Monday, August 6, 2012

Napoleon At The Ball Park

Some reading while waiting for tonight's baseball game to start.




H.C.B. Rogers' classic Napoleon's Army. I've pretty much decided that my first Nappy figures will be in French (seems the obvious starting point) in 6mm, probably the 1806-15 period.

Now the next question: if Napoleon were around today, what sport would he be a fan of?



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Location:2 St SE,Medicine Hat,Canada

10 comments:

  1. Soccer, all those crowds....cannon fodder!

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    1. Soccer? I thought it was called football ... or were being kind to a North American?

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  2. Excellent book, in my view. I've had my copy since 1975 - a year after it was first published. I still dip into it from time to time. The monochrome (sepia) sketches are just wonderful.
    Cheers,
    Ion

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  3. Sports fans:
    Emperor Napoleon: American Football
    Marshal Davout: Rugby League
    Marshal Massena: Rugby Union
    Marshal Murat: Soccer
    Marshal Lannes: Gaelic Football or Australian Rules (the two are fairly similar)
    Marshal Ney: (Ice) Hockey

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  4. Excellent list, my lord Archduke. I think you are right about N being a fan of NA football. I am not sure he would have liked our baseball. It is too finicky, precise and slow moving - baseball would have been the warfare of Frederick of Prussia. Football is more brutal, more fast moving. That being said, a good baseball game, like a Napoleonic battle, has rhythms and flows, and can hang on a single play. Tonight's game was like that - nerve-wracking!

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  5. I think he would be a Rugby Union fan, the French like their Union, lots of strategy, he would be at the back directing the rucks and mauls, keeping the old guard in reserve for the rolling maul.

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  6. Hmmm, sports for Napoleon? Hard to say, but I think we can agree it probably wouldn't be cricket.

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  7. Are you familiar with Brigadier Gerard's view of cricket in Conan Doyle's 'How the Brigadier Triumphed in England'? He very much likes the game; admittedly based on a somewhat idiosyncratic view of the rules.

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    1. My dear sir, no, I'm not familiar with Doyle's Brigadier series. Sounds like I have some reading for when I go on leave next week!

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