Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:18 pm  

Yup. About four inches high. I have a range of busts to paint. This needs a mount.

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:22 pm  

Mintball wrote:

Yup. About four inches high. I have a range of busts to paint. This needs a mount.

You might like to rephrase that.
lol

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:44 pm  

Good point!

[DaveO]

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:34 pm  

Stand-Offish wrote:

The Franco Prussian war of 1870/71 is fascinating.
For the German army to destroy their French counterparts in the efficient, ruthless way they did in such a relatively short time is unbelievable. But they were always ready, schooled in military colleges ... utterly professional.

None of which in any way is meant to justify the stupid loss of life, but nevertheless fascinating.

I was taught about that war at School. It was part of the curriculum about France and the Third Republic.

History at school for me was great.

Early on at secondary school I was taught about the Industrial Revolution which I found fascinating as I was living in the area where a lot of it took place. Later in complete contrast we spent a whole year learning about the History of Russia.

Onto "O" level and it was numerous topics including the French one mentioned above, the lead up to WW1 and then how that led to WWII.

I then studied A level which was British History from just prior to 1066 to the end of Edward I reign and European history from the end of the Carolingian Empire up to about the 14/1500's. The European stuff was mostly about The Papacy and The Holy Roman Empire finishing up with the establishment of the Swiss Canton's.

The one thing I was never formally taught was anything about the Tudor's and that was deliberate on the part of my A level history teacher as he reckoned if you understood what went before it that part of history was much easier to understand.

I wonder if Gove would give current teachers such latitude as to the syllabus they want to teach?

In contrast when my son came to do history at his secondary school it was pretty naff IMO. The A level included a huge portion on the pretty recent local history of the area around the School. OK Chester has alot of history associated with it and I think they were aiming to get the students to investigate history rather than just learn stuff as I did but I felt the stuff I learned was far more interesting!

[DaveO]

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:37 pm  

Back on topic: Jeremy Paxman accuses Michael Gove of 'wilfully misquoting' historian and in case its not been linked to already, Evan's demolition of Gove: Richard J Evans: Michael Gove shows his ignorance of history – again

Back on topic: Jeremy Paxman accuses Michael Gove of 'wilfully misquoting' historian and in case its not been linked to already, Evan's demolition of Gove: Richard J Evans: Michael Gove shows his ignorance of history – again

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:46 pm  

DaveO wrote:

I was taught about that war at School. It was part of the curriculum about France and the Third Republic...

We studied it at school for O' level – as part of a course on German unification.

In general, I didn't really enjoy history at school, but I absolutely loved that course – in spite of the rabid xenophobia and anti-German sentiments I grew up with and which, I believe, subconsciously affected my application/attitude to learning modern languages.

Yet Bismarck caught my imagination and retains it to this day, and from that has grown reading and interest in older Prussian history, German history in general and European history on a far wider scale.

Mind, I would add that my mother believes I've loved the idea of 'Mitteleuropa' since my teens – maybe it was a result of that or an influence on it?

It was about 2001 when I was subbing a story at the Guardian online about an aspect of earlier Prussian history, that I remembered this, and have been reading quite extensively since.

We also did the causes of WWI and some of the major battles (and this was at a girls' grammar school) and I remember doing some on Ireland Oo ("too little, too late").

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 7:06 pm  

Back completely on topic: A few thoughts on the current debate, viewed through the prism of Stanley Spencer's Sandham Memorial Chapel paintings.

Back completely on topic: A few thoughts on the current debate, viewed through the prism of Stanley Spencer's Sandham Memorial Chapel paintings.

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Wed Jan 15, 2014 7:52 pm  

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.

Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.

A E Housman

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:11 pm  

Stand-Offish wrote:

As a child I was always fascinated by war and this continued as an adult.
WW2 fascinated me more as a child, but WW1 more as an adult.
I was fascinated by the German army to the almost exclusion of other armies.
They seemed much more professional and had most of the funkiest war equipment.
I always wanted the German army to win in all battles.
I didn't want Germany to win, but their army was different,they looked the part, they were special.
Even their troops and equipment 'sounded' more dangerous, more potent.
I always felt sorry for the German army in defeat.
As I say this was formulated in a child's impressionable mind.
Am I alone in these strange thoughts?

I can't recall ever wanting the Germans to win any battle except against Patton (not because he was American, but because he was an booty).

The German army was certainly well trained, for the most part well led, motivated and professional, but I wouldn't describe them as "special". I would reserve that for David Stirlings SAS.

Re: WWI - Paxman v Cameron : Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:15 pm  

Mintball wrote: Death's Head Hussar. Nice, I like that and I'm intrigued with the spray equipment you've recently obtained, I almost went down that line myself but at the time could only think that it would lead to respraying cars or painting flames on wheel arches

Mintball wrote: Death's Head Hussar. Nice, I like that and I'm intrigued with the spray equipment you've recently obtained, I almost went down that line myself but at the time could only think that it would lead to respraying cars or painting flames on wheel arches