I Won I Won

Big Lee ran a great prize draw for 2 million hits, that is a HUGE number. Best of all I only scoured the top prize. £50 Warlord voucher so I thought I would share it with my Lee as he was yet to get the Black Powder rule book but had bought it the day before! We both already have the SYW supplement so I thought it a good idea to buy the two army lists for Hail Caesar, this way both of us could benefit as we plan to have a few goes with those rules. I already like them and expect Lee to do so as well.

I also thought I would try Warlords drybrushes so got a few of these. The prize has already been shipped so I await with all the excitement of a small child. 

Massive thanks to Big Lee for being such a sport and I will be thinking of the gift every time  I use an army from these books.

Big Lee's 2 Million Hit Giveaway

Most of you will be aware of Big Lee and his excellent blog, proof of which is his massive achievement of reaching 2 Million hits, yes that's TWO MILLION.

What can he do to top that? Well his giveaway is very generous and well worth popping over to have a butchers by clicking here. 

Lee runs an excellent blog with regular updates with a good mix of topics and some serious eye candy with his 6mm Ancients and WWII featuring quite a lot at the moment.

Voices From The Napoleonic Wars Winner

Disappointing turn out for this Giveaway but it did give those that entered an excellent chance to win. Jonathan Freitag gets the win so I will be sending this out sometime this week. No need to send me your details as a previous Secret Santa entry I have the details.

I am happy for this to be payed forward or just simply kept given the lack of response Aleksandar may well be correct and the idea may not go far.

Talking about Secret Santa with the kids about to go back to school it will be time soon to start the ball rolling, lets hope it continues to grow so more on this in a later post.

Pay It Forward Voices From The Napoleonic Wars - A different Kind of Giveaway

With The Other Partizan looming up I thought I had best put into practice what I was chatting about at Partizan. I became familiar with the concept of Pay It Forward via my wife's blogging. It is where you give a gift to someone and they do the same to someone else and so it goes.

I have adapted it a little so that rather than the recipient having to supply a new gift they simply read the book I am sending out and offer that up on their blog. I did this once before with a book I received from a Blog Giveaway a few years ago.

Just like that one I want each winner of the book to add the details of their blog to the first page of the book so as the book builds it's journey we will build a list of like minded blogs for the next winner. It would be great to see this pass through many hands.

The rules are simple, if you are interested in reading the book and have a blog then leave a comment below. I will pick someone out at random and so it goes. The winner is free to change the conditions of play such as countries that can take part (mine is world wide) but the need to have a blog is key so that has to remain part of the deal.

If I get chance I will do a review of the book in the coming week, lets just say for now it's good enough to be offered up as a giveaway.

You have until the 26th of August to throw your hat in the ring so good luck

Winners Announcement

Thanks again to all who entered the giveaway and congrats to the winners. So who won what? I am glad you asked

The two boxes of Tufts go to Michael Awdry, can you go on the Tajima1 website and pick the boxes you want and send me an email with the codes and I will get them ordered for you.

The two Leven Miniatures 30 tree packages go to Thomas Nissvik and Adam Carriere, please email me via the contact details on the top left of the blog with your address and I will get them on the way.

The two The Manors, go to Lee Hadley and again that lucky man Adam Carriere, if you wish to pick a different Manor than the latest that's fine, just take a look and let me know which you want.

Service back to normal I guess.

1,000th Post Must Mean a Giveaway

Way back on 8th September 2011 I started this blog to chart my return to painting after about a twenty year break. I never expected it to reach the point where I could write a post regarding hitting 1000 posts, never mind that I would have done so in such a short period of time.

Looking back I have certainly painted up a fair few figures during the last six years, indeed I have painted more in this period than all the time I was painting the first time around. Learning so many new techniques and being a more mature painter has meant I have made a steady improvement in my skills and style. 

A big change has been my flirtation with 6mm in the early 90's becoming my main scale to paint. Not that the other scales miss out but due to Project Waterloo and now the Ancients bug I have been bashing out 6mm like my life depends on it.

I have always thought blogging as more a selfish act that a sharing one. We do it as much for the response from followers as the chance to share our work. I am lucky my wife takes an active interest in what I paint but for the main part one battalion of French line infantry looks more or less the same as the 50+ I have already showed her. So it's to you dear reader that I have to thank for making comments and keeping my ego topped up and desiring more, more I say MORE :-)

So what better way to thank the poor sods who follow this blog than do a giveaway? It's about time as it's been a long time since the last one, now what can we go with?

Two boxes of Tajima1 grass tufts of your choice from the grass tufts range (up to £6 per box)

Thirty mixed height trees from Leven Miniatures wire tree range for 6mm gaming as pictured above.

2x Copy of the Latest The Manor roleplaying zine packed with interesting bits and pieces.

So that's four prizes, feel free to throw your name in the hat for any or all the listed prizes, I will be closing the giveaway on the 26th and announcing the prizes on the 27th. 

No extra goes for blogging about it or adding links back here but it would be great if you do as it gets a wider audience, good luck to all.

Budgie Give Away and some Number Crunching

Ray over at Don't Throw a One is having a cracking give away to celebrate reaching his 500th post. Rumours that the prizes are some illegally smuggled budgies or just a small selection of the hundreds of prizes he has won in other giveaways have neither been confirmed or denied though some form of Post Office investigation is under way ;-)

Ray has a great bunch of prizes that one or more are bound to take your fancy. Ray's blog is also great fun to follow and can draw a laugh on some of his comments and responses to his fellow Rejects views.

I know a few of you think I am mad actually taking note of what I actually own regards figures but how about these numbers.

I have ninety six different troop types, scales and or nations and these span fourteen different projects.

If that is not alarming enough I have 4959 figures! That does not include part painted figures on my table or tucked away in the lets forget them file, nor does it include my WWI and WWII planes or any buildings. 

I have ignored the figures I have that are being painted for other people which cuts the total by near on another thousand!

Should I seek help or just get on with it? At least I am keeping the purchases down next weekend when I go to Triples so the total should remain reasonable.

Did I actually use the word reasonable then? No hope for me :-)

French Giveaway The Results

Sorry for the delay, been super busy with my sons birthday and all the other things that take up all possible spare time. Both kids now in bed post a Lets pick on Dad game of Cowboys so now onto the three prizes.

£20 voucher for Baccus miniatures buildings rules etc goes to Ray Russel. How does that bugger manage it?

£20 voucher for Baccus (Thank you Peter for matching my offering) goes to Mark G, should make selling on your 15mm DAK a little easier I hope.

£15 worth value of Leven Miniatures buildings to Lee Hadley, another one of the Gravesend bunch and that was out of 33 people what's the odds considering only two full time Rejects took part with Tamsin being the third (Honourably) 

Mark if you can drop me an email and I will connect you to Peter for your prize.

Ray can you get Lee to pass on his details to me, I know he has bought from Leven before but in case Mike does not have the full details.

So thanks to all that entered and to Peter at Baccus for the extra prize. I of curse have plans for another when I get the Prussians finished.

Project Waterloo Strike One! Blog Giveaway To Celebrate

With a great feeling of achievement and I have to admit also of loss, I would love to announce that the French are finished! Yes Finished, well my half at any rate. Lee of course has also more or less finished his as I believe he collects the last of them on Saturday with just the basing and flagging to do. Given that he already has the allied troops including the British almost fully flagged he is ahead of me as I still have some of the Prussians to finish.

So I have finished off the French and will be moving on next month. I actually have four Horse Artillery bases to finish but these are actually in excess of what is required. I now have 75 battalions of French Infantry. I can add these to the 14 allied battalions that have been painted with Spain in mind. I also have a mass of French Cavalry, more than double the number required for Waterloo as I have 11 regiments of Hussars needing just the one. Again these were raised for use in Spain and I have to admit I am looking forward to getting back to the Spanish Ulcer at some point next year.

Two battalions of line infantry, these are sporting the 1812-15 flags though one battalion is 1806-12 figures, oops must sort that out later. I have added an old test casting of a Leven wall to these.

The figures are some of the new Baccus castings which have continued to grow on me. Well I have now painted up 24 battalions of the 1806-12 and 12 1812-15 so I think I can say with some authority that these are the best 6mm French Infantry I have painted yet based on quality to speed ratio that works for me. Your mileage may vary but I still have A LOT more ahead of me, but at a slower pace.

With these lot done, we are looking to be able to get the game started early next year if we wish, this it turn makes it probable that we will take the battle to Joy of Six as a static display. Peter is keen for us to do this and his faith in us and excitement has been rather infectious so it would be a shame not to be there. The table looks now to be 6-8 feet deep by 16-18 feet long. About 1/4 has been made up already by Lee he is waiting for some of the major buildings to be finished by Leven before committing 100% to the table.

Another two Battalions again one each of the newer releases by Baccus. NOT to be confused with the new Old Guard that will be ready (hopefully) for Castle Donnington (I want some please). So I guess I will be painting up a few more French figures after all ;-)

So that's the last four Battalions of Line I needed to paint up. I had been very confident I only had a few Light to paint up so it was a bit of a shock when I found out I needed another seven lights, so I dug deep into the 1812-15 booster and dashed these off at the same time.

Last shot of the Line before I move onto the Lights, just the usual basing style but I have discovered a new stand in for Sandtext that seems to de the job just as well but the cost is lower and better still can be bought in smaller pots, more on that in it's own post.

The lights are actually easier to paint than the line, though strictly speaking I really should mix up the trousers to include some white but I think that's more than is needed in 6mm. Next time I am bound to disagree and will add the extra detail.

Another Leven wall but this one is for release soon. I just had to add a little track to the base as well, well I do like the bases to be fun. The 1812-15 figures are actually faster to paint than the 1806-12 and not just because of the Shako Cords, I do think they are slightly better figures. It's odd then that I actually prefer the 1806-12 figures, possibly as these are the ones I have done the most work on.

The flags seem to be larger than the earlier period, that and the flag pole is attached further up the head than the earlier figures. I found cutting the flag at the bottom allowed the flag to frap around and worked well.

As you can see the wall is very nice and matches 6mm figures well. I think the pack will contain four wall sections and four pillars. I am loading so many images onto the post so Mike can pick which he wants to use (if any).

What I like the most is that the wall also has brick pattern around the edges allowing the wall t finish without butting onto some other piece of terrain.

This picture shows the quality of the castings, both the wall and the skirmishers. I really do like the finished base and thanks Mike for giving me the props.

Rear facing showing the bricks of the wall and the detail on the backs if the infantry. It's the view I want to see the most when I am playing with or against them LOL.

OK onto more of the lights most of the ones I have painted to this point have been in line so I thought I had better make up more in column formation to balance the forces some.

The figures are really crisp in detail and in some cases have moustaches though I did not go as far as to paint these details in.

All eleven new Battalions ready for action. I can not express the joy of getting all these finished but strangely at the same time a bit of a regret that this part of the project has come to an end. I still have lots more in hand to paint up at a later time but for now the focus has to change to other aspects such is the size of the project.

GIVE AWAY.

To celebrate the accomplishment I will be holding a giveaway starting tomorrow open to all even none followers, I just need to change the settings to again allow anyone to leave comments. Full details are not in place but so far I have thus

1. First Prize £20 gift token for Baccus, this is because almost all the figures are Baccus and I wanted to acknowledge the fact and thanks to Peter for his interest in the project.

2. Second Prize £20 gift token from Baccus for more Baccus toys. Peter offered this prize in answer to my request for him to agree to me giving him some money (not that he has ever said no to that!!) so a big thank you to Peter.

3. One of the Leven Miniatures Napoleonic building complexes yet to be decided. I have not discussed with Mike but I will buy something from him for a lucky winner.

In the case of 1 and 2 the winners will contact Peter and can spend as much as they wish with a total of £20 being deducted from their order. If the total comes to £20 or less including post you pay nothing but no cash or credit will be held for future use. 

In the case of 3. I will pay cost of the building and postage though you are welcome to add to the order and postage cost in excess of my contribution will be at your cost.

As I said all are welcome to join in but can I please ask you only to put your name in if you are interested in the scale as I want a few peeps to benefit from the give away rather than for general interest. If you want Leven buildings but not the Napoleonic one's let me know and I will give a cash value instead. The winner of the Baccus prizes can use it for any period.

Don't put your name forward yet that's all for tomorrow, the games will begin soon.

Spring Blog Con, The Loot and the Dudes

It's the people that make Blog-Con, not that a good venue doesn't add to the experience but whilst venue and games add to the whole it's the people that keep us coming back for more. Dave D was great, steering us through chaos, Sydney added another layer of fun that kept us all entertained. Our Oldhammer mates are just that. Eight months ago I would have had a different view of Oldhammer but seeing the guys play both games (Nottingham and York) I have a growing respect and feeling of comradeship towards them.

EVERYONE just gelled together and the whole day was one of joy and other than Ray not a bad word was said about anyone (just kidding Ray,we bad mouthed another guy)  ;-)

It was a shame I was not up to staying for the Curry Evening, the southern one looks to e a stay over (I have the dog kennel of one of the Oldhammer freaks guys so am sorted LOL).

It really started well for me as Loki gave me my prize from his last giveaway (he is having another you know) but being the top guy he is he also gave me a bonus book, a historical novel to read between the Sharpe's I am also reading at the moment. I just need to finish the last Wheel of Time book then I am all over these! I don't think I was as forward in my thanks as I really should have been so thanks Andrew I really am looking forward to both of these, the Howard book more for the unexpectedness of it.

So the end of my Blog-Con trilogy and a big thanks to all the guys, you all made my day, especially Lee for being the great mate he has been over the last three years. The two where I was skint and too often short tempered through fatigue or pain. He was generous in time and lifts so it was great to be the driver for a trip that was not just round the corner. I have to admit that two of my oldest opponents still remain favourites to play against so Lee and Matt cheers mates and here's to another 30 plus years of being little kids and laughing at not juts each others misfortune on the table but our own!

Giveaway Loki Style

I really don't want to tell you but Loki is having a rather excellent Giveaway over at the Great Hall with a great selection of prizes. Keep your hands off Napoleon though, I want's him I do, my precious. Oh and a few boobs are also on view but lease don't touch. 

My Book Arrives and Nearly A Week Between Posts!

First up the two are not connected but I have got home from work to find the book I had won sitting next to me computer. This is courtesy of Jonathan who runs the rather spiffing Palouse Wargaming Journal which is packed full of varied and excellent painted figures. A joy to follow as Jonathan has a nice mix of interests.

I had been advised to get another title on the battle to read before this as the detail of this book means that a base understanding is rewarded on reading Goetz. So in the meantime I ordered Duffy's book on the subject and will read this with my prize following on after.

So a great big thank You to Jonathan and I am sure the nett result will be yet more money thrown in the general direction of Baccus, thought the Adler me and Lee are buying in less than two weeks just happen to be well filled out by Austrian's and Russian's so I guess fate said buy more, buy more.

Also regular followers will have noticed a distinct reduction in posts with almost a whole week going between posts. Just a massive work load mixed in with not being 100% post treatment has left me low on reserves and short on time. I have done some painting but not enough to get all excited about. Hopefully back to normal especially as I have figures to show off.

Building of the Week and Blog Giveaway Score

First up is a huge Thank You to Jonathan over at Palouse Wargaming Journal who pulled my name out of the hat scoring me a copy of 1805 Austerlitz so I have some great Napoleonic reading ahead of me and just after I secured some Austrian's in 6mm. OK Lee will be the one with those guys but I look to get the French to face them. I will crack on with the book I am reading at the moment so that can move to the front of the queue.

Now don't get too excited as I am not actually finished with the Total Battle Miniatures Spanish Hill Village, rather I have most of the base finished and have added some of the other TBM buildings showing that it can be used for multiple periods and locations just by switching buildings over. 

I still have to add about 20% of the bushes come trees to the base as well as fill in the odd spot where it is not fully covered and also add static grass here and there.

The rocky sections look great with a reasonable amount of dry brushing. I also intend to add bits of static grass and vegetation to a few spots so as to give it some more life.

I have been using Woodland Scenic's Olive Green Bushes with a little of a lighter colour added to the mix. The cast bushes are OK but painted bushes never really do it for me, possibly as I have never been that good at that part of modelling. 

I really like the texture and reasonably happy with how the stonework finished up. The road and ground have enough texture to save sanding though I used the same way of painting it to try and get it to match the bases. I should have the last of the real modelling on this finished tonight and the buildings are about 40% done. I hope to finish the buildings by the end of next week but no promises.

The Giveaway RESULTS

OK I got up made myself a Drink and started to crank up Random.Org for the numbers. Last night I wrote up the spreadsheet and added the last few on getting up. One thing I like about Giveaways is seeing what is the most popular of the items and er, what tanks. So before the results here are the items in order of popularity.

Brushes with 52 requests beating out the rest by a country mile

Salute Figure

Flocking Powder

Leven Buildings

Both DVD's scored the same but had a mix of different and same person requests

54mm Figure

Tarawa, A Hell Of A Way To Die

So this will be the order I will give the results.

The Brushes was always Ray's, after all he said they were. I don't know how he bloody does it but yet again the bugger wins top prize. I think I won't bother entering any draw the lucky sod goes in for!

Salute Figure The last guy to put his name down gets the prize, well done Peter

Flocking Powder This has been won by Mike, who I think would have a bit of bother getting into The Works so it's a good score.

Leven Miniatures Thomas N comes in good (did you not win the last lot?) so nip over to Leven pick your buildings and I will get them on order for you. I have even added a link to make it easier for you.

Immortals & Thin Red Line where won by the same person so well done Chris

54mm Figure-the painting of was one by Tamsin, now all Tamsin has to do is find the figure she is not sure that is made, oh fun ;-)

Tarawa is all for Gary Amos

And that wraps up the prize giving. Thanks to all for entering the giveaway. If things go as expected today will be rather aptly that page views will pass the 200,000 mark, now that's hot sauce! As much as we may play it down sometimes, it's the continued interest from others that spurs on blog writing and that in turn gets us to pick up our brushes so thanks for the support.

If any of you lucky winners are at Derby next weekend can you let me know and I will bring along your prizes. Otherwise can you e-mail me your address

ian_willey @ hot   mail   dot      com

Again thanks to all that entered and thanks to all that visit and especially comment on my posts, as some know it has been a source of strength when most other things seemed to be going base over apex.

What Another Giveaway?

No not another give away, more a continuation of the last one ;-)

I have three more items to add to the items on offer HERE. Same rules apply as before with this one addition. If you have already put your name down for one or more of the other prizes you can still enter this one. 

Indeed you can go for one or all prizes in both giveaways. If you win one prize you remain in for the rest. You have till I pick the winners on the 22nd September so not much longer. So what are these other prizes?

The 2011 Salute figure. OK I did not go to the Salute show but a friend who did gave me this figure as part of payment for painting up some of his figures. So if you missed out you have the chance of bagging this fellow.

I was recommended this book after doing a book review on another book on the subject of Tarawa. Still need to do a review of the book but the short of it is "Good book, but not as good as the one I had already read". This may not be totally fair given the whole account has to be scripted the same for both so any follow on book will tend to be a bit of the same. However it's still a good book and well worth reading so here it is.

I mentioned in yesterdays post I had a three figure 54mm base to paint up. This is it, a scene from the Charge of the Light Brigade. Now this is NOT what's on offer, this I intend to take to work and have on my desk for some time before I even think of off loading it. instead I am offering to paint any 54mm figure the winner want's me to do for them. The only stipulation is they have to pick and pay for the figure themselves and I will paint it up and get it back to them. Now all I have to do is hope someone wants to go for this prize or I am going to feel a lemon LOL

Don't forget the two giveaway's end 22nd September

Work Desk and a Few Reminders

It's been an interesting weekend and a bit. It's mostly gone something like this........

Prep some figures, stab myself with a bayonet,

Prep some more and now stab myself with my scalpel,

Say sod it for tonight and then pick up where I left off in the morning, yes stab myself again with the scalpel,

Take a break to go blackberry picking and get stabbed repeatably with thorns mostly from blackberry bushes mixed in with other spiky plants and stings from nettles to mix it up.

After that it's back home to stab myself with my needle file and as it never gets old my scalpel.

End result though is..............

This is this months target in 6mm figures, other figures will be added in through the month as I feel like it. Given that Lee and I have started building Quatre Bras this may be a tad optimistic but if you don't try...

Lee also provided the OOB he want's to break his Saxon's in on. I need to provide 42 Prussian Infantry Battalions so we either give it a go early next year or I go for double production for October and November and we can try for the Christmas break. It's possible so lets see.

At least I have something finished, well if you don't include basing and post varnish touch ups then it's finished. I should get the base either tomorrow or more likely Wednesday so I aim to have it finished for Friday if possible. I won't rush it but I am looking forward to passing it on.

Once finished fully and with the owners permission I will post better picks. Then I will throw some spare painting hours in the direction of the Balaclava diorama I have for myself. This one was a walk in the park compared with the complexity of that one so I look forward to the challenge and hope it's as much fun to do as this one.

OK reminders. 

If your in the Santa Clause and you have yet to send your details please see the last call post and get in touch.

Secret Santa, you have three weeks to sign up, then I will be closing the list and asking for email addresses though you can beat me to the punch if you want and get your details to me. Tomorrow I start to chase the Clause guys and girls.

Last up is the giveaway. Again tomorrow will see a couple of extra items added that I forgot to include, but if you have yet to throw your hat in the ring for a prize feel free to check out yesterdays post and say which items you are interested in. You can go for as many prizes as you like, if you win one you still get put in for the others.

500 POSTS and 2nd Blogaversary GIVEAWAY

Well it's finally here, the blogs first post ever was exactly two years ago today and this my friends is the 500th post in those two years. I'd like to think they landed at the same time by careful planning but accident had more  influence than design. But such milestones can not go without some form of celebration so lets get started with..............

Who can resist a movie based on Greek Myth, given it's from the same producers as 300 it's bound to be eye candy but from looking at the images on the net I think it may make 300 look like a historical documentary but if you can ignore the costumes it's supposed to be a fun watch.

The Thin Red Line has been out a lot longer and has it's fans and detractors and is a bit weird but I did enjoy it so I have grabbed a fresh copy yesterday in the hope it will be interesting to someone.

Both DVD's are rated 15 and are Region 2 so some of you will need a multi region player or PC to play them.

I am loving my flocking powder so thought it a good idea to get another three packs so someone else can have some fun with them. 

The four detail brushes (Series 98) shown above made by Rosemary & Co. Most useful to 15mm and down painters but also good for the small bits in the larger scales.

A couple of Leven Miniatures buildings, well actually £9 worth of them. The winner gets to pick which ones they want and I will order them and paint them up.  

So on to the rules. 

1. Simply comment on this post and any other follow on posts stating which prizes you want to win and you will be put in the draw for those prizes. If you don't state which you want you will be put in for all of them.

2. If you have a blog, link a post back here for a second chance (you need to let me know to be sure you get credited with the second chance).

3. Not a registered follower? Not a problem, leave a comment and a name and you get entered in the giveaway, just remember to check back as I may not be able to get into contact with you if you win.

4. Please only go for items you would want or get use out of them.

5. I will pick the winners on the 22nd, of September, two weeks from this post. All entries till this date will be counted but no entries on the 22nd can be included.

6. It's possible I will add further prizes as I look through my stash or see something I think is a good prize.

Let the games begin 

Mr Lee goes Postal

Well he will when he sends out his giveaway prizes!!

As you can see Mr. Lee's Painting Emporium is offering a chance to win one of the five items shown on his blog. Two Metal, one plastic boxed set and two resin prizes all together UNLESS he beats his old most viewed post which happens to be a relatively recent post so it should be doable. The 6th prize is top secret but is something that most of us have not yet got. 

Personally I am just hoping it's not the pox but that seems doubtful as he did say most of us had not got it  ;-)

So it's well worth having a gander at what;s on offer. Just don't take the dwarf, I want's one of these. Talking of giveaways though I have to admit I plan on doing one of my own, looks like it will have to start next week for a couple of reasons.

1. I will have been doing this blog for two full years.

2. I will have or about to hit 200K in visits (thanks Mum)

3. I will have posted 500 times on this blog!

4. I won't have reached 200 followers but might do if the giveaway does not suck monkey balls

But I was on the receipt of a present from one of my ASL mates the other day, a Southpark Portrait of myself, see below maybe you can help me think up how I can thank him?

Just so you get full measure, it was based on the photo below. Personally I kind of like it LOL.

It has to be said that the haircut was in aid of Help for Heroes and raised about £400 now I just have it as the side bits but that's life I guess. Now all I need to do is come up with some suitable prizes for the draw, I think I might have to take a trip to the darkest recess of my man cave if you don't hear from me in the next seven days, send help.

Mithridates The Great Book Blog Giveaway Winner

Well it's either a 1 or a 6

One day late after taking to my sickbed yesterday I finally make the draw. With six people entering it was a rather easy D6 to decide who had won and so I used one of my Battle School Precision Dice, aptly enough a gift to me from one of my ASL mates.

The infantry man emblem represents the number one pip so well done Michael Awdry, so please contact me with you address and I will get this on it's way to you. If you can't get at my e-mail address just leave a message on this post and I will post it in the comments section.

Possibly the most used photo in blogworld?

So well done to Michael and for you lot who missed out maybe you will have better luck if Michael decides to play it forward.

Blog Giveaway and Paying it Forward

You may remember that the fine upstanding geezer Seb at Back to the Minis had a giveaway a few months back and I won this rather interesting book. about Mithridates and his opposition to Roman power. It stuck me part way through reading it would make a great Giveaway with a difference.

My wife is always mentioning Pay it Forward, this is where on receiving a gift or giveaway you then do something similar through your blog. Well I thought something slightly different would fit the bill so read on my good friends.

I offer up the book Seb sent me as a giveaway. The only provision is that after you have read the book you then either do a blog giveaway for it (if you have one) or just pass it on to someone else you know with the idea that they do the same. It would be great to see the book do the rounds and enriching as many people as possible.

The usual rules I play by.

You need to be a follower but can join to enter the giveaway. You need to leave a post here saying your interested in it and if you run a blog it would be nice if you linked a post to this giveaway as the more the merrier.

I will run the giveaway till the 22nd so plenty of time to join in.

So the book itself. I really enjoyed the read and learnt about a character I knew nothing about. The book is well written though Philip Matyszak trys a little too hard to be slick and funny, not a normal style for military history but on the whole it works for him.

At 168 pages of written text it romps along and I was soon finished. A few possible battles to wargame if desired and it's worth reading if only for the end. 

So it's a good general read and even better for those who have an interest in this period of war. If your not really interested in the period it still would be a good read, the style and length of the writing making it a quick read that maintains the readers interest.