Monday 4 June 2018

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.

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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.
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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.

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* 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.

19 comments:

  1. No takers!? C'mon folks, there must be someone out there in blog-land who loves Napoleonic history, and would like a free copy of this excellent book posted to them?

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  2. Ok Seb, Marc from TMP. Let’s see if I scan log on and leave a message. All the best. Marc

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  3. Ok, looks like that worked. Right. I will read your blog tonight on the way home. Hoping to find answers to how you have made choices on your hobby return. Marc

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    1. Great, and thanks. You're top of the list of contenders for 1st palace at present... as you ARE the entire list... for now. In fairness to anybody else who might be tempted to have a crack, I'll extend the deadline to next Sunday.

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    2. '1st palace'? Er... oops! Can't quite run to that.

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  4. 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.

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    Replies
    1. Wow! Thanks Paul. An actual proper response. I thought I wasn't going to get any. Not sure what happened to Marc Flack? That means you're now the top contender - unless Marc or anyone else does actually answer the question - so, thanks, and good luck.

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  5. Hi Seb
    Its a shame not many bloggers answered your post, I myself missed it when you first posted it. I've been very slack on my blog recently!!
    Repost the post and give it another week, hopefully you'll get a few more entries???
    I like this post http://aquestionofscale.blogspot.com/2015/05/scenic-stuff-small-trees.html
    from way back in 2015, when you were showing off your newly made trees. It inspired me to try and make my own trees, I bought a pack of plastic railway trees, I tried one it didn't come out too bad, nowhere near as good as your trees, but hayho, I'll give it a go again one day.

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    1. Hi Ray, thanks for joining in! I've already extended this a week. Not sure I'll extend it again. Hmmm? Might do... but at least now there's more than one response, so I'll have to think hard about who gets the book. Cheers, Seb

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    2. I shared your link on the Posties Rejects Facebook page. Hopefully you'll get a few more comments?

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    3. Cheers Ray, you're a gent ;-)

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  6. Seb - not wanting the book, but cracking blog.. now a follower.. ;o)

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    1. Hi Steve, thanks, and glad you like the blog and have decided to follow it. I like your profile pic :-) Regards, Seb

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  7. Still here - enjoying the blog, but I have started at the beginning and have been working my way through (plus some deep dives via your categories - the Callan stuff was interesting). At the moment I am loathe to name a favourite - I can give you themes though. What I enjoy the most in blogland is discovering the writer’s motivations for going down particular routes. And sadly, must be an age thing (if I read it right, you are a few years to the good of me), but the nostalgia threads often catch my attention the most. The reverse of that is that I am probably not such a big fan of film reviews. I welcome then, just not ever going to be my first port of call.

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  8. Part the second. So when you right about WHY you like things, and WHAT personal resonance they have for you -well, that’s me hooked 😀

    Anyway, I am still reading, so book or no book, I have been having a cracking time.

    And, as an aside, my birthday is tomorrow -Napoleon’s last victory. I think I was destined to be a Napoleonic gamer... of course, it does mean that I often share a birthday and Father’s Day, but I can take that.

    Marc

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  9. Of course, I realise that I haven’t actually answered your question, so to kick the game off, it will be the Blohm and Voss. Why? A brilliantly quirky plane, a real dose of nostalgia (yes, I also spent my pocket money on kits every weekend, and that one was part of the arms budget). A great tech tip around the canopy. But the clincher -that you admitted your mistakes, showed the hatchet job necessary, but carried on -and got a decent splinter cammo scheme on it at the end.
    So as a theme, your kit builds will probably be the continuing hook that keeps me reading. Your attention to detail (lifting eyes etc) alongside your willingness to share, make your reviews/builds useful to me -as a moderate level builder at best. Thanks

    Marc

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    1. Hi Marc, happy birthday for tomorrow. Thanks for the feedback, and taking part in the competition. It's great for me to hear what people think. Other people's blogs have been (and remain) a source of inspiration. I really want to get back into more model making and figure painting. The book and film reviews have taken over of late 'cause I'm simply not finding the time.

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  10. LoL. Yes, I can see that, having had a good blast through the kit builds - this cursed hobby can be time intensive, so when there is real life to deal with, then it can get lost. I haven’t painted for a couple of weeks now. I added wire flag poles to a bunch of Napoleonic Brits, and then stopped. I need to order the flags, finish painting the guys, and assemble. Oh well, one day...

    Have a good weekend

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