Guy Halsall Wargames Illustrated Post Roman Britain

[March Hare]

Guy Halsall did a series of articles on Post Roman Britain in Wargames Illustrated around 2000-2001. Does anyone know if these are available outside of the official archive? I would like to read them without tracking down all of the old issues.

[TWD]

Is it these ones on Guy's own blog?
https://darkagewargaming.wordpress.com/2011/01/

[March Hare]

Yes, thank you!

[Hwiccee]

Guy also has a more academic blog which might also be of interest - https://600transformer.blogspot.com/

He also has a very good book on 'Arthur' - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Worlds-Arthur-Facts-Fictions-Dark/dp/019965817X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

[March Hare]

Fantastic! Thanks for the link!

[trev]

Thanks for the link.  Some of this was posted by Guy on the old AfterRome Yahoo group but there looks to be new stuff here I hadn't seen. 

[Hwiccee]

Yes some good stuff on the links. Even better news is that Guy is hoping to have more time to write more. So with luck more interesting material to come.

[macsen wledig]

I find Guy very readable and proposes sensible theories

[Old Hob]

Thanks for the links. Despite the original articles being over 20 years old they stood up very well I thought.

[macsen wledig]

how time flies....I can remember when they first came out!

[March Hare]

Any opinions on these sources that Halsell cites?

S. Bassett (ed.), The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms (Leicester, 1989); B.A.E. Yorke, Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England (London, 1990); D.P. Kirby, The Earliest English Kings. (London, 1991).

I splurged and bought a couple of packs of the Victrix Late Romans. I probably won't do anything with them anytime soon. That could change if I'm spurred on by reading.

[Old Hob]

Hi March Hare.

First thing to note is that Guy Halsall's articles are fairly old now, and the works that he references are even older. I mention this as the archaeological evidence recovered for the period has since increased significantly. That said, both Bassett and Yorke are classics. I've not read Kirby, so I can't comment, but I would assume if Halsall references it then it's worth your time.

Prof. Barbara Yorke is the boss when it comes to Anglo-Saxon history. She is one of the main proponents of how dodgy the A-S Chronicle is as a source for anything predating the mid- 7th century. Essentially, the earlier entries look like they've been invented to support the West Saxon political reality of the 9th century. For example, of Ceawlin she says that he's the first king of the Gewisse who we can be reasonably certain exists, but that we must settle "for a generalized picture of an energetic leader who sought to expand his power in all directions from his upper Thames base and who succeeded, on the testimony of the Ecclesiastical History list, in exacting tribute from some of the kingdoms already established in southern England." (Yorke 1995 Wessex in the Early Middle Ages)
This would mean that famous battles such as Dyrham may not have actually happened. But inventing a battle like Dyrham would help justify growing West Saxon influence over southwest Mercia in the time of Alfred. So, maybe not the most useful source if you're looking for books to help you wargame the Post-Roman period.

For Post-Roman wargaming purposes I would recommend Stuart Laycock 2009 Warlords: the Struggle for Power in Post-Roman Britain. It's very readable (you don't need to be an expert in the period to enjoy it) and, while I don't agree with everything he says, he does present a plausible scenario for Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. Basically a very fluid and chaotic situation where anyone with 30 warriors and a nice hat can declare themselves a king!

Daniel Mersey has produced a more up-to-date reading list specifically for wargamers on the Wiglaf Miniatures website, including a more recent work from a certain G. Halsall.
https://wiglafminiatures.wordpress.com/recommended-reading/

[Atheling]

Hi March Hare.

First thing to note is that Guy Halsall's articles are fairly old now, and the works that he references are even older. I mention this as the archaeological evidence recovered for the period has since increased significantly. That said, both Bassett and Yorke are classics. I've not read Kirby, so I can't comment, but I would assume if Halsall references it then it's worth your time.

Prof. Barbara Yorke is the boss when it comes to Anglo-Saxon history. She is one of the main proponents of how dodgy the A-S Chronicle is as a source for anything predating the mid- 7th century. Essentially, the earlier entries look like they've been invented to support the West Saxon political reality of the 9th century. For example, of Ceawlin she says that he's the first king of the Gewisse who we can be reasonably certain exists, but that we must settle "for a generalized picture of an energetic leader who sought to expand his power in all directions from his upper Thames base and who succeeded, on the testimony of the Ecclesiastical History list, in exacting tribute from some of the kingdoms already established in southern England." (Yorke 1995 Wessex in the Early Middle Ages)
This would mean that famous battles such as Dyrham may not have actually happened. But inventing a battle like Dyrham would help justify growing West Saxon influence over southwest Mercia in the time of Alfred. So, maybe not the most useful source if you're looking for books to help you wargame the Post-Roman period.

For Post-Roman wargaming purposes I would recommend Stuart Laycock 2009 Warlords: the Struggle for Power in Post-Roman Britain. It's very readable (you don't need to be an expert in the period to enjoy it) and, while I don't agree with everything he says, he does present a plausible scenario for Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. Basically a very fluid and chaotic situation where anyone with 30 warriors and a nice hat can declare themselves a king!

Daniel Mersey has produced a more up-to-date reading list specifically for wargamers on the Wiglaf Miniatures website, including a more recent work from a certain G. Halsall.
https://wiglafminiatures.wordpress.com/recommended-reading/

Sub-Roman?

[Old Hob]

Sub-Roman?

Or Late Antiquity, if you will. 

Now there's a hill I have no intention of dying on. 

[March Hare]

Thanks Old Hob. I'll start with Laylock. Have the Arthur book Hwiccee mentioned coming.