2017 – the last word?

The year is almost spent. Perhaps there remains enough time for one last post to get date stamped “2017”. Can von Peter himself bestir himself out of his holiday stupor and get his act together? What are the chances?  😃

The History Book Man gets his act together

The  The History Book Man is one who has managed to get one more product out the door in 2017.

If you’re on the hunt for an unusual unit or two to add to your Napoleonic French Army then the latest e-book from the The History Book Man could be just the inspiration you’re looking for. “Foreign Regiments In French Service 1798-1814 Volume Two: The Mediterranean & Balkan Regiments” is 238 pages worth of a potted history, organisational information and the all important uniform details with plenty of colour illustrations of the “Troupes Etrangere”, or foreign units, that fought for France from the Mediterranean and Balkans.

The official blurb …

Previously published in two volumes in 1976 and 1983 both have been out of print since 1984.  

This new revised and enlarged e-book edition now includes the Regiments Etrangere from Italy, Greece, Croatia  and the Balkans, and is illustrated with all new colour artwork and illustrations by well known authoritive and contemporary artists.  

As always a real steal at £3.99.

Notorious French agent Mademoiselle Keela strikes again! A Christmas horror story

That dastardly French sympathising Keela has been plying her trade again in a misguided attempt to assist that most petite of emperors! This is her second crime as reported in this here blog.

It was the day – or two but who’s counting – before Christmas. von Peter himself was not working and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. Ahhh. It is late afternoon. Yawn stretch. Time to feed the fish in the outside ponds. But what is this von Peter himself spies in his path on the path just outside the sunroom door. Oh the horror!! It is a mauled 28mm outhouse from the stock of locally held 28mm scenery items.

“K-E-E-L-A” – the air is rent with a terrible wailing – “where art thou you deceitful conniving ill spawned agent of evil mongrel dog?”.

Somehow the bitch dog – she is a female dog after all! – had got hold of the small outhouse model as created by Mark Strachan and sold by Military Miniatures long before they transmuted into Battlefront Miniatures. It has taken its place in many a battle over several decades and now is in need of repair.

Thankfully the concoction of resin, plasticard, pva glue and paints does not seem to have been to Keela’s taste The damage is mostly to the base which has been chewed away at the front. A few chips of paint accounts for the rest of the damage. It is fixable.

To aid all gamers around the world a mug shot of the recalcitrant bitch – she is still female dog – follows so that appropriate steps can be taken to protect our most precious hobby possessions. This is her second crime as reported in this here blog. See Wagram II for the first misdemeanour. You have all been warned!  🐕  🚫

There has been some holiday activity

von Peter himself has been in idle mode for just over a week now on his Christmas holiday break. Of course the “idling” has not been as idle as he would have liked as the good Fraulien von Peter herself has been a hard task master ensuring that the Christmas lunch for eleven was suitably prepared for including Neu Schloss von Peter looking spick and span.

As for hobby “stuff” … there has been the normal surfing of the ‘net. No painting to report as yet though – tsk tsk. A game of Sharp Practice has been played with Tho son & heir and it was looking quite good for von Peter himself … until it wasn’t looking so good … and then it looked really REALLY bad! And this afternoon von Peter himself is off to Garage Gaming Terry’s for a four player Napoleonic game. Not a particularly flash report card so far.

What von Peter himself has managed to achieve is progress on his vonpeterhimself.com  website. Nearly all the action has taken place around the Army Inspections and The son & heirs pages/sections.

These sections are a record of units collected with associated notes and explanations. Many of the images have been seen previously in various blogs, websites and even the occasional publication. The website corrals them all together in one place. There are some new pictures and there will be more as the stock pictures of units are either not up to standard or just don’t exist. For example there was no reasonable image of the 3/Chirvan Infantry Regiment from the Napoleonic Russian Army. This has been rectified – click the image below for a larger and clearer viewing.

The website build will continue at a meandering pace. The latest update is notified on the front page and the decision has just this very moment be taken to change this to hold the notifications of the last few updates.

It really is just a vanity project but perhaps The dear reader will gain some pleasure and insights from the occasional perusal.

The build has been both a little planned and a little haphazard. Please feel free to provide feedback either as comments here or emailed to vonpeterhimself@gmail.com.

Enough.

Until we meet again …

Salute
von Peter himself