Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Dr. The Viking on 14 June 2013, 06:57:56 PM
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OK soon I will have a time of no work and leaning back!!! lol
Thus I will long for a good read. Preferably about 'darkest Africa' and Azande/Congo or similar. Something thrilling, even pulpish!
Someone guide me and show me the way! o_o o_o
(if this topic is out of bounds just delete it lol)
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Don't known about the Congo part, but for darkest Africa and pulp can't go far wrong with reading the Tarzan books and/or any H.R.Haggard(though if none other then his Alan Quatermain are essential reading). The best part being that if you have an electronic reader they are all free on the internet. The only Congo related ficxtion that immediately springs to mind is Heart Of Darkness, and that his not exactly a light read.
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Assegai by Wilbur Smith Can't go wrong with this and it started me reading his other books. All involve Africa. He also wrote Shout at the Devil, another good read.
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Agree with VSF gamer, big fan of Wilbur Smith's evocative fiction. Somewhat formulaic when you read one after the other but inspirational for a gamer.
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One of my favourite Africa stories is 'Mimi and Toutou go forth', by Giles Foden. Not fiction, because no novelist could ever invent Commander Spencer-Smith and his outlandish mission to drag two motor-gunboats from the Clyde to Lake Tangayika in the middle of World War One. Cracking good read.
Other than that, I'll join in recommending Wilbur Smith. CS Forrester's 'The African Queen' is also fun (and incidentally inspired by the story of Mimi and Toutou). There are a couple of Africa-themed Flashman stories (Flashman on the March, Flashman's Lady and Flash for Freedom). Forsyth's 'Dogs of War' is a fun, pulpy Africa-themed story as well.
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Agreed, Will, my models (28mm) of Mimi & Toutou are languishing in my storage as I went out and purchased them after reading Foden's book.
One of my favourite Africa stories is 'Mimi and Toutou go forth', by Giles Foden. Not fiction, because no novelist could ever invent Commander Spencer-Smith and his outlandish mission to drag two motor-gunboats from the Clyde to Lake Tangayika in the middle of World War One. Cracking good read.
Other than that, I'll join in recommending Wilbur Smith. CS Forrester's 'The African Queen' is also fun (and incidentally inspired by the story of Mimi and Toutou). There are a couple of Africa-themed Flashman stories (Flashman on the March, Flashman's Lady and Flash for Freedom). Forsyth's 'Dogs of War' is a fun, pulpy Africa-themed story as well.
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Just noticed my error - the commander in Mimi and Toutou was actually Spicer-Simpson, not Spencer-Smith. Doesn't change him from being a right looney, though!
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I'll second Wilbur Smith? More than 30 books all on Africa during the Sudan, Zulu, Matabele, Boer, WW1 and WW2 + more wars. I have read all of them except the ones set in Ancient Egypt and they are all great reads. Abebooks.com have them cheap
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There are several good, recent biographies of Sir Richard Burton. True tales, and they almost read like Pulp.
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There's also a novelization of Burton and Speke's adventures, if you can find it...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/13/163_15_06_13_8_22_00.jpg)
Cracking read, but not really pulpy, as it is a true story. Does have sex and violence, though. The movie "The Mountains of the Moon" was based on this book. The film is nice, but the book is better. In light of one of the newer biographies I have read, I'm not sure I agree with all the characterisation, but I really, really enjoyed it as a novel.
For African Pulp nonsense H.R. Haggard is my favourite, but it is late 19th/early 20th Century Pulp, and some find the language a bit hard to get to grips with. Got to second the calls for a bit of Wilbur Smith, too.
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I've only read one Wilbur Smith and found it to be shallow tripe. Something about 16th century adventurers around the Cape. Completely forgettable. Should I give some other book by him a go, since since several not completely disreputable LAFers keep recommending him?
Churchill's "My Early Life" is a good'n. He's written other books about Africa which I am keen to read.
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If you are going to go with Wilbur Smith, start with his earlier novels, they were his best. Once he became an international best seller he started to write to a set formulae.
My recommendations are;-
When the Lion Roars- First written of the Courtney Series set in South Afica about 1860- 1890
Shout At the Devil - WW I in East Africa
Cry Wolf- Italian invasion of Ethiopia
The Dark of the Sun - 1960s Congo
Sunbird - 1980s and a fictional Phonecian city in ancient Rhodesia
Shout at the Devil was made into a film with Lee Marvin & Rodger Moore, The Dark of the Sun was also made into a film starring Rod Taylor.
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The early ones are good but I think I am equally fond of the later ones
Triumph of the sun - siege of Khartoum
Assegai - WW1 Africa
A bit older but The Burning Shore - SW Africa is also great
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I've only read one Wilbur Smith and found it to be shallow tripe. Something about 16th century adventurers around the Cape. Completely forgettable. Should I give some other book by him a go, since since several not completely disreputable LAFers keep recommending him?
Haven't read all that many, but I thoroughly enjoyed "Shout at the Devil" and rather enjoyed "Assegai." Not great literature, perhaps, but I found them very atmospheric and engaging. However, I am the Colonial Adventures guy, so maybe I am biased. :)
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Ok. Given that heart of darkness is only 113 pages and considered a classic I've chosen to start there. I'll go for Speke after that. lol
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I wouldn't recommend that if, as you say, you want some thrilling Pulp action. It's Literature*, and about as far from Pulp as you can get. A dark psychological journey, but not exactly a bundle of fun.
*So if you read it, you have to write an essay about it after. That's the rules.
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I wouldn't recommend that if, as you say, you want some thrilling Pulp action. It's Literature*, and about as far from Pulp as you can get. A dark psychological journey, but not exactly a bundle of fun.
*So if you read it, you have to write an essay about it after. That's the rules.
My emphasis was not on pulp actually. More on Belgian Congo. But I failed to purvey that message. lol
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You might also look for information (probably easily available in Danmark ;) ) on Danish officers like Fredrik Valdemar Olsen in the Force Publique (Olsen ended up as a rather successfull general during World War One.
hope this helps
Carl
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<snip>Olsen ended up as a rather successfull general during World War One.
<snip>l
Now there are words you don't often see used together.
Gracias,
Glenn
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My emphasis was not on pulp actually. More on Belgian Congo. But I failed to purvey that message. lol
Looking forward to this one :)
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Dark Safari by John Bierman, a biography of H M Stanley, excellent read.
I got it off've Steve Dean, buckshee so it didn't cost me a bean.
How's that for poetry? ;)
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I must confess that after reading about Stanley I'm quite disillusioned!
I don't know if the book stands the 'historians test' (nothing seems to do I htink...) but at least I enjoy reading Adam Horschild's 'Leopold's Ghost'. Harrowing!
In Heart of Darkness on the other hand is one slow and cumbersome experience... almost rambling! :)
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Loads of primary sources for free as e-books
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I read a rather interesting account of the Emin Pasha Relief expedition by Jepson (who participated) ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emin_Pasha_Relief_Expedition
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Non fiction, but nice summer reading material none the less
the last journey of Stanley
http://www.abebooks.com/Last-Expedition-Stanleys-Mad-Journey-Congo/5340486262/bd
The man who would be king (not the Kipling story !)
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Would-King-Afghanistan/dp/B001PIHV7G/ref=sr_1_4/186-6193554-0951300?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374840125&sr=1-4