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This is something of a first. Instead of reviewing the books I want to focus on the author. David Morgan died in 2019 but left behind a significant body of work.
I first came across his book on Medieval Persia by chance last year when I was looking for books on the Arab Conquests. Purchased second hand, the first edition was both a bargain and a delight. With a clear, concise and approachable style the book dealt with all the rulers of post Arab Conquest Persia with aplomb.
I haven't played De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA) for decades, but I do own a copy of the latest version. Who knows I may use it one day.
No. Not cutting your fingers with a scalpel or stabbing yourself on a pike. This is a bit more serious and a cautionary tale for all avid modellers and painters. Please bear with me as the background is important.
For some time I've been suffering with a problem with my left shoulder and the left side of my upper back. In 2019 it got a lot worse and I thought I'd injured myself in the gym. I had tingling fingers and pains in my left arm. My GP thought I might have something more serious so I had an MRI scan and was tested to see if I had Multiple Sclerosis.
Thankfully all the test were negative and I was referred for physiotherapy. A set of simple exercises eased, and then eliminated, most of the trouble with my back and tingling fingers. My shoulder still had the odd twinge but nothing too serious.
Lockdown came and went. I painted a lot; almost every day. The twinges persisted. I tried all sorts of stretches many of which helped but nothing really eliminated the problem.
Way back in the days of Art de la Guerre (ADLG) V3 I tried tabulating the various processes involved like movement, shooting, melee etc. I found the exercise useful but the tables were somewhat cumbersome in use. Nonetheless the exercise helped my understanding the rules.
With ADLG I have found understanding is not the same as learning. So, when V4 arrived I decided to use a different approach and play with just the play sheet if at all possible. So far I am doing better during games but afterwards I still can't resist digging into the workings of ADLG.
I find this post game, reverse engineering helps my understanding as it often exposes the complex variations and plain old quirks of the rules; something I've enjoyed doing since I played DBMM. My reworking of the ADLG mega table is the most recent example of this.
