Greetings…
To celebrate the fact that I have managed to pay off my my mortgage… I decided to give myself a treat.
So I bought myself these delightful books…
I personally think that these are some of the best books on French Napoleonic uniforms that I have seen for a long while.
Paul L Dawson has done a marvellous job with these books….they are positively dense with information…
The illustrations and photos are splendid…
Photos of original uniforms and equipment plus reproductions of period illustrations by the likes of Martinet and Nicolas Hoffmann along with plates by Keith Rocco…
I particularly like the photos of original swatches of period cloth that show that the uniform colours are not quite what we are used to seeing on toy soldiers.
They were certainly not the cheapest books I have bought… but it was my treat to me…and I think I deserved it 😁.
All the best Aly
Congratulations on becoming mortgage free and for the fine library additions!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jonathan…
DeleteI think these books should keep me out of trouble for a while… or at least until the next wargames show 😁
All the best. Aly.
What a splendid way to celebrate a landmark.
ReplyDeleteThe books will certainly be a lot more useful than a bottle of champagne…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Well done - on the books and especially on the mortgage!
ReplyDeleteThank you Warburton…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
A great milestone and some lovely books to celebrate, I fear that other than on parade most soldiers of Napoleonic era wore mainly dusty brown or faded colours and would have looked very drab. However that wouldn’t be so much fun 👍
ReplyDeleteUnless we get a time machine we will never really know how things actually looked in the field…
DeleteI like my toys to be pretty… which is as you say… much more fun.
All the best. Aly
A notable achievement on the mortgage, it does make a difference you'll find both financial and spiritual! You do like a good book I know, so grand additions there!
ReplyDeleteThank you David…
DeleteIt’s an event that needs some sort of celebration… I didn’t have any fireworks so a few good books seemed like the best thing…
And as you say…I do like a good book.
All the best. Aly
Looks a great book! Well done paying off the mortgage!!!
ReplyDeleteThe books are lovely…and so is having no mortgage 😁
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Hello Aly, great books yes indeed Toy Soldiers must look pretty well said. The Imperial Guard certainly looked magnificent. Best Wishes Quinn
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I like the Napoleonic period so much is because of the beautiful full dress uniforms… and pretty toy soldiers make me smile.
DeleteI am looking forward to painting some more Imperial Guard units.
All the best. Aly
Wonderful books and a great way to celebrate. I’m not quite there yet and I have put my wife on notice that I need to celebrate in style when ours has gone. Time to start planning 😁 are you at Partizan?
ReplyDeleteIt’s an event that needs celebrating… some may do it with champagne but I think books last longer…
DeleteI am planning to go to Partizan… its the weekend after my birthday… so I will need to buy myself a present…or two 😁
All the best. Aly
A nice milestone to have passed. I have Dawson's Waterloo book which I think is excellent although lacking a useful contents list to make it easier to look up units. I felt two books on top of that for the Guard was overly indulgent.
ReplyDeleteThe contents list is indeed fairly basic…though I imagine it would take up many pages if every unit was listed separately.
DeleteI was feeling extravagant so I went for all three books 😁
All the best. Aly
Hello there Aly,
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations old chap! We are quite close to being in that mortgage free happy place and so I shall also be looking to celebrate when we are!
Splendid looking books for sure and I know you will get plenty of ideas out of them!
All the best,
DC
Thank you David…
DeleteIt is indeed a moment worth celebrating.
I’ve certainly had a few ideas about what new units to paint…
All the best. Aly
You have found a brilliant way to spend some of the money you will save from your mortgage from now on!
ReplyDeleteFrom the images you shared, they actually seem like beautiful books, with lots of color photos of original pieces. Our reference point for military history books is Osprey: fantastic drawn plates, but black and white photos are often not on the same level ...
We have a dragoon helmet to paint right now, and the photos of the lancer's helmet in your book will be a great reference point: thank you!
The only problem is trying to find places to put all the books…😁
DeleteThey are very good and very informative book indeed.
I have many Osprey titles they are incredibly good for their size and price…
All the best. Aly
Congrats on your financial freedom! Fabulous books…I would really like a jacket like that one with the gold embroidery on it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mark…
DeleteThat is a seriously bling jacket… just the thing to wear for a night on the town.
All the best. Aly
Well done on the mortgage Aly and especially well done on those wonderful books. Now the time to read them good sir…
ReplyDeleteThank you Carlo…
DeleteI am hoping that as retirement approaches I shall have lots more time to read…and paint… and wargame 😁
All the best. Aly
I'm with you Aly, these are great tomes. He has done a power of research and brought together evidence from artifacts, regulations, and relatively contemporary prints brilliantly. Really, really refreshing from a simple 'rehash' of the same old.
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
It would be nice to see books like this for some of the other Napoleonic nations…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
A happy event like that definitely needs marking Aly!
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly right there Keith…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Hello Aly!
ReplyDeleteI came out from the blogging loop for some time. Great to see all of your recent additions to your mini collections. Congratulations on the final payment of the mortgage. I guess this will give you some extra funds each month for the new toys ;-)
Concerning the books, nice to read you say they are so good, as by coincidence I just bought them yesterday, and should get them after Easter :-)
Happy Easter to you!
Best wishes,
Jan
Thanks Jan…
DeleteIt is indeed nice to have a bit more ‘toy’ purchasing power…
There is an incredible amount of information… I am fascinated by things like the breakdown of how many horses were needed for the cavalry and how many pairs of boots were required for a single soldier over the length of the expected campaign… not everyone’s thing, but pleases me.
All the best. Aly
Splendid looking books, I'm jealous, seems like the year to clear mortgages, to be honest we just had a cup of tea and a look of surprise to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
I did the cup of tea and look of surprise as well… once it sunk in I thought…treat yourself 😁
DeleteAll the best. Aly