John

The Cutting Edge

If anyone is looking for information on what Army planners are up to right now, below is a link to an invaluable source. The Army Heritage Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania is on the cutting edge of policy research on global strategic threats. Today there is a link to a fascinating article on the growth of Maoist insurgencies in South Asia.

Holiday Cheer

Attached are links to a couple of nice article about grant money for (Amerian) Civil War battlefield preservation---some good news amidst all the dismal stories we hear every day. When I was at Gettysburg for the 4th of July reenactment remembrance this summer, our table was next to that of the Civil War Preservation Trust.

Under my Christmas Tree

I just opened the December issue of “History,” the History Book Club’s monthly magazine and sale flyer, and found a number of gems I’ll be asking Santa to place under my Christmas tree this year. The main selection of the month is Danger’s Hour by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy—and the review is written by one my favorite people in this business, Dennis Showalter. He writes, “[Kennedy] makes a sparkling breakthrough into military history in a book that uses a kamikaze attack to illustrate a fundamental clash of cultures.” Now that’s high praise from one of the best!

The Battlefield Store

Recently while killing time before a sales call in the Twin Cities, where the temperature this time of year is 20 degrees colder than in my beloved state of New Jersey, I discovered a little gem. Hidden behind overgrown hemlocks that stand like the angels guarding the garden of Eden, I unknowingly drove past The Battlefield Store three times before I could coax my sat nav into finding the place.

I think I'll build a model of that

The folks at HMGS (Historical Miniature Gaming Society) Midwest have got a fantastic little journal called (what else?) Historical Miniature Gamer. In a series of recent articles Michael Koznarsky shows readers how to build a Border Reiver Tower House, using artwork from Fortress 46 (Castles and Tower Houses of the Scottish Clans 1450-1650).

Honoring the Dead

There’s a story in the Associated Press today about an enterprising pilot and WWII aviation aficionado who has undertaken a truly monumental task. Mark Noah of Florida is using the proceeds from his historic aviation business to fund efforts to identify the remains of 542 sailors and marines who lost their lives in WWIIs bloody battle of Tawara.

Visiting Oxford

I spent last week in Osprey's UK office and the thought stuck me that there should be some sort scholarship program--perhaps sponsored and paid for by the National Trust--to afford a lucky winner or two the opportunity to spend a week among the Osprey team at HQ.

Civil War Flag Restored

There's an amazing story out of Indiana today, which is where I happen to be! JASPER, Ind. — A rare piece of history, an American flag that somehow survived the epic Civil War battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and the ensuing 147 years, will be unveiled at 2 p.m. EST on Nov. 9 at the Dubois County Museum.

Interview with a modeller

I recently had the chance to interview Gary Edmundson, one of the authors of our Modelling series. Gary was born in Sunderland in 1956. At the age of ten he emigrated with his family to Canada. He is currently living in Fort Saskatchewan, working in the chemical industry as an analyser technician. An interest in military aviation led to building military models for a hobby and Gary is now a regular contributor to military modelling magazines.

From Rocks to Rockets

Despite the warnings of doomsayers, the success last year of The Dangerous Book for Boys, proved that masculine pursuits such as learning to sail and climbing trees are alive and well in the Western World. As readers of this blog will of course know, for generations of boys toy soldiers and playing Cowboys and Indians were the hallmarks of a healthy childhood. After Vietnam, war seemingly became a dirty word. Or did it? The “Star Wars” saga is after all the most popular entertainment of all time.

New military hardware ordered by the US government

On September 27th, The Wall Street Journal reported on defense department appropriations for the new fiscal year. Here’s a partial list of new hardware that’s being ordered by the US government, and where additional funds are being allocated for continued research and development:

Army Officer in Iraq Discovers WWII Armored Vehicle

I thought some of you might enjoy this article!

Teen spends year building WWII Diorama

I have recently been down to Virginia Beach, VA for the annual International Plastic Modeling Society's national convention. I will be reporting in with some observations and photos next week, but this story from the Greeley Tribune in Greeley, Colorado gave me warm fuzzies. The youngster may not be ready yet for IPMS, but his heart is certainly in the right place.

Oshkosh B'Gosh

The quickest drive from Chicago north to Oshkosh, WI is the wide, straight state highway 41. It takes you past fields and farms, including an enormous wind farm--something I've never seen before. The EAA (Experimental Aviation Association) grounds are just past a bluff of trees across from the first car dealership you'll pass on your journey...

Osprey author acts as Roman expert for the BBC

We just don't seem to be able to keep up with all of the high-flying antics of our authors at the moment! First we had Angus Konstam on the radio, and now this week, Stephen Bull - the author of a number of books on tactics in the Elite series - spoke to the BBC in his role as curator of Military History and Archeology at the Lancashire Museums Service.

Saluting a Starship Trooper

I recently finished the haunting book by Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers. For those of you who haven't read it, the book makes the case that free societies are based on the readiness of a few brave soldiers to die for their compatriots. In America only a small percentage of young men and women volunteer for military service (I believe it is 2%, but maybe one of you have the correct number...

250th Anniversary French and Indian War

2008 marks the 250th anniversary of the French & Indian War and there are many events to mark it this summer. The capstone will be the Reenactment of the Battle of Carillon at Fort Ticonderoga on June 27-29. According to Smoke & Fire News, visitors will be able to help build the French log breastwork and there will be several battle displays lasting two or more hours. For details contact the fort at 518-585-2821...

Osprey books referenced in dissertation

This sort of thing may happen everyday, I don't know. But I have to say I was pretty jazzed when I met Major Grant T. Weller, Assistant Professor of History at The Air Force Academy last month. He stopped by our booth at the meeting for the Society of Military Historians to show us his dissertation entitled, “‘Come Hell, High Water or Nazis’: The US Army Quartermaster Corps Develops and Implements the First Motorized Logistics System, 1919 – 1945.”

Real Life Starship Troopers

A colleague recently encouraged me to read the Sci Fi classic Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I've not read a whole lot of Sci Fi, but I enjoy it when I allow for the indulgence and this was no exception. The plotline is a bit slow, with several long passages about the necessity of self-sacrifice in a civil, democratic society, but these were not unpleasurable and I very much appreciated the force of Heinlein's argument...

Army Heritage Day

Motorists speeding along I-81 near Harrisburg in Central Pennsylvania were treated last week to the spectre of a rather scary looking chopper on a pedastal and an armored car with a flag draped over it. As I wizzed past, the man in front of me who was driving in a pick-up with a bumper sticker that read "Freedom is not Free" beeped and jogged his wheel back and forth. We were both on our way to the Army Heritage Day at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA...

On the road to Gettysberg

Two days ago, April 27th, saw the 1st Annual Gettysburg Toy Soldier Show at the Gettysburg Hotel. It was sponsored by W. Britains, the legendary toy soldier company, which has teamed up with Osprey North America to increase our presence at events this year. Ever since 1st Gear bought Britains in 2005...

Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare

It has been a busy few days in the New York office of Osprey. On Friday April 11th we learned that the Wall Street Journal had run a review of one of our April new releases the prior day. The book is entitled, Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare...

First Femal MV-22 Osprey Pilot - US Marines

Because we share the same corporate name, I've been following the deployment of the Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey through Google Alerts. Today I received a link to this interesting story about the first female Osprey pilot. Very cool...

Cold Wars 2008

It is one of the most-anticipated events of the year--The Cold Wars convention, which is hosted by The Eastern Chapter of the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society. It is held each year the pastorally-loacted Lancaster Host Resort in Pennsylvania. This year was the 25th anniversary and the theme was “The Golden Age of Piracy....

Wildcats, Bearcats and Hellcats

This weekend Osprey USA had a booth at the Westchester Radio Aero Modeler Association's "WRAM" show in White Plains, NY. For too long, the focus of our marketing in the U.S. has been on the Wargaming, Toy Soldier and Armor segments of the hobby, so this year we're trying to reach out to those interested in Warbirds....

Hellfire Pass

An army of forced laborers, which included 16,000 Allied POWs, built the Burma railway during WWII. The pass in this link was hand-dug by those workers...

Has the Amber Room been found?

heard a report on National Public Radio this morning that among the belongings of a recently deceased man in the Czech Republic was found a map that may lead treasure hunters to find the priceless Amber Room...

Hobby vs Hobby (Trains vs Tanks)

One of the best-loved Mad magazine comics is "Spy vs. Spy." It features two film noir-era spies who have the most inventive methods for sending the other to kingdom come. I was thinking of those guys this month as I watched sales increase daily for the release of our new book, Armored Trains...

In the details

The New York State Museum and Veterans Research Center has just posted on its website the index from a book published in 1900 that lists all of the men who served in the Spanish-American War. What you won't find when you visit the site is the name of the most famous New York veteran of that war, Teddy Roosevelt...

Amazing Tank Photos!

This page came up in my google alerts today. Does anyone know where this museum is? In October I visited amazing new Marine Corps Heritage Center in Quantico, VA. It also has...

Historian of Marshall Plan dies

Larry I. Bland, one of the foremost historians of the life and writings of George C. Marshall, has died. Professor Bland was working on the sixth volume of the Marshall papers when he died...

Where do you shop?

I am on a quest to locate every Osprey spinner rack in North America. If you're on this side of the pond I would love to hear where you shop for your Ospreys and whether or not your favorite retail outlet has an Osprey spinner. If it does...

Upcoming Osprey promotions in the US

Look out for our fabulous new book from Terry Crowdy, Military Misdemeanors: Corruption, Incompetence, Lust, and Downright Stupidity, on the "Under $20" table at Barnes & Noble...

Duel 1 sells out!

We're very happy over here in the New York office that the first volume of Osprey's newest series has sold out of its first print run in the United States! We think that Duel 1: P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190 has really caught the customer's imagination...

Osprey reenactor fest at MMSI Chicago

We just got word that Crimson Books will be displaying their extensive collection of Osprey books at two upcoming US shows. The first is the Military Miniature Society of Illinois Show in Schaumburg...

Goodbye David Halberstam

Saddened when I heard the news, the sudden passing of American journalist and historian, David Halberstam, was a shock to all. He was equally at home writing about modern history, politics, and contemporary sports, but the thing I will miss most about him is hearing his growly drawl on C-Span and National Public Radio...

Osprey on the Radio

On Monday (20 August 2007), I had one of the most thrilling experiences of my entire career: I accompanied an author to what I consider to be the most erudite and compelling talk show on the planet. I’m talking about The Leonard Lopate Show, the noon to 2PM program on WNYC...

My Favourite memory of Historicon 2007

It all comes down to personal connections, right? My favorite memory of this year's Historicon was my conversation with an archeologist from Delaware. Who knew that Delaware employs an archeologist? The gentleman (I did not get his name) stopped by our booth to complement us on our latest book on the American Revolutionary War...

Osprey Author signing at IPMS 2007

Check this out! I have been working with the owner of Brookhurst Hobbies in Garden Grove, California, to set up a signing with 8 Osprey Modeling authors on the eve of the upcoming IPMS conference. Discounts on our books will be available...