COMPETITION!!! Win Grouchy's Waterloo, by Andrew Field

N.B. - DEADLINE EXTENDED - See below.

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a review copy of Andrew Field's excellent book, Grouchy's Waterloo, which I've reviewed in another recent posting, here. Actually - and I don't believe this has ever happened before - I was sent two copies of this title.*

I was thinking of giving it away to a friend. But the truth is, I don't really have any pals who are as nuts about the Napoleonic Wars as I am, and I felt this should go to someone really interested.

I also feel this way due to the nature of the books contents, which are quite detailed, and would suit the kind of internet nutters, sorry, enthusiasts, or history buffs, who frequent TMP, leaving essay-length postings on the comings and going of this or that Corps, and so on.

D'Erlon, last seen stood on top of a plinth in Reims.**

Anyway, I'll have to restrict this to mainland UK, so I can afford the postage. And I'll put a time limit on it as well: the deadline for entries is midday next sunday, i.e. 12.00 noon on Sunday, 10th June. [Deadline now extended, see below!]

So, what can I come up with as a fun way to decide who'll get this... Hmm!?

Okay, so I'll make no bones about it, I want to use this opportunity to encourage folks to visit and read/follow this blog! So I'll make my question this:

which is your favourite post, or topic, here on A Question Of Scale, and why? 

Please leave your answer here, as a comment on this post. The answer I like the best - and that's assuming I get any!? - gets the book, and their winning reply will be posted here next Sunday. Once the competitions over, I'll post the book to whoever has won on the following monday.

--------------------
UPDATE: Well, my deadline has been and gone, and not a single soul has responded to the competition. Obviously that's rather disappointing. Traffic to my blog has increased, however. So that's something. Still, I am a trifle sad that I've had nobody at all respond.

What to do? I think I'll extend the deadline a bit, and embark on a more energetic campaign to publicise the giveaway. So, if you're interested, watch this space. Or better still, help me fill it, by taking part!

Thanks to Marc (the plastics fan!?), via TMP, I'll be extending the deadline for the competition to midday next Sunday, 17th June (also Father's Day!). So, who knows, you might even want to win this as a gift for Pops?

Okay, so I'm not exactly offering the Legion d'Honeur.

The 17th June is also an apt date to wrap this competition up, as it's the anniversary of the day after Ligny and  Quatre Bras (16th June), and the day before Waterloo and Grouchy's engagements at or near Wavre. 

It could be called the 'day of dithering', as Napoleon, Ney and Grouchy all failed to act quickly and decisively, helping seal their own eventual defeat. This is exactly the stuff Field cover in his book in such fascinating detail.
----------

FINITO! COMPETITION CLOSED.

Thanks to all who took part, and any who just had a look at the blog. The reason why has now passed. And it only remains for me to pick a winner. I'll be doing that at some point this afternoon, and posting the decision here against 6pm.

[some time later] ... so, it's just gone six...

Even though I only had three entries to choose from, it was tough deciding, but I've gone with Paul Howarth's reply:

'Hmmm. It's a tough one. I enjoyed reading different takes on films and comparing experiences at Waterloo 2015, but I think my favourite is the Funcken post. When I was in primary school my headteacher (who brought his 15mm Napoleonics into school for a group of us to wargame with on a Friday afternoon) lent me his copies. I made the mistake of arranging my first metal figures (Warrior French) on ne of the pages and was distraught to see the marks they left. Fortunately, he was more focused on inspiring a love of history and I ended up buying my own copies. This was responsible for me painting my French infantry as anything from Confederation of the Rhine instead. Terrific books, very atmospheric. 

I'd been meaning to do something with all my photos from trips to military sites and events, as well as thoughts on films and books. I think you've inspired me to look at options as I realised I'd like to do it for myself, as much as anything. Thanks for that.'

This kind of ticked all the boxes for me: I get inspiration from other people's blogs, and it's nice to think/hope mine might occasionally do that for someone else. Plus Paul goes for one of my recent posts, and yet one that goes right back to the roots of my passionate interest in this whole military history thing. Thanks again, Marc, Ray and Paul. Paul, I'll need to get your address somehow. So I can post you the book.

----------

* As an Amazon Vine reviewer, and former Drummer mag columnist, I have, over the years, been sent quite a bit of free stuff to review. Lucky me! And more recently this has even started to happen with my military history interests. But this is the first time I've been sent two copies of the same book.

** If you're fascinated/obsessed by d'Erlon's wanderings, and the role his 1er Corps played, or could've played, in the One Hundred Days, then this is the right sort of book for you.