Buy the Book

Hamish Hamilton

In the last S&T (no.62) the game deals with the future of the southern
part of Africa and, follow ing their usual style, they've given us a
series of brief background essays on the histories and comings and
goings of the peoples of that perennially troubled part of the world. As
an addition to background reading do look for Brian Robert's fine book
"The Zulu Kings" which Sphere Paper backs have recently published at
£1.50. The story is not perhaps the most edifying of tales if one wishes
to discuss means of democratic government but if you seek some
understanding of the formation of the Zulu "nation" then this work must
be amongst the most eminently readable, richly informative and
sweepingly vivid. The names Chaka, Dingane and Cetchawayo are bound to
echo down the histories of mankind in South Africa, but it was the
latter gentleman whom the British army intended to teach a sharp lesson
when they invaded Zululand in January, 1879. This was the start of the
Zulu war which was to cost £5,000,000 and many lives on both sides. The
imperial pride of the British was to take a severe pounding through the
dark days of Isandhlwana and Rorke's drift and it wasn't until the
Battle of Ulundi in July that the "red soldiers" as Cetchawayo called
them, were to achieve a victory which led to the capture of the Zulu
king and to the signing of a peace treaty on the 1st of September. Frank
Emery has produced a marvellous book called "The Red Soldier" which
deals with the war in excellent military detail but this is far from
your usual run of campaign histories, for as well as following the
campaign Mr Emery allows us to witness it from within the ranks of the
men who fought, for large parts of the text are composed of extracts
from letters written by the men prior to or just after the battles con
cerned. From staging post, bivouac and fortification there are
descriptions which place us right there and give us a really exciting
insight into the army life from squaddy to officer, of the Imperial Army
of 1879. With eight clear maps, good photographs and drawn illustrations
from the period, this hardback book is published by Hodder and Stoughton
at £6.25. Incidentally both the foregoing titles are well equipped with
useful bibliographies which will help to provide even more background on
this interesting but neglected period of history.

Many of you will have shared my interest and enjoyment of Geoff Geddes'
article on Montrose (Phoenix 6&7) and there are four books which are
worthy of mention as companion reading or as further inspiration either
to Mr Geddes or another Civil War player to provide some more of the
same - who knows. A biography of Montrose is the first title. Written by
Max Hastings and published by Gollancz at £7.50, "The King's Champion"
is a good though romantic version of the events in the life of the
Marquis. There can be no doubts as to the author's sympathies as he
paints a glowing picture of this brilliant soldier as a knight more
suited to the court of King Arthur than to the political intrigues of
the Reformation and the extraordinary figure of Charles the First.
Twelve maps and almost as many illustrations round out an interesting if
somewhat rosy picture of one of Scotland's greatest fighting soldiers.

There is a briefer and possibly more objective view of Montrose in a
series of biographical essays called "The Cavaliers" by Mark Bence-Jones
which Constable have published in uniform with a similar series called
"The Roundheads" by Jasper Ridley. (£5.25 and £5.50 respectively). For
the student or discoverer of this period of revolution and counter
revolution in British history these works have immense value in showing
the leading lights on both sides in clear and reasonably brief chapters
and, at the same time, most usefully demonstrating the internal workings
of the political machinations of a truly convoluted time. With
illustrations and adequate bibliographies these books can only help to
encourage interest in the Civil War. The final biography of the period
is that of "General Monck" by Maurice Ashley. Jonathan Cape offers this
at £6.95. Monck was the man who was (militarily) mainly responsible for
the Restoration in 1660 but here is Monck, man, admiral(!),
administrator, general and soldier in Roundhead and Royalist armies.
It's a tremendous tale well told and thoroughly based in research as the
more than ample notes demonstrate. As a rounding off to the period this
biography is to be highly recommended and as a damn good read you'll go
a long way to find better.

The very stuff of game design and of armchair consideration of military
history is wrapped about the consideration of the country over which a
particular battle, campaign or war was fought. Weidenfeld and Nicholson
publish a most useful series of works by Martin Gilbert in a series of
"Historical Atlas" books. The latest title in this list is the revised
version of the "Recent History Atlas" which covers the period 1860-1960.
These books are a marvellous means of following, almost at a glance, the
periods of history in which one is interested and this revised edition
of a work which is already justly renowned can only be welcomed with
open arms. This book, like the others in the series, is the perfect
companion to an ordinary book of maps for here, as well as the lie of
the land, you get what happened, when it happened, to whom (for the most
part), and for how long. If you want to follow, in brief, the
Franco-Prussian War, the First World War, the Russo-Polish War of 1920
or the Second World War, and you would like to be able to see the mass
movements of humanity caused by all these and other occurencies then
this book with cartography by John Flower and a most useful
chronological table at the beginning is for you - and at £4.75 that
can't be bad.

I know of no game which has been designed around the command problems
involved in intelligence and deception but if one were successfully
designed I know it would be enormously exciting. The kind of excitement
you can share by having a read at "Bodyguard of Lies" by Anthony Cave
Brown (Wyndham at £1.95). It's a big thick paperback and is one of the
most fascinating and exciting books I have read in many a year. The book
daals with the enormous deception plans and espionage networks which
were developed and mounted as the Second World War progressed. It
answers questions which have hitherto remained unanswered. Why was
Hitler sure we were coming ashore at the Pas de Calais? - Because we
told him so. Why did Churchill know to warn Stalin in 1941 of
Barbarossa? How did Churchill know about it? Who was the man who told
the Germans so about the invasion six hours before it happened and why
did his British spy masters tell him to do it? I know this begins to
sound like a bad commercial but the book is full of stories like those.
It's well written, eminently readable and makes Buchan, Bond and all
that mob look a wee bit thin on the ground. It is also a salutory lesson
in how ruthless this country can be when it needs to.  The author has
spent some fifteen years in resrearching the book and for my money it's
time well spent. Of course the reason we were able to do so much was
that we were able to read the German codes, and one of the gentlemen
responsible for a part of that amazing fact was one Colonel William F.
Friedman whose biography, by Ronald W. Clark, is published by Weidenfeld
and Nicholson at £5.25. While this is really the biography of an
interesting if possibly irritating person it must be of some interest in
military history since the subject is regarded as having been one of the
best code busters in the world. The book is written with a light touch
and is as thoroughly entertaining as Mr F. must have been. As a
diversion from the merely military or as an adjunct to the Anthony
Cave-Brown book it's good value at £5.25.

The great preparation during the period 1941-1944 was for the invasion
and two books from the David and Charles stable cover aspects of the
Normandy Campaign. The first deals with that incredible achievement, the
great Mulberry Harbours. "Code Name Mulberry" is the title and author
Gerry Hartcup is at pains to share with us the intricacies of the
problems of design, construction, emplacement and employment without
seeking to drown us in a sea of engineering jargon. The drawings are
beautifully clear and the illustrations include an enormous amount of
material which hasn't, as far as I know, been seen before. £4.95 will
secure this goodie and might inspire the design of a solitaire game
played by the builder of the harbour against the elements and so on -
anyone for Mulberry jam? I wish I could be as enthusiastic about Henry
Maule's book "Caen - the Brutal Battle and Breakout from Normandy". The
book covers a period which has already been heavily dealt with in
several really good works and Mr Maule contributes nothing new either by
way of knowledge or insight and, it appears to me that he tends to make
light of some important aspects of the campaign. Perhaps if someone had
never read anything about the invasion and the breakout this might do as
an introduction but for useful detailed work look elsewhere.

Finally another paperback. From Futura this is called "The War of
Atonement" and it looks at the Yom Kippur Campaign of 1973 from the
Israeli side in considerable detail. Author Chaim Herzog is well placed
to research this amazing meeting of opponents in the Middle East and his
telling of the story is crisp, concise and clear (an achievement in this
confused series of engagements). His handling of the fighting in the
Golan is masterly and despite the cramped conditions of the pocket sized
paperback, the maps are of some assistance in following the intricacies
of what went on. Of course the "War, War" stopped and then came the
"Jaw, Jaw" and Mr Herzog's comments theron are most revealing as are his
comments on the immediate past and the possible future. If you haven't
played "Sinai" or "Golan" then this book will make you want to and if
you have played them and haven't read the book it's about time you did.
At £1.25 it'll not break the bank but it might help you set up or break
the first fine ferocity of the Syrian armour the next time around.