Usually on Father’s Day (UK) I post a link to a toy soldier figure that has some strong link back to my late Dad and the love of Toy Soldiers and History that he passed on to me.
2016: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/20/fathers-day-raf-firefighter/
2017: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/national-service-days-1/
2018: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/zulus-or-ashantees-rearmed/
2019?
Although the last few months of blogging have been Scout Wide Games based, I think my Dad would have approved of this year’s family gifts.
This year the wonderful addition to my toy armoury was two handmade warships which I saw and liked in a vintage shop months ago, a small hollow-cast raiding force (a complete surprise, as a raiding force should be!) and an ACW book that I had put aside in case my family weren’t sure what to get.
Mannie Gentile recently posted a blogpost on the Golden Book of the American Civil War
http://toysoldiersforever.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-book-that-launched-thousand-careers.html
So Mannie is responsible for me buying a cheap secondhand paperback of this interesting book that launched the hobbies and careers of hundreds of Civil War enthusiasts and historians.
This book is richly illustrated and includes some fabulous battlefield “bird’s eye view” maps whose detail I would have found fascinating as a child.
The toy hollowcast soldiers are a treat – a surprise gift from my family found all together in a local vintage shop that they “hoped were all right”.
Any vintage lead soldiers are all right in my eyes!
I was interested to see the kneeling American infantryman as he appears quite similar in style to a trio of (solid lead home cast?) soldiers sent to me by Alan as reservists from his Duchy of Tradgardland forces. The kneeling green Crescent trooper has a knee ‘flange’ to give him more stability.
The three Duchy of Tradgardland reservists have acquired new blue uniforms for a mission in a galaxy far far away. They have an odd space look to them with their helmet and rifle. They are now acquiring blue uniforms and white or silver boots, helmets and weapons to come. They should soon have a 30s / 50s space ‘thing’ going on to match some of the Tim Mee Galaxy Laser Team and Airfix Space Warriors.
The two fine handmade boats have some battle damage that needs sympathetic repair. They deserve a blog post of their own as they are repaired and researched, along with their paperwork. They came from what can be a “grey port” at times of naval vessels in for refit.
Are they accurate handmade models or spirited imaginative examples of “modern warships” with guns and rockets? It will be interesting to find out.
Blogposted by Mark Man of TIN, Father’s Day 16 June 2019.
Man of Tin blog 
What splendid additions to your collection. The ships are very charming indeed. Great figures and fascinating book. I had seen the book on Mannies blog and thought it looked fascinating. I was fortunate to be given a jasmine and lavender plant for the garden to enhance the look and smell of it.
LikeLike
I hope to find out a little more about these handmade wooden ships as I make “minor repairs” on them. I’m so glad that handmade things like this have a value and so don’t get thrown away, especially when they are a bit bashed.
The Golden Book looks a great one to dip into, the battlefield maps with figures look fascinating. They might make me in future dig out my ACW 15mm Peter Laing figures, Airfix ones and a mixed bunch of 54mm ACW figures that I have boarded away for the right moment – and probably a 54mm garden game. A scented garden game, that is.
I had a jasmine plant a couple of years ago as a present and it has flowered each year with tremendous scent. Enjoy!
LikeLike
That Civil War book was my first, bought from Gettysburg when I was six. I destroyed two paperbacks through rereading, but Mom got me a third, hardcover, volume I still have today. It was the genesis of my love of history, and the detailed maps of marching soldiers are just icing.
LikeLike
A good memory! I think this paperback version would not have lasted long if I had it as a child. The well thumbed pages would have all fallen out by now …
You can count yourself amongst the thousands Mannie mentions whose hobby or careers were launched by this book. You might find the rest of Mannie Gentile’s 54mm blog interesting as well.
LikeLike