A Visit to the Moon

A Visit to the Moon is another VSF classic by George Griffith and available for free download here:

http://www.gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0602321h.html

What a clever looking chap eh?

Clean your chimney Guv'nor?

Engaged a stiff upper lip and got into a bit of a clean up around the old WWS Blog.  Removed dead links, added some new ones, bit of a stooge with the format, that sort of thing.

Making a bit of room for a new project hereabouts.  Going to be a good show but Mum's the word for now.  Cant be too careful with all those Boche spies and agents of the Tsar lurking about dont you know...

One development which might interest chaps of a literary bent is the 'Books in a White Wine Sauce' section in the left hand margin.  I've put together a list of VSF books, both period and modern, and would love to hear if any erudite readers have any further suggestions.  Cheers!

Happy Easter!

Hope you have a great one Chaps!

Well that is a little awkward...

It takes awhile for the steam packet to arrive from London and deliver the Times, so excuse my excitement in hearing of Brigade Models' Birthday Sale.  I had pulled out my 'wants and needs' list in a rush, somehow overlooking the fact that it was last month not this month.

Apologies to all and sundry, but my birthday wishes to Brigade Models remain undaunted!

Chin-chin!

Happy Birthday Brigade Models

and to celebrate, a 25% off sale  for the next 48 hrs only - Huzzah !!!

http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Blog/2013/02/are-you-sitting-comfortably/

Reminiscences of a Volunteer

A free pdf download of George Chesney's classic tale is available at Book Depository here:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Battle-Dorking-George-Chesney/9781406591118

Sir George Tomkyns Chesney (1830-1895) was British Army general and brother of Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney. Educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, and at Addiscombe, he entered the Bengal Engineers as second lieutenant in 1848. He was employed for some years in the public works department and, on the outbreak of the Indian rebellion of 1857, joined the Ambala column, was field engineer at the battle of Badli-ke-serai, brigade-major of engineers throughout the siege of Delhi, and was severely wounded in the assault (he received a medal and clasp and a brevet majority). In 1860, he was appointed head of a new department in connection with the public works accounts. His book Indian Polity (1868), dealing with the administration of the several departments of the Indian government, attracted wide attention and remains a permanent textbook. In 1871, he contributed to Blackwoods Magazine a highly influential short story called The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer, a vivid account of a supposed invasion of England by the Germans after their victory over France.

HM Airship 'Fearnought'

Lovely jubbly!
http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234912362-edwardian-steam-airbattleship-hms-fearnaught/page-4

D'Orcy's Airship Manual

I've found a rather fascinating book online:
D'Orcy's Airship Manual: An International Register of Airships with a Compendium of the Airship's Elementary Mechanics 
Well worth the effort of a free download - enjoy! http://ia600302.us.archive.org/8/items/dorcysairshipman00orcyrich/dorcysairshipman00orcyrich.pdf

Airship Captain

A great cosplay image from the collection of Tom Banwell.  Check out more of his work here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/steampunkleather/pool/tombanwell/?view=lg

Empire of the Dead: Requiem

Halloo old beans! Well excitement abounds for you Little Wars chappies! There I was having enjoyed afternoon tiffin with the Memsahib when my poratble Babbage Engine burst into life. Gad! I nearly spilt my bumper of shandy-gaff! Anyhows it seems those coves at West Wind are releasing some more toy soldiers for their Empire of the Dead parlour game and would like some of your money as an investment to help their venture.

Now the boss there is a brick and I don't think we need to worry he is going to cabbage your silver so have a look at this chronophotographic advertisement and see if it gets your dander up! Harrumph! You can read more about their venture on your own Babbage Engine here. Toodle-pip.

In Her Majesty's Name

View Hallo Chaps! Gladstone's whiskers it's been a while but when Her Majesty calls ect. Harrumph! Any hows old beans some exciting news for you Little Wars fellas, you should be aware that those wags at Osprey Publishing are releasing one of your gamebooks in April entitled "In Her Majesty's Name" (stand straight there fella!) but new intel has appeared on my Babbage Engine about some toy soldiers to accompany it (all from those johnnies at North Star and post free for you fine chaps across the Empire in distant climes where the sun never sets like Australia).

Ragnarok 59

Is here - and a great issue it is too!  Thanks indeed to Steve B for stepping into the Editor's shoes for a third time to make it happen.  Contents include:

Aftermath - a Fantasy Warriors scenario

Burning Down The House - a Dirtside II scenario

The Drake Incident  - a Star Trek scenario

Mesing About on the Water - a generic fantasy campaign

To Keep Man, Man! - the Instrumentality of Mankind by Cordwainer Smith

The World Needs Heroes - inspiration for superhero wargaming

Aeronef Over Guahan - a secnario for Aeronef

Crush Your Enemies - recreating Conan the Barbarian in miniature

Assassination - a secnario for Kill Zone

Far Trader - Traveller ship statistics for Full Thrust

Fall of the Goblin Empire - a set of fantasy air wargame rules

Merry Christmas 2012

Very best wishes to you!

Anti-Aeronef gun

In 1911 the threat of aircraft was already apparent, as this lovely light anti-aeronef prototype mounting shows:

"Rear Admiral Nathan C. Twining of the United States Navy is spending all his energies to make air craft unsafe, at least in warfare, while H. La V. Twining, brother of the Admiral, is seeking daily to improve aerial navigation. Rear Admiral Twining bas just invented a gun (see below) which, it is believed, will meet and prevent the menace of bomb-throwing airmen." ("Studying Airships in War; H. La V. Twining Builds Planes - Admiral Twining Has Gun to Destroy 

New range of Victorian coastal craft!

Now here is something that has caught my eye - a range of 1/2400 scale Victorian/ACW era craft by Tumbling Dice.  Cant see to find any pics of the range at the moment though:

ASV1 1st Rate 120 Gun Converted 3 Decker (1856) x1

• ASV2 1st Rate 120 Gun HMS Victoria (1859) x1
• ASV3 2nd Rate 90 Gun HMS Hero (1858) x1
• ASV4 2nd Rate 100 Gun HMS Duncan (1859) x1
• ASV5 Frigate HMS Phoebe (1859) x1
• ASV6 Frigate Souveraine (1859) x1
• ASV7 Frigate HMS Diadem (1857) x1
• ASV8 Small Frigate HMS Arrogant (1840) x1
• ASV9 Large Frigate HMS Galatea (1859) x1
• ASV10 Very Large Frigate HMS Mersey (1858) x1

http://www.tumblingdiceuk.com/product-category/12400-naval/victorian-period-acw

British Frigate HMS Mersey