Archives for reviews - Page 6
Destructive & Formidable by David Blackmore [Book Review]
Destructive and Formidable: British Infantry Firepower 1642 - 1765 by David John Blackmore My rating: 5 of 5 stars Destructive and Formidable is a quantitative look at British infantry doctrine using period sources from the British Civil Wars of the seventeenth century up to just before the American War of Independence. If anything you can see the constancy, which drove the success in battle of British forces, even when outnumbered. Destructive and Formidable This has got all the detail you need to model infantry battles in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. There are comparative weights and rates of fire. Measured hit rates based on range, and commentary on doctrine and how certain tactics worked in certain situations but not others. In short everything you need to design a game (although there's clearly a morale factor, which Destructive and Formidable covers…
A Young Man’s Game by Paul Blake [Book Review]
A Young Man's game by Paul Blake My rating: 4 of 5 stars A Young Man's Game by Paul Blake is an excellent debut novel with loads of twists and turns. Alec Foster uncovers a plot to assassinate the British PM in Berlin. He then needs to avoid being picked up by the Berlin police, the Russian SVR and the would-be assassins. It's further complicated by suspicion a traitor inside MI6 in the Embassy. A Young Man's Game Alec is a relic of the cold war, a former field officer, promoted away from his passion to a desk job. He's an SIS section head in the British Embassy in Berlin. Personal tragedies have turned him into an alcoholic. So he's out of practice, and very much out of shape, when tipped into the maelstrom by the murder of an SVR…
Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch [Book Review]
Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really enjoyed Lies Sleeping, and liked the multiple meanings inferable from the title. Lies Sleeping continues and expands on the Peter Grant story, for one thing PC Grant is now a Detective Constable. Lies Sleeping represents a watershed in the development of the universe, setting it up for more and bigger stories. The Folly is getting bigger and better organised. We see some of the liaison officers, that merely tolerated Peter and magic, accepting that it's not going away and treating Peter as one of the family. Lies Sleeping There are several key parts of the world that are explored and deepened. There is the nature of magic, keeping with Peter Grant's penchant for experimental approach and attempts to document how and why. There's what happened to practitioners…
Over a God’s Dead Body by Joel Spriggs [Book Review]
Over a God's Dead Body by Joel Spriggs My rating: 5 of 5 stars Over a God's Dead Body is the best urban fantasy story I've read this year. There's a cracking flow to the narrative and some superb imagery. As well as being a grittily realistic there are also laugh out loud moments. It's a hard mix to pull off, but Joel Spriggs manages it really well in Over a God's Dead Body. Over a God's Dead Body The story has an American Gods feel to it, mixed with the human observation that Terry Pratchett has in his discworld series. The basis of the story is that Loki has been enslaved by an Egyptian god and is obliged to steal the dead body of another god. Being Loki he isn't being entirely straight, and is doing his best to…
Real Family Holidays – Slapton [Review]
The back garden in the real family holidays centre in Slapton, Devon (photo: James Kemp) The Field Studies Council (FSC) run what they call Real Family Holidays in their centres across Britain. The idea behind real family holidays is to get back to enjoying nature and being outdoors. It certainly works for our family. There are several FSC centres that offer real family holidays around Britain. We went to Slapton in Devon, where they have two locations in close proximity. There are some in Wales, the Lake District and in Scotland. Real Family Holidays Real Family Holidays have a back to nature, organic recycling feel to it, although no hand knitted cardigans or sandals. The idea is very much around sustainability and people interacting with each other and with nature. Real Family Activities Low ropes at the Real Family Holidays…