The new novella is called “The Muffled Drum”

[erastes]

LiveJournal Tags: the muffled drum

Yes, I know I was writing “Blackguards!” about Fleury but it sort of ground to a halt and I need to think about it a lot more, and I was suddenly aware that it was nearly March and I had about 3k words to the year, I thought I’d better write SOMETHING. So it’s The Muffled Drum and starts at the battle of Battle of Jena-Auerstedt.  Unsurprisingly, if you’ve been following the blog for the last couple of day, it includes Hussars.

Gratuitous Hussar.

<<<This picture is from an earlier time, though – medieval Hussars actually went to battle wearing WINGS. Can you believe it?

This is more the kind of thing I’m doing, though.>>> HUSSAR!

 

For those who are interested – I got the title…

from this Napoleonic War Poem by John Mayne from 1805.

If war poetry is your thing, this is a great resource – poems from 1793-1815.

Comments

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

The one on the left is Polish, isn't he? - they had a particular bunch of hussars done up like that.

*disclaims knowledge - as I used to say as I child, "I read it in a book", though I think it was really on TV*

Good luck!

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I note my contribution of "Happy Horny Hussars" was neglected. Bah.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Well you know me. It's Erastes. They can't be HAPPY for long....

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

It's good to hear you are starting another novella, since Running Press always gets first pick of your novels! Month after month "Frost Fair" continues to be Cheyenne's best seller. We sure wouldn't mind having the chance to publish another Erastes novella (hint, hint)

Mark

[yakalskovich]

Hussars rock. I researched all that about two years ago, for RPG plot. They were considered the ultimate in cool and sexy, like 1960s pilots...

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Actually, I could see a couple of odd benefits fromt he wings things. If you were a peasant or a muddy little squire, first time on a battlefield, and you saw something that big and wierd and flapping like all the devils from hell, coming right at you, what would you do? Horses were used like line-breaking tanks anyway, and this makes them even worse.
AAAAAARGHH!
I understand running away vastly increases your chances of being killed over standing and fighting, too.
The second thing it might do is to act a bit like those Japanese billowing cloaks at the rder's back, which were actually additional cushion against flights of arrows.

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Hussars are definitely cool. Didn't know about the wings though - fascinating. Such posers - but also such magnificent ones!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Or like men in kilts - definitely a putter-offer to the other side. And so beautiful

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Heres a re-enactment society - even showing the (fake) leopard skin too.

http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/images/HussarsSideS.jpeg

[erastes.livejournal.com]

They so are! The dandies of the army!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I must say it's pretty staggering to be in a position where things are under consideration before they are even written. Thank you so much, dear.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I think so - incredible uniform.

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Brilliant :)
Thanks for the link!

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

ah yes, Wikipedia comes through with the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_hussars. For illegible detail, see also http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_hussars.html.

Maybe that TV show had it right.