News about the Bloody White Baron

[Hammers]

Bought mine in the local (and very provincial) bookshop sometime before Christmas.Very good,and yes a fast read. I now bang on about Mongolian Buddhism (the descriptions of a Buddhist temple are very creepy,almost CoC) as if I actually knew something about it.

Interesting to ready that neither Tibetan, Mongolian nor Japanese budhism are all that pacifist and many of their lamas have been quite profane. It is not the image I got from school of that particular religion/philosophy.

[Blackwolf]

Interesting to ready that neither Tibetan, Mongolian nor Japanese budhism are all that pacifistnd man of their lamas have been quite profane. It is not the image I was tought in school of that particular religion/philosophy.

 Could not have said it better myself Hammers. We seem to take the 'safe' bits and ignore the  reality.Must leave it there,however.You know politics and religion.......

[Mr.Dodo]

I enjoyed this book, I like books which give you a sense of the writer as well as the historical facts- it helps one stay objective. Certainly this book picks up where Hopkirk left off.
WARNING. readers will automatically stray to the Copplestone Site and begin planning!

[Hammers]

The insight this book gives in some absolutely horrifying aspects of the RCW has almost put me of gaming the period. 

[Mark Plant]

The insight this book gives in some absolutely horrifying aspects of the RCW has almost put me of gaming the period. 

What did you expect when you read a book about a religiously-muddled psychopath getting mixed up in a couple of dirty civil wars?

I confess that I don't really get the interest in Ungern-Sternberg. I presume it is the Mongolian element.

There are plenty of other RCW adventurers who have equally interesting histories, and most of them were considerably more talented politically and militarily. Sadly, while not quite as unhinged, most were equally ruthless.

[Hammers]

What did you expect when you read a book about a religiously-muddled psychopath getting mixed up in a couple of dirty civil wars?

I expected to get some insights in the absolutely horrifying aspects of the RCW. One obviously knows these things at some level but one doesn't think about it till one gets a full picture painted.

I confess that I don't really get the interest in Ungern-Sternberg. I presume it is the Mongolian element.

I think it is religiously-muddled psychopath getting mixed up in a couple of dirty civil war.

[Dr Mathias]

First off, I realize that this is an old thread and raising it from the dead might be silly, but I don't see any reason to start a new one.

Finished The Bloody White Baron a couple days ago... wow. A very entertaining read, and gruesomely horrifying at the same time, similar to  King Leopold's Ghost in many regards. I love the way it starts off by giving us a superb contextual overview.

I have to admit I was expecting him to have lead his army to more victories though... as others have mentioned Ungern isn't going to rank up there with the great military minds.

What's a good book to move onto after this one? All I have read so far is the Osprey RCW books and they're not even a chip off the tip of an iceberg as far as I can tell.

[Aaron]

If you haven't read Setting the East Ablaze by Peter Hopkirk you have quite a treat in store. Run to the nearest library or bookstore and dive in immediately!

[Dr Mathias]

If you haven't read Setting the East Ablaze by Peter Hopkirk you have quite a treat in store. Run to the nearest library or bookstore and dive in immediately!

Oooops.... I have read that but it was quite a long time ago. I need to re-read it, it will be like the first time all over again!

[CPDV]

I bought it but after reading the way the author first described the Whites as sounding like he got his discription out of a soviet history book i quit reading it. I find it hard to find books on the period that arn't one way or the other. So I usually go with first hand sources for my research. With the Mad Baron its hard to tell whats real or not. The Reds hated him...the Kappelevtsy hated him for being associated with Semyonov and that fact that he made the Whites look like a bunch of nuts. ( I know I know some will agree that they were) I personally find Ataman Annenkov much more interesting that Ungern. And he was a much better commander with much more professional troops than the baron too.

[Dr Mathias]

I personally find Ataman Annenkov much more interesting that Ungern. And he was a much better commander with much more professional troops than the baron too.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll see what I can find on him. I'll admit the main reason I looked into the Ungern book was because I like the Copplestone Mongols quite a bit, and already have several of them so I could get a little army going.

[CPDV]

you have quite the options of lots of colorful units for Annenkov. And you are in luck there is the Manchurian Horse Jaeger Regiment with yellow shoulderboards supposenly but we all know how often parts of uniforms and civilian clothing with insignia were worn. If you want pretty much a full order of battle for Annenkov and the Semirchensk Cossack Host Mark Plant's pygmy wars is the place http://pygmy-wars.50megs.com/barendspages/steppehosts/annenkovnotes/annenkovnotes.html
http://kolchakiya.narod.ru/uniformology_main.htm this page is also helpful  and if you can't read russian just google translate it.
the sublink for Annenkov's divizion is as such
Отдельная Партизанская дивизия атамана Б.В. Анненкова.

[Dr Mathias]

Wonderful information, thanks!!!