Comments on: Battle Plans http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:57:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: elizabeth http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3826 elizabeth Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:06:39 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3826 Thanks, Martin. Thanks, Martin.

]]> By: Martin LaBar http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3825 Martin LaBar Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:33:20 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3825 I've read a lot of fantasy with battles, and your work is far and away the best on details -- bringing up the weapons, where to put the latrines, etc. It was obvious that you had given serious thought to these matters. This post is not a surprise, then. I’ve read a lot of fantasy with battles, and your work is far and away the best on details — bringing up the weapons, where to put the latrines, etc. It was obvious that you had given serious thought to these matters. This post is not a surprise, then.

]]> By: elizabeth http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3808 elizabeth Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:54:40 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3808 I'm more serious about my books than that. For me, the fun is in figuring out what would really happen, and for that I go to history, archaeology, and so on. Agincourt and Crecy aren't the only battles "available" to use when considering archery tactics and outcomes. I’m more serious about my books than that. For me, the fun is in figuring out what would really happen, and for that I go to history, archaeology, and so on. Agincourt and Crecy aren’t the only battles “available” to use when considering archery tactics and outcomes.

]]> By: arthur piantadosi http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3804 arthur piantadosi Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:07:53 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3804 Just as a joke, you could always do what I do when I play that silly Age of Empires 2 game and fight the historical Battle of Agincourt/Azincourt. You get Henry the Vth, 8 or 9 two handed swordsmen, two rams, priests, four knights, and the rest of your force is longbow men. I put the longbows in the center of a square formation, and advance slowly. Of course, I don't know if that would work in the real world. Just as a joke, you could always do what I do when I play that silly Age of Empires 2 game and fight the historical Battle of Agincourt/Azincourt. You get Henry the Vth, 8 or 9 two handed swordsmen, two rams, priests, four knights, and the rest of your force is longbow men. I put the longbows in the center of a square formation, and advance slowly. Of course, I don’t know if that would work in the real world.

]]> By: elizabeth http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3785 elizabeth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:08:36 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3785 I don't read Spanish, so I have only the translation to go by, but I think it's very good--it conveys the flavor of Spanish and the culture. You're more likely to find these in bookstores than libraries, I'm afraid. We (the SFWA Musketeers) gave DRW the latest of the books to be translated, "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet," to celebrate his first fiction sale. The movie combines events from all the Alatriste books, and I had read only two when I saw it--if you just flow with it, it works anyway, and then, when reading the books, you recognize the kernel incident and find out what led up to it, etc. I don’t read Spanish, so I have only the translation to go by, but I think it’s very good–it conveys the flavor of Spanish and the culture.

You’re more likely to find these in bookstores than libraries, I’m afraid. We (the SFWA Musketeers) gave DRW the latest of the books to be translated, “The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet,” to celebrate his first fiction sale.

The movie combines events from all the Alatriste books, and I had read only two when I saw it–if you just flow with it, it works anyway, and then, when reading the books, you recognize the kernel incident and find out what led up to it, etc.

]]> By: Kip Colegrove http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3782 Kip Colegrove Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:07:12 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3782 You mentioned the Alatriste novels. I knew nothing of Perez-Riverte until I noticed that Viggo Mortensen, an actor I particularly admire, played the title character in the movie. I've put off looking for the books (which I wanted to read before investigating the movie), and unfortunately I don't read or speak more than a few words of Spanish. Well, maybe I won't be so fussy about reading the books first, since the film seems to be so well thought of. But in any case I'm going to start looking harder for the books, going the library route where possible (harder these days, with funding reduced). Is the translation done decently? You mentioned the Alatriste novels. I knew nothing of Perez-Riverte until I noticed that Viggo Mortensen, an actor I particularly admire, played the title character in the movie. I’ve put off looking for the books (which I wanted to read before investigating the movie), and unfortunately I don’t read or speak more than a few words of Spanish.

Well, maybe I won’t be so fussy about reading the books first, since the film seems to be so well thought of. But in any case I’m going to start looking harder for the books, going the library route where possible (harder these days, with funding reduced). Is the translation done decently?

]]> By: elizabeth http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3772 elizabeth Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:39:16 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3772 I've been fascinated by this kind of stuff since childhood ("You're reading WHAT? Girls don't read that!") and having Caesar as our main text in second year high school Latin was sheer joy. Xenophon's _Anabasis_ is another incredibly useful text for the fantasy writer, besides being one of the great war stories of all time. I’ve been fascinated by this kind of stuff since childhood (“You’re reading WHAT? Girls don’t read that!”) and having Caesar as our main text in second year high school Latin was sheer joy. Xenophon’s _Anabasis_ is another incredibly useful text for the fantasy writer, besides being one of the great war stories of all time.

]]> By: Kip Colegrove http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3771 Kip Colegrove Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:01:36 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3771 There were of course instances of pikes vs. short swords in ancient warfare, some quite notable. The Romans eventually figured out how to deal with Macedonian-style formations armed with the sarissa. As I was reading about Paks getting inside the reach of the pikes during the relief of Dwarfwatch I thought, "Yep, that's how they did it." There were of course instances of pikes vs. short swords in ancient warfare, some quite notable. The Romans eventually figured out how to deal with Macedonian-style formations armed with the sarissa. As I was reading about Paks getting inside the reach of the pikes during the relief of Dwarfwatch I thought, “Yep, that’s how they did it.”

]]> By: elizabeth http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3769 elizabeth Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:48:09 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3769 Spoiler-seekers...well, let's hope we've put them off the trail. BTW, are you familiar with the Alatriste books by Perez-Riverte? Spoiler-seekers…well, let’s hope we’ve put them off the trail.

BTW, are you familiar with the Alatriste books by Perez-Riverte?

]]> By: Keith McCormic http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491&cpage=1#comment-3768 Keith McCormic Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:32:36 +0000 http://www.paksworld.com/blog/?p=491#comment-3768 Point. Of course, now the spoiler seekers will be ALL confused! ;) Point. Of course, now the spoiler seekers will be ALL confused! ;)

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