Last Stands
February 4th 2007 14:08
This may sound more than a little macabre but a new friend of mine, a buddy in my Bible Study group has lent me three books all about impossible victories. One of these, the one I just finished, is all about famous last stands. The author's name is Bryan Perret.
I have to be honest, I am picky when it comes to reading history. I like to have a good author, and a good historian. Mr Bryan Perret is certainly the second and his approach in this area is what makes him good in the first. Each story is written in perfect, succinct, concise details. Not so much detail that one is lost, but enough detail that the situation becomes real to the reader. Maps are also included with every battle (which helps ALOT), aiding any kind of visualisation.
My favourite battles so far? The Siege of Maffeking strikes me as the most innovative. Before he started the Scouts, Sir Baden Powel was an officer (a colnel I believe) in the british army. His rise to fame was meteroic after his brilliant victory during the Boer war at a small town of Maffeking. I won't bore (heh) you with the details, but you should read about the minefield he didn't have, and the cricket game that he DID have.
The Siege of Jellalabad, the Defence of Hougoumont, even the epic battle for Iwo Jima, all these battles are presented not with the cold and stark objective view of a man simply researching facts, but with the vigour and enthusiasm of a man that believes in the values shown by the men that lived and died on these fields. Courage under fire, devotion to duty, devotion to the men that they served with, all these things are laid out in a way that is if not unforgettable, then certainly memorable.
Lest we forget.
JZ
I have to be honest, I am picky when it comes to reading history. I like to have a good author, and a good historian. Mr Bryan Perret is certainly the second and his approach in this area is what makes him good in the first. Each story is written in perfect, succinct, concise details. Not so much detail that one is lost, but enough detail that the situation becomes real to the reader. Maps are also included with every battle (which helps ALOT), aiding any kind of visualisation.
My favourite battles so far? The Siege of Maffeking strikes me as the most innovative. Before he started the Scouts, Sir Baden Powel was an officer (a colnel I believe) in the british army. His rise to fame was meteroic after his brilliant victory during the Boer war at a small town of Maffeking. I won't bore (heh) you with the details, but you should read about the minefield he didn't have, and the cricket game that he DID have.
The Siege of Jellalabad, the Defence of Hougoumont, even the epic battle for Iwo Jima, all these battles are presented not with the cold and stark objective view of a man simply researching facts, but with the vigour and enthusiasm of a man that believes in the values shown by the men that lived and died on these fields. Courage under fire, devotion to duty, devotion to the men that they served with, all these things are laid out in a way that is if not unforgettable, then certainly memorable.
Lest we forget.
JZ
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Wow.
Heavy reading.
I love your point of view...you always see
Brilliant.
I hope you are well.
Busy?
Dusk
Comment by JoshZ
yeah, been pretty busy. It kind of sucks that I can't give Orble all the time that I want, but my girlfriend (and a few other projects) are tending to take up alot of my time.....
Which is a good thing.
Glad you liked it Dusk.
JZ.
p.s. how are you going with the Ben Eltons?
Comment by DJDazz
Dazz