Age of Napolean & Secret Diplomacy

[jatay3]

For those looking for campaigns for Gurps Age of Napolean try Secret Diplomacy by James Westfall Thomson and Saul K Padover. It is a history of the various clock & dagger machinations in Europe between the Renaisance and the ninteenth century. Lots of ideas.
For instance a classic: at one time Napolean and Czar Alexander were signing a treaty. The contents were secret-for instance it was signed in the middle of a raft in a river not only to save the prestiege problems of who steps on whose territory but to insure that no one could take a peak without revealing himself. Yet within a few weeks the English knew. Padover gives his idea of how.
There are other such things in this book, stuff that would fit easily with the atmosphere of Age of Napolean

 

[clementk]

It looks OOP to me but sounds worth a library search. Heh, the raft story was told to me in less charming terms than prestige problems. I also heard, in the same tale, how the British knew so fast but I can't remember now.

On a related note I've been meaning to check a couple of recent books on what the secretive struggle between Britain and Russia for Central Asia. One's named for the British name for it, the Great Game, the 2nd for the Russian name, the Tournament of Shadows. See for more info about the subject and the two book (link) if you aren't already aware of them.

ObTrav: Uh...Great Britain = Zhodani, Russia = 3rd Imperium, Central Asia = Spinward Marches. Books = plots, characters, and details ripe for the picking by a ref or player!

Casey just looking for a pith helmet

 

[jchurchill]

For instance a classic: at one time Napolean and Czar Alexander were signing a treaty. The contents were secret-for instance it was signed in the middle of a raft in a river not only to save the prestiege problems of who steps on whose territory but to insure that no one could take a peak without revealing himself. Yet within a few weeks the English knew. Padover gives his idea of how.
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You're talking about the treaty of Tilsit here. (1807). Many so called secret treaties in that age were leaked or became known quickly. There were secret clauses to published treaties as well...the Franco-Russian alliance [1892] and the Entente Cordiale [happy 100th birthday Entente C -- 1904] both spring to mind.

The treaty of Tilsit was rather shortlived though...by 1812 the signatories were at war again.

 

[jchurchill]

Casey just looking for a pith helmet
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Might I suggest this --www.pithhelmets.com? You have a choice between the Slade Wallace version and the Wolseley version.

 

[jatay3]

On a related note I've been meaning to check a couple of recent books on what the secretive struggle between Britain and Russia for Central Asia. One's named for the British name for it, the Great Game, the 2nd for the Russian name, the Tournament of Shadows. See for more info about the subject and the two book (link) if you aren't already aware of them.
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as a matter of fact i have both as well; i've become something of a spy-buff over the past few years
Peter Hopkirk(Great Game) goes very well with the Spinward Marches, as it deals with a situation in which there is a relative stalemate between two major powers amid a partially explored wilderness.
Like Hidden Fire(second in the trilogy)deals with the Germans trying to edge into the Great Game, while Setting the East Ablaze deals with the Great Game during the Russian Revoulution(analogous to the Imperial Civil Wars, and the Second Frontier War that took place at the same time).
Secret Diplomacy doesn't translate as well into Traveller because Secret Diplomacy is about an area where almost everything is clearly settled but there are a large number of political centers-several large ones and myriads of small ones.
One I like is Istanbul Intrigues by Barry Rubin which is about WWII in the Eastern Mediterranian-centered in Istanbul. It has the characteristics of both European and Asian spy histories as it is on the border.
The two types seem to me to each have their own atmosphere. European-centered spy histories seem to give an atmosphere of "sinisterness" from the plots between well organized secret-services and the general "wheels within wheels" feel. Most of the Asian-centered spy histories I have read give a feel of "wildness", because they always seem to take place in semi-settled places. They seem to be half spy history and half travel log.
"Atmosphere" is a quality that is hard to describe. It is the kind of feeling that is imparted by a story(fictional or non-fictional). It is more than excitment but the kind of excitment. Flavor might be a better metaphor than atmosphere.

 

[jatay3]

It looks OOP to me b
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by the way what does OOP mean?

 

[mike wightman]

Out of print would be my guess

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by jatay3:
by the way what does OOP mean?

Yes I meant Out Of Print. Amazon listed: "Availability: Out of Print--Limited Availability" and "Publisher: F. Ungar Pub. Co (1963)". Looks like Abebooks.com has some copies for cheap enough though if I can't find it in a library.

Casey

 

[jatay3]

I got it at Powells and was grateful to get it. I had read it from the library before though.

 

[jatay3]

speaking of spy stuff does anyone know when Gurps Traveller: the Great Game is coming?

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by jatay3:
speaking of spy stuff does anyone know when Gurps Traveller: the Great Game is coming?

Well with the change from 3e to 4e Gurps Traveller is in something of a retooling stage. The books now have to be longer and hardcover which rules out some topics for print or at least a redo IMO and SJG's e23 unit isn't ready for prime time yet so no pdf publications yet either.

Could be fun to see GT's take on certain MT era agencies.

Casey