"Wargamer, or Bibliophile?" Topic

So another week, another haul of books from charity shops, I already posted about finding Charles Grant's The War Game for a pound, to that I added Mark Adkin's The Waterloo Companion for a fiver (only days after adding it to my wish list after reading this thread:) TMP link , and all three volumes of the Funckens' The Age of Chivalry for three quid each.

I do find myself wondering though, am I really a wargamer, or just a rabid book collector? For example; I have a late Republic/Early Principate Roman army in 15mm from Minifigs, it's DBA/MAA sized, so 55 minis if my memory serves me correctly, it only took me about 18 years to get around to painting and basing it. The thing is I have more than 55 books on the Romans, and still more on the classical period in general.

Being fair to myself though, I am interested in Roman history in general, that total includes books on pottery, villas, architecture, and Roman cookery. No such excuse can apply to my next example though.

A while ago I started my Risk figure 18th century armies TMP link the whole point of this project was that it is a low cost way of getting a reasonably large number of figures on the table. The thing is though, the 18th century is not a period I was very well informed about, so since starting the project I have acquired at least 25 books on the American Revolution, The Seven Years War, and the period in general. Even though most of these were secondhand, my spending on books must have been 2 or 3 times the cost of the figures at the very least.

One of the daftest things is that, even though I tend to go for simplified and generic paint schemes on most of my miniatures, I still feel I have to have books on uniforms etc. My figures may be inaccurate, but I want to know exactly how inaccurate!

Of course, I do read and enjoy the books I buy, so it's hardly money wasted. Am I the only one, or are there other people out there whose "research material" dwarfs their actual miniatures collection?

Yes yes yes

I am currently building a third set of bookcases to hold the "military annex" to our home library – our whole family are fervent readers

Yes.

"I have a late Republic/Early Principate Roman army in 15mm from Minifigs, it's DBA/MAA sized, so 55 minis if my memory serves me correctly, it only took me about 18 years to get around to painting and basing it. The thing is I have more than 55 books on the Romans, and still more on the classical period in general."

Ha, than you have a book to figure ratio of 1:1!
I really can relate to what you are saying… I'm also an avid collector of books, I spend much more money on books than on figures. But then I really enjoy the research aspect of wargaming and totally agree with this:

"My figures may be inaccurate, but I want to know exactly how inaccurate!"

My wife keeps complaining about my overloaded bookshelves and the pile of lead I have stuffed into every conceivable corner of the garage…there is a definite correlation between the two!

Your figure to book ratio can be managed if you carefully select your periods, as I have done. I have pretty much all the English language books on the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 (about a dozen). Set against this two armies of 150 -200 figures each.

OK, I'm not quite as bad as you, but definitely bad enough. When I did Ancient Greeks, I tried to find all the primary sources for Greek literature in translation, which accounts for my copies of Aristophanes, Aeschylus, and Sappho, and multiple translations of Homer. For my Vikings, I've got Snorri, as many sagas as I can find, and am now looking for a copy of Saxo. Then there are the Ospreys on Vikings, and other books on Viking society, ships, exploration, mythology and warfare. Finally, I have some "just in case" books--a book on Borodino, "just in case" I ever decide to do Napoleonic Russians, and so on.
Grelber

I have plenty of books myself. And like you, I'm also thrilled to find a deal at the local used bookstore. But I exercise more restraint than I used to. For instance, I don't buy many rules or books on the American Civil War (got enough!) these days.

I've also sold some books recently, which I'd kept hold of for years, thinking I'd need them. Never really did.

I have lots of unpainted Napoleonic figures and about 450 Napoleonic books, probably 2 books for every figure.
I also have about 3500 Napoleonic Ebooks in 5 different languages!

paul

emperorslibrary.com

I have a small but ever expnading book collection. More than my miniatures.

Yes…..same

For several years now I have been leaning to wargaming figure collector and army planner, falling short on the actual "gaming" part, while the library continues to grow.

I've got about 600 books, not including Ospreys and such, mostly on the period 1750-ish to the Civil War.

It's just an adjunct to my miniatures hobby, I suppose.

Eric

Lots of books, lots of figures, running out of space, need more space.

I've got hundreds of books, and I paint about as fast as the OP. I've sometimes thought my hobby is really planning miniatures projects more than actually making them.

My wife is a bigger bibliophile than I am, so no danger there, other than perhaps the house collapsing from the weight of our shelves.

If the downstairs shelves and books are jammed tight wall to ceiling the the house shouldn't collapse. In fact, they can even help support the upper stories.

My book collection rivals my lead pile. Both are quite a large amount.

Not going to tell. ;) except guilty.

I do enjoy buying books but with access to the local college library through my wife, I find I buy less.

Yes..the two are not necessarily mutual exclusive. In fact, my wargaming and book collection tend to be closely tied together because I enjoy the historical research on the battles, war, armies that I play.

The Waterloo Companion for a fiver – wish I had gotten my copy for that price!

Reading these responses with a big grin on my face, including:

Qurchi Bashi

I've sometimes thought my hobby is really planning miniatures projects more than actually making them.

So me, it's only in the last few years I've actually got my backside into gear and really got into finishing things, still very slowly mind.

Grelber

Finally, I have some "just in case" books--a book on Borodino, "just in case" I ever decide to do Napoleonic Russians, and so on.

My "just in case" Napoleonic book collection, recently got promoted, I picked up an older secondhand copy of Risk with the figures in shakos , there is still of course the "just in case" ECW/TYW book collection, the "ships from an old Battleships set will be fine" naval warfare collection, the "I don't want to game it, but still enjoy reading about it" Colonial Warfare collection, and not forgetting the "I like this author so followed them to another period/subject" collection.