The Black Jacobins

Monday 9th October 2017 - WDW

Bolt Action - Germans v British
HotT (1) - Rats v Zulus
HotT (2) - Goblins v Zulus

DBM - Normans v Communal Italian - I exceeded my personal best on bad dice throwing.  I suffered at least 3 x 6:1 and many more 6:2 or 5:1.  Whenever only a 1 could end in defeat I managed it.  Both of my commands were broken.  Chris could only look on and weep!


Tuesday 10th October 2017 

My copy of Wargames Illustrated 277 (Nov 2010) arrived.  I had shelled out £3.90 for one article - "An Island in Flames - The Revolution in Haiti 1791-1804" by Neil Smith.  The 8 pages were interesting if a little over-burdened with pretty pictures.  The blurb at the end says - "Look out for more Trouble in the Caribbean in future issues when we follow up this article with more on Haiti's Struggle for Independence."  Does anybody know if such an article actually appeared?

I had already read "The Black Jacobins" by CLR James but never thought of it as a wargaming project.  Now that I am sorting out my loft space I am trying to decide what can be used and/or converted and what goes to the next Bring & Buy. 

Given the amount of half-painted Napoleonics I have (mostly Airfix) it seems a pity not to, at least, try to use them. Some have already found themselves fighting in the South American Wars of Independence and others in the 1812 American War.  The first half of the Haitian conflict would need Revolutionary French figures but the latter a mixture of Napoleonic French, Spanish, British and some native 'mash-ups'.  Will I do more than just think about it?

In addition to the above I found two more articles of value:

"Spanish Silver" - fighting in the American SW - Spanish v Indians.
"Ireland's Norman Invasion" by Paul Leach

Otherwise the issue seems to be populated by WW2 articles for which, obviously, there is plenty of information available.  About as captivating as two day old porridge!


Wednesday 11th October 2017

Finished the last of the ERB stories:

11)  "Tarzan and the Land That Time Forgot" by Joe R Lansdale (46p) - plenty of adventure but little character development


My last comment could apply to the entire book, and indeed the writings of ERB himself.  The modern authors have tried to give indivuals more 'life' but in the short story format that is difficult.  To me adventure comics (and stories) of ERBs era were just romping good yarns with stereotype heroes, damsels in distress and crisis after crisis.  Styles and tastes have moved on.