Adam Ant - Cool Zombie - Full Official Video

First video for ages - what do you reckon? Alright I reckon

Mud Sharks Dave Barbarossa

I've always been a fan of drummer Dave - from back in his days playing in Adam and the Ants and Bow wow wow but this book is so good it has blown me away.... again. It tells the story in the style of page-turner fiction of his early life and his musical paths and the people that were central to that story. It is a work of genius IMHO - rather like his drumming. Buy it here.

Lines of Wellington

Interesting new film with John Malkovich in the title role with some well known faces in there too. Apparently a TV series as well...wiki

Băneasă's Green Glade - Andy Irvine 1976

We had a deer visit us this morning which got me to humming this old Planxty tune. Charming.

In Baneasa's green forest out under the trees
We'd lie on our backs, we'd live at our ease
We'd wake in the morning at the first shafts of day
And watch the shy deer as they scampered away

We'd rise from our warm beds as the sun it got higher
And cook up our breakfast on a sweet scented fire

In the still early morning a cool gentle breeze
And the echo of woodpeckers rings through the trees

We'd sit in our glade till the heat of the day
Walk down to the zoo to sing and to play

Well the money rolled in and the people looked on
When the hat was quite full we'd up and be gone
In Dimovitsas tavern we spent money free
And drank to our friends wherever they may be.

We'd talk of old times, fond memories we'd trade
At dusk we'd walk home to Baneasa's green glade.

Happy world Rhino day

9eme Legere book

  'Incomparable' - a new book published by Osprey on the life and times of the 9eme Chasseurs.

Author: Terry Crowdy

About this book
An elite battalion under Louis XVI, the 9th Light Infantry regiment were with Napoleon from almost the beginning, turning the field at Marengo and breaking the Austrians. They then spent over a decade fighting their way across the continent, following Napoleon to the bitter end. Bringing their Eagle out of hiding when Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 they almost saved the day again, at Waterloo, spearheading a charge to rejoin Napoleon. But unlike at Marengo, they failed. Napoleon dubbed them ‘Incomparable’, and their story is extraordinary even by the standards of the dramatic and turbulent years in which they lived. Buy it here

200 years ago today

The Moscow fire.

Borodino action footage

News item about Borodino 2012

Here

Putin at Borodino

My friend Boris got to shake his hand when he was presented to their regiment. Cool!
Read a news item on the event where this photo is from.

This looks like an official recognition of the Russian reenactment hobby - something that has been considered a bit marginal but thats just my opinion - I am not an expert on politics - just an enthusiast.

March to Waterloo 200

This is an interesting initiative by the Napoleonic Association to get more members ready for 2015, They are organising open days and the like. Go here to join their Facebook page.

Borodino 200 is coming

Ralph Mitchard (1981)

Here's a picture of me in my prime - when I was 21. Those were the days.....

Borodino 2012

Coming soon this spectacular reenactment. Details here 
In English here

Waterloo Rd Radstock

This is an early photo from the time before the coming of the railways. Named Waterloo Rd as the Scots Greys camped there before departing for Waterloo and glory.

Crossing the Neman 1812

So today 200 years ago Napoleon begins his invasion of Russia.

Serge Gainsbourg and pinball

From the movie Anna (1967) which is up in its entirety on Youtube.

Russian Style Reenactment

This is an excellent blog that enables the non Russian speakers an unparalelled look at the Russian reenactment scene through the lens of participant Liudmyla. Periods covered are the Great Patriotic war (WW2) - the Crimean war and Napoleonic wars.

A Very British Civil War

This set of scenarios are for a fictitious series of campaigns that revolve around the concept that Edward VIII doesn't abdicate and instead the country is split asunder with various armies - Red, Fascist, Monarchist Anglican - you name it - all explained here. I like this one as I live in North Somerset - be interested if any of you have it you can tell me if they mention Radstock or Frome?

Red Tails (2012) HD Movie Trailer - Lucasfilm Official Trailer

This looks good - bout time someone made this movie it reads

1944. World War II rages and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. Meanwhile the black pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program are courageously waging two wars at once -- one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Racial prejudices have long held ace airman Martin "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker) and his black pilots back at base -- leaving them with little to do but further hone their flying skills -- while their white counterparts are shipped out to combat after a mere three months of training. Mistakenly deemed inferior and assigned only second-rate planes and missions, the pilots of Tuskegee have mastered the skies with ease but have not been granted the opportunity to truly spread their wings. Until now. As the war in Europe continues to take its dire toll on Allied forces, Pentagon brass has no recourse but to reconsider these under-utilized pilots for combat duty. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) awards them the ultimate chance to prove their mettle high above. Undaunted by the prospect of providing safe escort to bombers in broad daylight -- a mission so dangerous that the RAF has refused it and the white fighter groups have sustained substantial losses -- Easy's pilots at last join the fiery aerial fray. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies in a heroic endeavor to combat the enemy -- and the discrimination that has kept them down for so long. Directed by: Anthony Hemingway. Starring: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson and Nate Parker. Red Tails is an upcoming film directed by Anthony Hemingway, from a script by John Ridley and story by executive producer George Lucas. It is based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American combat pilots during World War II, and is the first Lucasfilm Ltd. production since Radioland Murders (1994) not to be associated with the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises.

On the Road 2012 trailer

Today is Kerouac's 90th birthday and a couple of days ago this trailer for the long awaited film version came out. I wonder what he would have made of it.

A Blues mixtape or two by me

Hidden Charms - some Chicago blues from Animals\u0026Men on 8tracks.

Blues Jukebox 2 from Animals\u0026Men on 8tracks.

Mixtape by Ralph and Susan (Animals & Men)

1-2-3-4 from Animals\u0026Men on 8tracks.

Blues and rhythm dance party from Animals\u0026Men on 8tracks.

Bad Detectives 'Alligator Rosie'

The new BD's album has been getting good reviews but how about this one from a couple of cds ago?

Napoleon themed amusement park planned

Thanks to Andy for finding this.