Holiday Reading - Or: Things I Always Promise To Do But Never Actually Achieve, Part 1274

 Well, it doesn't seem like 5 minutes since my last post, but here we are again, with about three weeks of holiday left ahead of me, and the promise of more culinary and cultural adventures in the North of England.

I mentioned in my last post that I have a holiday reading pile, which on reflection is going to have to be more of a galimaufry of literary wargaming tapas, rather than a full on assault.

Now, whilst this is not what I planned, it does mean that it will fit in with my habbit of cross referencing accounts from various sources with the memories of both myself and people I know who were part of the story at the time. So, it's not a bad way to go...

Anyway, here's a visual record of what is in the pile so far:

 

 

As you know, I live in constant immersion state, where wargaming rules over the mundane or if you prefer, real world. 

 

I try to disengage from the actuality for as much of my life as possible, surfacing to pay bill, rant at the new reports, and renew my contract with humanity for as much as I need rather than be a full time member of present society.

 

Delving into old and new books seemingly somewhat randomly but always with a plan and a path, is great way of breaking down linear time, isolating myself somewhat from the entropic effects of live in the world today.

 

It's interesting to see 'authorities' on the hobby make pronouncements on the past which, I know are inaccurate and which others who were there, and it's great fun when you see anecdotes you've heard or were a part of, recounted in print. But mmost of all, the sheer pleasure of diving deep into a time before Big Box, mass consumption boregaming, where the history was every bit as important as the play, but the play was just that.

 

Charles Grant and Charlie Wesencraft are a joy to read. They have a light touch to their writing style which engages whilst getting across a massive amount of factual information, so that you never realise how much you've picked up.

 

This was how it was whan I and my peers were 'coming up'. You didn't get the 'expert' holding court in the local games store, as I witnessed a couple of weeks ago as a bearded and 'fragrant' specimen of mankind was mansplaining , No, 'twatsplaining' to a poor lass who had been quietly selecting a paintbrush she wanted.

 

I left the store pretty swiftly, and the memsahib somewhat curious, remarked (when I explained the reason) that it was probably for the best, lest there be a case of metaphorical 'shots fired', with the opener, 'I don't know if you've ever got acrylic paint in your hirsute facial topiary, but... '

 

Of course, I would never be so crude, would I?

 

You are of course correct in your response in the affirmative. 

 

But, these books reminded me that my generation were blessed with both a plethora of products produced with passion over visual appeal, but also with a direct line to the founding fathers and dodgy uncles of wargaming, who just seemed to osmotically pass on their knowledge in a conversational manner, so that we, to this day, can immediately delve into the data banks and  discuss in some degree of detail even periods which we don't actually play.

Anyway, I better sign off, as I need to go and shower, choose a casual outfit for a day in the countryside, and the promise of a stunning shakshuka in a litte village about an hour from here.

It's a dirty job...

 

TTFN