Moon Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by Flammenwerfer: Is there more information about the author? Thanks. Tom is currently travelling, but as soon as he gets back I'll ask him to post here and tell a bit more about himself if he likes. Martin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 To add to Jon's excellent summary, I've come to find that batmen were not ordinarily the best and brightest in an infantry unit. At least one vet told me his was a real dunce, and Mowat mentions his batman as being a bit crusty IIRC. They may also have acted as radio operators in infantry platoons in addition to the other stuff Jon mentions. They were certainly part of the establishment of infantry battalions as a whole and would have been included in the platoon headquarters along with the platoon commanders. Not sure how things worked in armoured units - or if indeed they had them. Does Crisp mention his in Brazen Chariots? As for the word batman itself, I presume it is a cricket reference - like a caddy in golf, the batman would hold his master's (cricket) bat? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wisbech_lad Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 OED has batman as originally being someone who looked after an officer's bathorse... Bathorse = packhorse that carried officer's equipment during campaign. Think in US army, he would be called an orderly? The relationship between Sam and Frodo in LOTR was supposedly modelled on Tolkiens relationship with his batman in the trenches 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 So it has nothing to do with Gotham City? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Pilot Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by Sergei: So it has nothing to do with Gotham City? ROFL! It's even funnier coming from Finland. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by Wisbech_lad: Think in US army, he would be called an orderly?In the German army they were called "Bursche" at some point (English roughly "lad"). Not sure if there was another term at some point. I would be surprised if they ever had it in the Bundeswehr. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
76mm Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Hi, I am the author, or more accurately, the editor of the CMAK Companion. Flammenwerfer asked for more information about the author, so I thought that I would post some basic information about myself. First, I should probably make clear that although I am an avid reader of all types of military history, I do not consider myself a grog. I served as a US Army armor officer with the First Armored Division in Germany and Desert Storm and graduated from Georgetown University and University of Michigan Law School. After finishing law school, I lived in Moscow, Russia for several years and currently live in Washington, DC. This is my first publication of this type; I hope that you enjoy it and welcome your comments. Tom Reiter 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Sounds like its going to be a real nice read, 76mm! I played the first of the new scenarios and its a hoot. How long has this project been under wraps? A book doesn't get written and printed in a day! And here I thought th BFC staff was off together all this time on some tropical island filming an episode of 'Survivor'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Madmatt, Regret to inform you that both yesterday and today, with the computer shut down overnight between then, I got a big fat NOT FOUND when I hit the hyperlink to read about the book and examine the sample chapters. Am running Netscape Communicator 4.8 under Mac OS 9.2. Regards, John Kettler P.S. The workaround to get the same info failed also when I went to www.battlefront.com, entered, went to products, found the CMAK guide blurb and clicked the link to learn more and view sample chapters. [ March 12, 2004, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: John Kettler ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Have your tried right-click and save? It's a PDF file that is being linked to. If it doesn't work email me at martin@battlefront.com and I'll email the PDF to you (it's only 130 KB). Martin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinetree Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hey,more kiwi scenarios! i'm currently having fun with chianti country,talk about an explosive first turn! BTW, book looks good,will order when funds permit! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeinzBaby Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 I'm having a blast with the new senarios!, looks like the poms er, Brits get payback with the 25pdr gunline after 'FlakFront' (won't mention which senario).. can't wait for the book to arrive. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ales Dvorak Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Madmatt, any chance for CMBB Strategy Guide & CMAK Companion Book bundle? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Originally posted by Ales Dvorak: Madmatt, any chance for CMBB Strategy Guide & CMAK Companion Book bundle? Hm, not really. But when you order both in one go, you save at least $6 on shipping already, even without a discount. Martin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmatt Posted March 29, 2004 Author Share Posted March 29, 2004 Just an update to inform everyone that the books are now in stock and shipping! Madmatt 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zukkov Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 got my notification today! can't wait to read it! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Got my copy yesterday from Ireland, looks like a good train read. Ta BFC 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 A small reminder that any late-comers to this thread should go to the top to get info on the dozen new free CMAK scenarios related to this book. Every one of them were great fun to play in a way that reminded me of the good-old CMBO days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchy Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Received mine today. Will be taking it on vacation with me next week. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoofyStance Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I received my copy yesterday, and have already begun to read it. So far, it's interesting! However, I did notice a couple of layout errors during my brief examination of the book: The title on the book's spine is printed the wrong way, reading from bottom to top rather than top to bottom. Jock Campbell's last name was misspelled in the introductory comments for the article about Jock columns. Will there be a patch? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Originally posted by GoofyStance: The title on the book's spine is printed the wrong way, reading from bottom to top rather than top to bottom. There is no such thing as "wrong" in this regards, different countries do this differently. In France or Germany, for example, the printing on the spine is opposite to what you would find in England. One is "correct" for storing books on a bookshelf, the other is "correct" for storing books flat with the cover pointing up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoofyStance Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Interesting, the things one learns on here! The publisher is listed as being in Washington, D.C.,; however, is the book's main audience in non-English Europe? Given that the U.S. is the world's largest consumer market in many respects, it would seem economically counter-intuitive to print the spine's title in a manner not commonly seen in the U.S. Perhaps BFC, the author, or the publisher can shed light on this issue? Regardless, the book is an entertaining and informative read, and I'm glad I bought it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
76mm Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Dear Goofystance: I am the author (or more accurately, the editor) of the CMAK companion; I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far. I'd also like to respond to your question about the orientation of the title on the spine: rest assured that this decision was not based on any economic rationale, or any particular rationale at all. While I agree that the other way is more common, at least in the US, I'm not sure that there is a "right way" or a "wrong way" to orient the title. I know that my bookshelf at home has books with both formats. In any event, accept my apology if the unconventional layout has lessened your enjoyment of the book, and in closing, let me encourage you and other readers "not to judge the book by its cover" (I couldn't resist). Cheers, Tom Reiter 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoofyStance Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 Tom, Thanks for the posting. As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't aware that the spine title's alignment was different in some other countries. I love to browse B&N and Borders bookstores, and I can't recall seeing the spine printing on any of their books ever being other than the "usual." The crick in my neck from tilting my head to the right as I browse the stacks reminds me of this. So, I thought I'd point it out, admittedly from a narrow, American-centric point of view... And once again, it does not detract from what is a worthwhile purchase. No apologies needed! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dook Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 I just wanted to put in a plug for the scenarios based on the new CMAK companion book. I've played three so far, Armored Perambulators, Chianti Country, and a third - the name of which escapes me (Canadians v. Germans near Ortona). All of the scenarios are small or tiny and so far, very well done. It's nice to see the emphasis on small scenarios after what seemed like a shift to larger ones when CMBB came out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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