Limited myself to 10, but there are a lot more… of course… no WWII or WWI either because I do not like mass murder in a way (sorry about that).
Some are historically based, some are the translation to the screen of a good book, and the last is a John Ford!
Of course GODS&GENERALS; ZULU DAWN; RIO GRANDE; FORT APACHE; BARRY LYNDON and THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS are also there to recommend but somehow this is my TOP TEN.
No particular order at all. But recommended… maybe one day I will give a list of Little Big Horn and French Foreign Legion films too…
Enjoy!
“the” ACW battle… (From victory to defeat)Great acting and characters… and massed troops!One of my all time favourites!When I first saw it at the theater I was very young and did not knew the end of it!Not exactly a war film… but great adventure!Also a classic based on a good book!Based on the real Grierson’s raid but a great John Ford as usual!Very good movie (Aubrey&Maturin saga)Simply a masterpiece!And last but not least! SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON !
My efforts to wargame cavalry actions of the ACW needed a lot of reading before implementing… if you ask me they were quite confused affairs and a lot of advancing and retreating. But I just love Cavalry (blame John Ford!) and the need of a lesser scale of trying to emulate with, even in 6MM because you need regiments not brigades. Hope you understand what I mean (In popular 6MM wargames rules POLEMOS – ALTAR OF FREEDOM and the like a Brigade of Cavalry is a stand with 9 figures!… too small to properly do it…).
Those two first books (even if a lot Southern biased… or it seems so because the North wrote the History embellished like everybody else… Winners usually get this chance… losers do not care too much at least when the thing is over because they have to learn to cope with it…) are a must read to understand a bit the real thing… no way (or very difficult) to simulate a raid though… dust, blown horses, Union killing unfit horses to do not let them to the CSA) thirst, hunger, constant skirmishing, lack of sleep, bad comms, mistakes… etc.
A fascinating period to study but not to fight in the XIXth! (seriously it was brutal enough).
Cheers.
The Osprey is not bad too.Probably a draw overall but definitely not an Union victory.Custer’s jump to fameQuite good IMHOQuite to the point.THE HORSE SOLDIERS film real historyInteresting but lefts out other outstanding commanders like Hampton, Merritt etc
I have been very lazy and tardly to show those 6MM Baccus proxies… they have been in the cabinet for months (or weeks)… and they deserved a Post. Probably the less mentioned action of Balaklava!
My collection of 6MM is slowly growing (under control I like to think… lol).
This action has always been a favourite of mine.
The Russians are in fact german cavalry from the Franco-Prussian war… used just to give a sense of perspective!
Enjoy!
View from the British sideGeneral Scarlett in front of the Scots GreysInniskillingsFrontal view from the Russian positions…
Those are mine… and as I have told you in “CLOSING TIME” this is what I am going to Post from now on.
After buying painting and displaying the “new” Chard&Bromhead by Dorset Soldiers I did not knew what to do with my “old one’s”… finally I repainted the RPWM Bromhead as an extra officer of Royal Artillery (quite an easy job!)… and kept Chard as it was but he has joined the Royal West Kent (have not decided yet if attached as a Royal Engineer or simply an officer of the RWH.
Enjoy.
Now bromhead is a Roayal Artillery Officer.And Chard has joined the Royal West Kent.
In fact it is the only way to travel in time (backwards of course)… fans of sci-fi will say that even to a distant future (quite out of the mark predictions though)
Quite a simple counsel is it not? Be that because a period of History interest you, or a campaign. or a battle, or an skirmish… whatever. You always start by reading about it (even after seeing or watching a Hollywood film)… books are the thing.
Mind you it is not my problem if you prefer Poetry! (Even in Poetry there are epic subjects… but I digress)
Have found in my life (71 actually) that books are the best friends and companions ans a library a little treasure (the public library is a good option I am not talking about “cumulating possessions” here… but if you can afford it it is really practical! just because they are at hand…
The recent passing of a friend (yes at my age this happens frequently) or some months earlier the demise of Frederick Wagner III which I corresponded with and respected as an author (learned). Has dawned on me of the need of a Post like this.
Even before starting to buy a single Toy Soldier… or a wargames mini (if you please) document yourself.
Here find the pics of the three shelves of my modest Little Big Horn collection of books… they are not all there (some are of a format that does not fit into the shelves) other are magazines stored in other places (but at hand).
It was somewhat an ordeal, maybe because I am 71, but the delays due to Postal Services mishaps did not help at all.
I first tried pestering Peter Berry about them (to no use), meaning why not a proper Baccus Crimean range?… wishful thinking of course!
Then I finally (and stubborn in a way) followed the Proxies Way!… that meant eliminating with a cutter the “French” parts of the minis (obvious even in 6MM).
Painting them was fast and true… the minor step of the way… you maybe do not believe how fast it is to paint 6MM!
Gluing them into bases was easy.
Then something I have not done for years… sculpting the bases or stands… an awful mess I did of it. To the credit of the Baccus basing system the old pots where still quite useful (except the wash who had evaporated more than 5 years later).
And finally the sets of colours (Napoleonic in fact).
This is my last effort of DIY in 6MM… my daughter has forbidden me to paint less than 54MM (LOL).
Enjoy!
Marching in paralel columnsOne RegimentBrigade Command in the background!The Three Regiments in LineDetail 1 Coldstream GuardsScots Fusiliers Detail 2Grenadier Guards (Detail 3)Battle of the Alma deploymentLateral view.
And last but not least I included in this 4 part series the pics of the members of the Club in action, it shows the actual size of the wargames table, AND the fact it is a real wargame (even more merit!).
I am a solo wargamer living on the back of beyond… but I still can appreciate this kind of assembly!
Enjoy!
The NBHW chaps!French DragoonsFrench InfantryRussian Cavalry
