"Achtung Schweinehund! Review" Topic

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My review- I'm afraid it wasn't the book for me, although many TMPers do like it TMP link

In the same style, I did find 'The Elfish Gene' somewhat more entertaining. Also, 'Fantasy Freaks & Gaming Geeks' is an enjoyable read.

I think we must have been reading different books. As you say, different people, different perspectives.

Reading your review I can understand your frustration at each and every one of your comments, however for me it was a great read and made me laugh out loud at certain sections as well as bringing back many childhood memories.

maybe it's just a generational thing?

I am 50 plus!

Tony
dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com

Achtung Schweinehund! is a good read and an honest personal book about what it is to be a wargamer. For many of Pearson's generation wargaming really means historical wargaming, not 'gaming' in the watered down TMP sense.

It was a 'mainstream' success with a foot hold in the media (and accepting reviews by the Guardian and the Telegraph …)…

Your mean-spirited blog says …

'Yet it's far from a book for every gamer. He haughtily overlooks the entire SF and fantasy genres, with a sneer at Tolkien, a ranting swipe at GW and a frothing spasm against D&D, and only slightly less-so at LARPers and reenactors.'

… which I suspects demonstrates your own prejudice. I don't agree with half of what Pearson has to say but I completely recognise an interest we have all shared for decades.

If it isn't 'the hobby' as you see it, I hardly suspect Pearson will be losing any sleep.

Phil Steele
pbeyecandy.wordpress.com
ecwbattles.wordpress.com

Haven't heard of this book but it looks like a good read to me and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a copy.

I don't think it ever claimed to be a definitive history of wargaming, it does what it says on a front 'A boys own story….' it is a personal account.

Anyway, I enjoyed it, but I am exactly the same age as Harry Pearson and brought up on the same stuff.

Hey I'm in Newcastle as well!

Where do you play?

Michael

Actually, I thought that was quite a fair review. I bought the book, read it and found it entertaining (I am one of these contemporaries of the author so that's not surprising) but as soon as I'd finished it, I sold it – I couldn't imagine wanting to read it again. I know I felt there was something lacking but it's quite a while since I read it so I can't remember what.

I think Harry is probably an all-round good-egg – I've corresponded with him since reading the book about Hinton Hunt figures – but that doesn't mean his book can't be subjected to a negative review. To call it a "mean-spirited" review seems unnecessary – I mean, it's a review and reviews can be critical…

Doug

I'm a mad sci-fi gamer. I can't even manage WW2 without mecha and zombies.

I'm also just a shade too young to really call myself a part of the 'Airfix generation' which Pearson is clearly a part of – Though I have clear memories of setting up ranks of HO/OO Old Guard, and then having no idea what to do with them. (Rules? There's actually rules for this??)

But I adored Achtung Schweinehund! for its sincerity, and its apparent love of the hobby that is so much a part of my life. Harry's take on said hobby is very different to mine – I can't see the appeal of the Hinton figures, but then I doubt he'd murder in cold blood to obtain a FASA Excelsior class battleship.

To each his own? That's never more true than in THIS hobby!

@ Doug … Hi, Doug …

… I'm all for negative (if honest) reviews (though it's a good way to get stifled on TMP) and I paid Barks the compliment of following his link and reading his review.

I found it 'mean-spirited' to be putting out a review 5 years after the book was published the main purpose of which seemed be to have a rant at the 'haughtiness' of the author because his view of _his hobby was different to the reviewer's. Few books will ever be enjoyable if you aren't prepared to enter the mind of the writer (and it applies to paintings, films, theatre, wargames genres etc.) …

I flipped open the front of my copy which happened just to be a handy way of checking the publication date (2007) … FWIW the preface begins with a scene of children acting out a battle inspired by 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' …

Phil

I loved the book. I don't think it matters at all that the author has many cranky enthusiasms and dislikes. And the fact that there is no 'plot' doesn't bother me at all, in the same way that I do not care that my shirt doesn't smell of chocolate; it's hardly the point.

Barks brings up many questions, none of which – I suspect – Harry Pearson is interested in at all. Why should he be?

Barks should write his own book.

@Phil

Well fair enough – when all's said and done, you have every right to write a critical review of a review…!

Sometimes, of course, a reviewer is unable to enter the mind of the writer but I don't think that should preclude him from writing a review. I don't necessarily agree with all of the review but the "mean-spirited" line leapt out at me and I though "Gosh – is that Phil chappie going in a little too strongly here?".

I probably need a lie-down…

Doug

I am with Senor Squint on this.
It reads like a goldfish fan who is upset that a breeder of German Shepherds does not mention goldfish in his autobiography. Probably doesn't mention Mom's homemade blueberry pie, either!

I loved the book, by the way. While I share the reviewer's disquiet at HP collecccting OOP miniatures, I passed it off as just another nutty thing we do.
I read the book as a warm acknowledgement of a nerdy geek who is not the least bit ashamed of his hobby. Any hobbyist could relate to it. Are stamp collectors who specialize in Zeppelin Covers any less weird? I bet their autobiography would be just as endearing.

Happy New Year, Doug, and thanks for a balanced response.

If you think I am 'going in a little too strongly', by all means give me the nod :o) … on past exchanges you seem a perfectly good judge – and whilst it is usually my intention to 'make a point' it is never my intention to give offence.

Phil

Harry's book is one of the best books about this curious hobby of ours. In fact, it might be the only book.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I give the reviewer credit for taking a position and staking it to the ground.

As for my opinion, I enjoyed it very much, laughed a lot while reading it, nodded my head in agreement several times as Harry dredged up old (and fond) memories. In short, I give Actung Schweinhund! my highest recommendation.

I echo Macrossmartin's viewpoint exactly. A great story set a generation or two before mine. It made me laugh and smile knowingly at several points. I especially love the bit about wargamers named Dave :)

Most of Barks1 review is what he would like to have seen in the book, not what the author intended to book to be about. about. It seems like Barks was looking for more then what the book was about. I think this and the generational disconnect affected the readers enjoyment of the book. It's not that the book is bad it's just the reader could not connect with the experiences of the author, he like many of us comes from a different time where there are plenty of other options when it comes to miniatures, unlike Harry had in his time.

The only things I recall disliking about this book were -

1) he clearly had a lot more pocket money than me !

2) disliked the dismissive and patronising tone used towards the end of the book when writing about fantasy gamers (and we're talking minifigs orcs here, and the Mythical Earth range, which as near as damn it was a medieval range !). Suggesting they are weird is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, non ? Even Charles Grant (senior) wrote enthusiastically about Fantasy games (it's all in Battle for wargamers) – which was a surprise as he seemed to be the epitomy of the traditional historical player. Don Featherstone mentions SF as well in one of his books.

Otherwise, a very good read, and much like my own early experiences of the hobby.

Put me in the corner with the rest of his fans. I am of the Airfix generation.

And I was almost cheering him on when he laid into LARPers.

If you are old enough to be a cranky old gamer, what's the point of NOT being cranky? Heck, you have EARNED the right to be cranky!

One of my favourite wargaming books. I identify with almost every sentiment in the book.

I've read this several times and passed it round a fair few friends. Everyone who has read it, enjoyed it immensely and identified with it.

I identify with with every place in the book – came from the same area, just 10 years earlier.

On my 'to read' list.

Just bought it !

I loved it too, and I'm of the right vintage to make the connections I guess. The review isn't wrong, but as someone noted above it's a review of a book the author didn't write – a very common failing in reviewing generally, especially here in Australia (I'll strip the sleeve and show the scars in a minute). The book that Barks wanted is actually worth writing, and I'd be interested to read it, but it's another book entirely.

I agree. Barks seems to have missed the point of view of the author. Boys own story sort of spells it out for me.

Thanks,

John

A brave, even courageous act from Barks.

I think a fair enough review, too.

It is, IMO, totally wrong though. A great book.

I liked it too. The turtle story was hysterical, although his ultimate demise was tragic.

Cripes, I wasn't expecting this much interest or response. As I said, and as evidenced above, the book has many admirers- but I don't think it is _the_ book about wargames, war gamers and toy soldiers. Maybe it was oversold to me- but I'm glad I finally got around to owning and reading it.

If I had the time, could I do better? Unlikely- and I am happy that anyone is writing about our little world.

I accept all the above comments (bar one!)- and yes, if there's anyone out there writing a book about gaming, now you know what I'd like to see in it! I stand by my review, which I really don't think was 'mean-spirited'.

I would refer you to the final paragraph of the Telegraph review link , which I reproduce below:

"In the end, though, this is a strange hodge-podge of a book, promising one thing while trying to deliver another, and not quite hanging together. I will still recommend it because, even if anyone else does write the book about Second World War obsession, I can't imagine that it would be anywhere near as funny or well-written as this. But it might have been a masterpiece, and it's a shame that it isn't."

Loved the book.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek

bunkermeister.blogspot.com

@MWright, I don't game anywhere as near as I would like, but I've been to the new Good Games store on Hunter St and will aim to make that more central to my gaming.

Indeed apparently not the book that mr Barks wished for, hence the bad review.

But I loved it, even despite being only "late" Airfix generation (46).

I loved the book. I've also been into D&D, fantasy gaming, GW 40K and LARP. Doesn't bother me that he finds any of that weird. I find it all a bit weird myself.

I expect that foot fetishists find shoe fetishists weird, and vice versa. They don't consider that the shoe may be on the other foot. Boom, boom!

I would refer you to the final paragraph of the Telegraph review link , which I reproduce below:

I think the telegraph reviewer got it wrong too – this is not a hotchpotch or mismatched tale, it's th biography of a generation of wargamers.

In the UK boys of the 1960's and 1970's were brought up on a diet of British comics (Superman etc wre just a bit pricey as they were imported). These consisted of "humour" – Beano, Whizzer, Chips, Dandy etc – and war comics – the digest size ones – Air Ace, Commando, Battle, War Picture Library, and later on the A4 sized "Warlord" and "Battle" (original title !). Two or three times a week you got to relive WWII as it was really fought and won – by plucky cockney commando's, effette toffs who were secretly SOE agents, men who had knapsacks full of Mills Grenades and never needed to eat or drink.

And this is the shared background of >90% of UK wargamers over the age of 40. We all had spud guns. IIRC Mr Pearson was lucky eough to get the belt fed machine gun toy I recall drooling over but couldn't afford to add to my personal arsenal of sidearms and Airfix Plastic rifles and machine guns. We all had airfix kits, we all had airfix figures. And, if we were "lucky" there was a wargames shop near where we lived or we stumbled across a wargame book in the local library. All of us. And that's how we got into the wargaming hobby.

Of course there are minor differences here and there, but fundementally it is the true story of all of us. And that's why it's a pretty good book.

Nicely put 20th.

Got it to rights, 20th. The same is true for a smaller demographic of boys of that generation in the far-flung reaches of the Empire! In our now-heavily Americanised public space and public culture, you have to use real imagination or be at least 50 to understand what a very British popular culture a place like Australia then possessed.