Once again I have read the appropriate Osprey Campaign title, having reached this point in Duffy's The Military Life of Frederick the Great. Again I find it a useful review of the material in Duffy's book, an excellent adjunct to that discussion, and a useful tool in envisioning the initial deployment and subsequent movements.
This time, I read straight through the main text, with only a cursory glance at the illustrations, which I will review in more detail later. It took me about four hours total, in two sittings (an hour before dinner, three after TV time). It seemed to flow better, because the illustrations can at times lag several pages behind the narrative, making for a jarring reading experience.
Also, I'm old, so some of the text on the campaign maps is tiny to read by electric light, and some of the illustrations are also quite detailed, while others are somewhat small and black-and-white on glossy paper. I find that I personally get distracted by them and my eyes get tired, whereas if I just read the main text I can blaze through it without becoming distracted or having my eyes glaze over from the tiny text and trying to parse the images.
I must say that I found the full-size color illustrations very inspiring. It isn't always easy to envision these battles.
All in all, I'm beginning to appreciate these volumes for helping me to round out my picture of these engagements and of the various forces involved.
Again, an Inter-Library Loan and worth seeking out. Cheers.
