember the last time I read, or re-read, Asimov or Heinlein, but I still dip into Van Vogt with some frequency. Good point, I am just a chapter or two into the book. Those other books mention him a lot with Astounding. Great covers on Van Vogt's books, going to have read more of him. I hadn't known Heinlein had served on the USS Lexington at one time. I had been reading about the Battle of the Coral Sea a couple months ago, what a ship in its day.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jul 21, 2020 7:41:11 GMT -6
I am finding this book much easier to read than the three I posted above about the history of Science Fiction magazines. Those could almost be viewed as a three volume encyclopedia. "Astounding" gives more biographical sketches of the major personalities behind the magazine.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jul 19, 2020 18:40:05 GMT -6
Mike Ashley's "The Story of the Science-Fiction Pulp Magazines" This looks extremely interesting. I hope you will share a brief review when you're done. I'm curious if it touches on the parallel and cross developments of comic books as well. Yes it talks about this in the first book, Time Machines From index: Pg 62 Pg 81 etc. They are pretty heavy read books, jammed with facts, almost overwhelming so, gives a fascinating glimpse into the production of these magazines and the personalities behind them.
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