This blog is about the world of gaming miniatures, as seen from my perspective. I've been collecting and painting for over 30 years now, and while my primary focus is miniatures for D&D, I also enjoy many other games that use minis, so we'll be covering those as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Reading Trumps Painting

I've been doing a lot more reading lately, which has been cutting into my painting time. Can't say that I'm complaining, because I've enjoyed the hell out of my recent reads. The books came from my father-in-law's library, who is also a collector - his passion is military patches, uniforms, and whatnot, with an emphasis on medevac units. He even published a book on the subject! You can get a copy of United States Army Air Ambulance directly from the author (email him at mark.hough at comcast.net) or find it on eBay if you prefer.

Anyhow, I finished reading two books authored by WWII veterans that described combat in both the European and Pacific theaters. The first was David Kenyon Webster's Parachute Infantry, and the second was Eugene B. Sledge's With The Old Breed.

They are both extremely well-written, and give you vivid accounts of life on the front lines as only someone who was there is able to do. Webster's disdain for war and the Army is only surpassed by his attachment to his comrades in the 101st. Sledge is able to survive his hell in the Pacific in part due to Marine esprit de corps.

I can highly recommend both tomes without hesitation or reservation.

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