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Monday, August 29, 2016

Reading, Research and Blucher

http://www.historydata.com/images/graphics/Rd_Rivoli.jpg

This week I've been reading "The Road to Rivoli" by Martin Boycott-Brown.  The book is OOP but I got a copy last year via a bookseller dealing in ex library books.  It came at a good price and great condition, although my wife keeps wondering when I will return it to the library!

Last summer Curt ran a 100 Days Campaign using Blucher, which hot me thinking about creating a similar campaign based on the early Italian campaigns.  Of course that went no further than the "I wonder and Wikipedia" stage, and by the time this book arrived I was on to chains new squirrels.  This summer Curt is running a second Blucher campaign based on Austerlitz, with me playing the French.  This will be blogged about but I am holding my cards close to my chest.

But the new campaign got my thinking again, and that got me reading....stayed tuned but I be got far more progress this year.

Anyway I do recommend the book.  It is a bit of a slog at times, but a good read at others.  There us good background on Boney's early days with less hero worship than other sources.  There is also a ton of wargames potential here - river crossings, mountain actions, surprise attacks etc..  So far I've covered the campaigns in. Piedmont, the crossing of the Po, had grudge at Lodi, the crossing of the Mincio, setting up the Siege of Mantua and the battles of Castiliogne/Lonato.  The early campaign in the mountains is a big heavy but like the Army of Italy things really get going on the plains of Lomdardy!  Next up, the have chasing Wurmser from Bassano into Mantua and the the bridge of Arcola.


8 comments:

  1. BB's Rivoli book is a great one! My only regret is that it does not contain detailed OB info. The addition of that would make an excellent resource for the wargamer.

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  2. Snap Jonathon, we seem to have a common area of interest again! I agree on the OOBs. He's good on the Austrian and Sardinian armies. Right up to Mantua, and goes to a higher level and doesn't list regiment again. The French side is always at a headcount of battalions and squadrons, but that's less if an issue as other sources exist.
    Peter

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    1. Peter, we have a number of gaming periods in common in addition to our common academic background. If only Spokane, WA was within an easy drive of Regina we might share some good fun at the gaming table.

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  3. Call me slow but on first browse I caught "Italian" and "Campaign" and my eyes perked up because I thought you were about to adapt Blucher to late 15th /early 16th C Italy. Oh well, early Bonaparte is interesting too.

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  4. Italian Campaign. Hell yes, count me in!

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    1. I should be good to start once we grind out the 1805 campaign to a conclusion.

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