Recent content by CSEllis

What a peculiar article. It reads more as a justification for monarchy rather than something that would provide useful things for a would-be author. The writer's clear political leanings further damage its credibility. Despite a section promising the "disadvantages" of monarchy, nothing much...

I'm going to be annoying and ask questions. War isn't a vacuum. The enemy informs your planning as much as whatever you have. How these are answered will define how you go about your advance into this forest, or not. So: Who is your enemy? What are their known/unknown capabilities? What is...

Some the bloodiest fighting of Borodino were fought around the redoubts that the Russians made prior to the battle. Though the Russians retreated following Borodino, they weren't beaten. Their army remained an effective (if badly damaged mind) force and could camp out around Moscow as Napoleon...

Thank you Joe I'm afraid I'm in the business of perhaps moving half a molehill at present (on a good day - with nice weather). I have the audacity to do the recording with audacity, so we'll see how that goes. I hadn't thought of attaching the written word as part of it however, I'll have a...

Hi all, So, I'm a young Australian student with a grumpy old British gentleman in charge in the brain box. (oh dear) Presently I'm working on a long piece that I intend to serialize on Youtube, iTunes and a few other places as an audiobook. I guess it's technically fantasy, but it takes...

In a word, yes. For royal families, at a very young age you'd give your sons (and daughters who might inherit) titles and lands. Hence why Britain has the heir becoming to Prince of Wales etc. As part of this, they would receive their own retinue (including nurses, carers and noble...

I have major problems getting technical information across without it entering infodump territory. Having read (and for the most part enjoyed) some hard sci-fi where infodumps make are a significant part of the book, I am very aware of trying to keep infodumps out of my work. Being a history...

I understand the word "Khrushch" (it looks better in cyrillic) is Russian for something like beetle... Trying to keep world ending magic under wraps could make for some good storytelling - and all important in the modern world.

With my work I get this regularly, though far less often than I used to. I like to think of it like that scene in Lord of the Rings. "This task was appointed to you, Frodo Baggins, if you do not do it, no one will." It doesn't work immediately, but it helps, plus its an ego booster...

Read the news. No seriously. :P Although we are very different people with different perspectives and upbringings from the ancients, we do have ultimately the same concerns. (Food, shelter, security, etc) It's not terribly exciting at times, but if you look at the concerns of say "local...

[first post - hi everyone] Two handed weapons tended to be about individuals more than a formation working together (like you would in a phalanx or the like). You've got this big massive axe, to avoid the possibility hitting your own side and to get the momentum that made these weapons so...