Sunday, January 28, 2018

Late January 2018 reading: part II....

Here's what I've read this week:

1)  The Coldest Winter:  America and the Korean War.  More history about President Truman and the fall of Nationalist Chinese forces in in the Chinese Civil War.

2)  Missing Persons by Joe Pfeffer.  Started a literary fiction novel/mystery based in St. Louis, MO.  I think I've read this manuscript in an earlier incarnation.

3)  Swords of Good Men.  More Viking mayhem in 10th century Norway between Christians and pagan Norse.

4)  Pacific Thunder by Cleaver.  Read about American pre-war flight training and tactics vs. the Japanese, who didn't prepare for a long, drawn out conflict in the Pacific.

5)  The Legend of Drizzt:  Volume One by R.A. Salvatore.  A baby devil morphs into a Dark Elf and unleashes chaos on a farming community.  Causing Drizzt untold misery and guilt.

6)  To Guard Against the Dark by Julie E. Czerneda.  Jason Morgan deals with an old friend who wondering what happened to the Clan.   

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Late-January 2018 reading....

Here's what I've read this week....

1)  The Coldest Winter:  America and the Korean War.  More battles and politics in the summer of 1950...

2)  The Battle of Minden 1759:  The Impossible Victory of the Seven Years War by Stuart Reid.  See previous blog posting...

3)  Pacific Thunder:  The US Navy's Central Pacific Campaign, August 1943 to October 1944 by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver.  I started reading about the US Navy's carrier war with the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1942.  I also got into prewar US Naval doctrine and carrier tactics, too...

4)  The Legend of Drizzt:  Volume One by R.A. Salvatore.  Drizzt encounters some simple farmers and a former fighter when some stupid sprite steals one of his weapons...

5)  To Guard Against the Dark by Julie E. Czerneda.  I started in the third book in the Reunification series involving Jason Morgan, Sira, and the Clans.  Human space is under threat from the Assemblers, a race of microscope devourers, who want the Clans wiped out.  Morgan is by himself with an alien friend who loves beer (lol)....
 

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Review of The Battle of Minden 1759 by Stuart Reid

Author:  Stuart Reid.
Title:  The Battle of Minden 1759:  The Impossible Victory of the Seven Years War.
PublisherFrontline Books.
Copyright:  2016.
Pages:  228.
Price:  $39.95 (US).

Overview and Impressions:
A detailed history of The Battle of Minden 1759 by Stuart Reid.  Lots of interesting tidbits about the side battles leading up to Minden itself.  The author claimed George Washington started the Seven Years War???  Outside of that rash statement, The Battle of Minden 1759 is a fast, good read.

Recommended.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Mid-January 2018 reading....

Here's what I've read this week:

1)  The Coldest Winter:  More on the Korean War in 1950 and the politics of the American high command in Japan.

2)  Strike One:  Finished reading a police procedure manuscript for an acquaintance.  Technically, the writing is awesome.  However, I hated the main characters.

3)  Swords of Good Men:  More fantasy/historical Viking romp in 11th century Norway.

4)  The Battle of Minden, 1759:  The Miracle of the Seven Years War by James Stewart.  More fighting in late 1758/1759 against the French by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.

5)  The Legend of Drizzt:  Volume One by R.A. Salvatore.  Drizzt escapes to the surface world.  He encounters a hill giant who makes his life miserable. 

6)  Vicky Peterwald:  Survivor by Mike Shepherd.  See previous blog posting.


Photos of current and future painting projects....

Here are photos of current and future painting projects:



                                          WIP, 30mm GW High Elf Spearmen, 14JAN18.


                                          More 30mm GW High Elves in the painting queue.


                                          Based a bunch of 15mm Native American infantry for Warbeads.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Review of VIcky Peterwald: Survivor by Mike Shepherd

Author:  Mike Shepherd.
Title:  Vicky Peterwald:  Survivor.
Publisher:  Ace Publishing.
Copyright:  2015.
Pages:  341.
Price:  $7.99 (US).

Overview and Impressions:
Reads like another Kris Longknife novel, only with a different, red haired heroine instead of a blond space admiral.  Some of the story is interesting.  A lot of it is boring and a repetition of the the first book in this new series.  I'm not going to read any more, however.

Though the court politics were interesting.  There was too much of it and not enough action sequences.  My two cents...

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Early January 2018 book review....

Here's what I've been reading this week:

1)  The Coldest Winter:  America and Korean War.  The author dealt with Douglas MacArthur.  All I can say is what an ass...

2)  Strike One.  Police procedural mystery by a writer in my local writers group.  Technically flawless.  However, I didn't care if the main characters lived or died at the end.  I wish the amoral female assassin would have got her up and comings.  Felt like I was cheated for the all reading I did...

3)  The Battle of Minden, 1759 by Stuart Reid.  Did you know George Washington was responsible for the start of the Seven Years War according to this British author?  Aside from that, the book has been great reading.  I'm enjoying it so far...

4)  The Legend of Drizzt:  Volume One by R.A. Salvatore.  More adventures of Drizzt the Drow elf and his small party of adventurers taking on a city of mind flayers that get slain by his undead father, who's hunting for his son...

5)  Vicky Peterwald:  Survivor by Mike Shepherd.  More misadventures of her Imperial Highness Vicky Peterwald on a backward water planet over the mining of crystal...

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

WIP, 30mm GW High Elf Spearmen, 04JAN18

Here's a photo of WIP, 30mm GW High Elf Spearmen, 04JAN18:



                                          WIP, 30mm GW High Elf Spearmen, 04JAN18.