Lockdown Irony

ONE of the ironies of lockdown - England is on its third as I write - is that I read less than in more-normal times.

The reason is I that do most of my reading in cafes, restaurants and while travelling, whereas when at home I am too busy with other things.

Nevertheless I am still reading, and here is a selection of magazines I have gone through in the past few weeks.

Six of the best magazines

I will mention each in turn, starting in the top-left corner and proceeding clockwise.

The October/November issue of Ancient Warfare concentrates on the early days of the Roman legion. But arguably the most useful article for me is a review of a biography of Attila the Hun by Ian Hughes - such a positive review that I promptly ordered the book from Pen & Sword.

The October/November issue of Toy Soldier Collector has the magazine's usual wide-range of excellent paint-jobs.

The November/December issue of Slingshot has so many good articles, but most interesting for me is Nick Harbud's discussion of troop numbers at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. 

The December/January issue of Toy Solider Collector has interesting articles on the Ashanti Empire in West Africa and a battle between Redcoats and North American Indians in 1763.

The December/January issue of Ancient Warfare concentrates on siege warfare, but also includes a fascinating piece on how Spartan army commanders were sent coded instructions and intelligence.

The September/October issue of Slingshot includes interesting analysis of Roman numbers at the Battle of Mons Graupius in AD 83 or 84 in what is now Scotland.