Torrington 1646

 

ECWS trooper by my sister Anne

Today's anniversary. The last major battle of the first English Civil war. Here

Warlord epic pike and shotte

 

News of a new range of 15mm plastics. Pics and details here

Charles II and courtiers walking on Horseguards Parade with Whitehall in background, by Hendrick Danckaerts

 Artist wiki

Same artist

The armies and wars of the Sun King 1643-1715. Volume 5: Buccaneers and soldiers in the Americas René Chartrand.

A must-have book on the campaigns in the Caribbean.

This book is excellent and it is well worth getting. It is a serious military history of the late 17th and early 18th centuries in the Caribbean and elsewhere. It is part of a series but can be taken on its own as its subject matter is different. For what I think is a first Chartrand and artist Patrice Courcelle recreate the buccaneers, colonial soldiers and militia of this age which inspired so much interest in fiction and movies.

If you are a wargamer, or you have an interest in the age of piracy this book is for you. My favourite book of this year so far.

Interview with René Chartrand

 English language interview on his recent book for Helion on the subject of Buccaneers and soldiers of the late 17th early 18th century Carribean. Here

Pietro Longhi Rhinoceros 1751

 My daughter is at the National Portrait gallery and found this painting interesting.

There is also this one by the same artist.

My brother who is a Rhinoceros aficionado says

"That's Clara the Dutch rhinoceros. She was hand raised in India then brought by a Dutch captain to Europe. She travelled the Rhine on a custom built raft. She responded well to oranges and beer, but her poor diet made her horn fall off. It did grow back eventually. She came to the UK too."

John Middleton the Childe of Hale

 My son lives in Liverpool and he visited this statue. John Middleton was over 9 feet tall and I thought his story interesting. Wiki. He took on the King's champion at wrestling and won. He was awarded £20 but was robbed or swindled out of it on the way home. BBC piece