Total Pageviews

Greetings!

'A gaping silken dragon,/Puffed by the wind, suffices us for God./We, not the City, are the Empire's soul:/A rotten tree lives only in its rind.'

Wednesday 28 April 2021

The Militia is embodied...

 It Lives!!

Like Frankenstein's monster, this mixed bag blog lives once more. Like General MacArthur after long years' absence, it has returned. Greetings to my old friends of the blogosphere, the toy soldier aficionados, the wargame chappies, the kit bashers and scenery makers. Greetings!


I will not bore you with the vicissitudes of life that explain the absence of Cpt. Al Front and his tin men. Instead, this new season brings news of those fervent patriots of the Maltovian National League (MNL). As you will remember, the shaky peace between Maltovia and Lovitznia means that neither side can afford to let down its guard for long. So, as the last snows melt, the militiamen of the MNL have been embodied for their annual field exercise:


 In their role as part-time skirmishers, they train in open formation to the front of regular Maltovian line infantry. 


The MNL's efforts are watched by that hero of the nation, Maj. Vlasov, and the ever-optimistic militia commander, 'Buller' Szlod:

Steaming gently near the staff car is the beer wagon, with, it is hoped, sufficient beer for the militia and regulars.


Behind lies yet another ancient fortified town, Sblad. Yet another disputed area on the Maltovia-Lovitznia border. No one can be sure when the next clash will happen.


Stay tuned. This news was brought to you courtesy of the aptly named smoke, 'Balkan Mixture' . Recommended by old buffers everywhere.



 ANNOUNCEMENTS:

I have added a few new publications to the side bar here. My latest Pen & Sword book is: Amateur Armies: Militias and Volunteers in War and Peace, 1797-1961. Published in October 2020, it is a rattling rush through some interesting volunteer and militia units, the societies they sprang from, and the wars they took part in. Those wars include: the French Wars, the War of 1812, the second Boer War, the Spanish-American War of 1898, the Spanish Civil War, and the defence of Castroist Cuba, 1960-1961. Click on the image for the link.

I have also started self-publishing again, with a new biography of Dorothy Eckersley, the female 'Lord Haw Haw'. That booklet (paperback, 106 pp, illustrated) came out last month. It is entitled: Long Road to Berlin: Socialism, Stalinism and Nazism; Dorothy Eckersley's journey to German Wartime Radio. Click on the side bar image for a link.

Finally, I have just launched a history website-come-blog for anyone interested. It can be found here:

https://stephenmcullenallotmenthutbooks.org/ 

14 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks! It's been a long time. Pleased to be moving the little tin men again.

      Delete
  2. Fantastic to have you blogging here again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And thanks for the purchase, the book went in the post today.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Thanks, Ross. I have turned to your rules again for this game. The really are just the thing.

      Delete
  4. Welcome back! A few times I've wondered how you were.... very busy by the sound of things. I look forward to seeing future posts and publications.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Life and everything else has been getting in the way. I'm pleased to be back though. All the best!

      Delete
  5. Good to see you back in the fray sir.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good to see that you are blogging again ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mark. I'm pleased that my efforts were missed.

      Delete
  7. .. get those brushes out too! Good to see you back Stephen..all the best

    ReplyDelete
  8. Welcome back. You were missed.

    ReplyDelete