Kidnapped (1971) credit sequence

This is an interesting way to start a movie - well it gets my thumbs up...I guess it's influenced by Peter Watkins 1964 documentary. Instead of starting with a battle and so forth it features the bloody and tragic aftermath. Shame it doesn't look like what I imagine Culloden moor is like - ie a moor - but you can't have everything. Wiki
Watch scenes from the 1978 version here
Watch part 1 of the 1964 groundbreaking BBC documentary Culloden here.
See the Battlefield Britain episode here

My new blog

Although it's got nothing to do with Louis XIV I thought I'd mention another new blog I've cooked up (as it is military history) called Warfare in the Age of Steam - dedicated to the mid-19th century, the Crimean war, Austro-Prussian war, ACW etc (European and American theatres) - not specifically a wargames blog - just the usual - paintings and period photos with my usual useless captions. See ya there.

Sealed Knot do Sedgemoor

I've heard from a mate in the SK that they're going to be reenacting this battle next summer - presumably somewhere around the 6th/7th July. So if you're a fan of the period maybe that could be a good excuse to visit the region (Somerset) and get some farmhouse cider while you're down here. Some of us talked about organising a wargames event - maybe this could be a good time to do it - or maybe just meet up and have a few jars of cider and soak up the atmosphere. Photo of the First Foot Guards SK from the Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum site.

Front Rank Late 17th century

Thanks for the tip-off from anonymous. Here's what the website says:

NEW 28mm RANGE
Alec is now in the planning stage for a 28mm range of figures which will be designed to cover the period 1685 to 1700 and will be suitable for
THE MONMOUTH REBELLION - 1685
THE IRISH WARS - 1689 to 1691
THE WAR of the GRAND ALLIANCE - 1689 to 1697
The release dates stated are only estimates and maybe subject to change.

Watteau's birthday

An excuse to post one of these great studies of French soldiers with their backpacks, laden and on the march. These packs were stowed before battle with a small guard.
I had this idea of a French reenactment group that would basically do the Watteau style bivouacs and nothing else - no battles - just route marches and bivouacs. But it obviously didn't really catch on but the lazy nature of Watteau's studies captures a certain peace time languidness.

Soldat armé d'un fusil et d'une épée

Watteau Jean-Antoine (1684-1721

Warlord Games ECW cavalry

For those of you with 28mm armies this release of Parliament and Royalist Horse might be up your street. It seems that hard plastic figures of this scale are really catching on.

Sealed Knot's Oxford's Blues

The cavalry arm in the Sealed Knot's 1685 project have some attractive new pistol housings with the JR cypher shown here for any modellers and wargamers of the Monmouth Rebellion.