Neil Thomas

Re-fight some of the bloodiest battles of the ancient and medieval worlds! Seasoned wargamer and author Neil Thomas brings historical perspective to the hobby with a description and interpretation of significant military developments from 3,000BC to AD1500. Wargaming is the simulation of accurate historical battles using miniature figures to fight over three dimensional terrain, their movement and combat being regulated by clearly defined rules. Neil Thomas' new book provides specific coverage of ancient and medieval wargaming, thanks to its division into biblical, classical, Dark Age and medieval sections. Each section has its own set of rules and much expanded army lists. The wargamer gains additional perspective from data panels containing facts about weaponry, personalities and chroniclers, and quotations from original document sources. Useful suggestions for further reading are also included, while battle reports in each section provide tactical insights for both novice and veteran wargamers.

Since the 1950s the hobby has grown exponentially and now enjoys a widespread following across the world. Although the rise in computerised wargaming has transformed some aspects of it, the traditional table-based wargame continues to go from strength to strength. Neil Thomas, a seasoned wargamer himself, offers practical advice on how to collect and paint wargames armies, together with all the information and rules needed to fight wargames over a huge historical timespan. He offers simple, playable and realistic rules for a variety of historical periods, from the ancient to the Second World War. A selection of colour photographs serves to illustrate the historical periods covered and convey something of the colourful spectacle of wargaming.

Study of neglected 13c German romance by Heinrich von dem Turlin: Gawain achieves the Grail, Arthur struggles through reverses to assert his authority. Heinrich's reinvention of the Arthurian ideal asserts its vigour in the latermiddle ages. Interesting and persuasive... will surely influence the future critical discussion of Heinrich's poem and the medieval Arthurian cycle. ARTHURIANA Diu Crône (The Crown) is one of the most neglected of Arthurianromances, perhaps because it does not fit into the canon of orthodox Arthurian stories: it is Gawain, not Perceval or Galahad, who achieves the Grail, and Heinrich's Arthur is not a predestined, assured imperial figure but a rulerwho struggles through reverses and challenges as he attempts to establish his authority, making the eventual triumph of the court and the accolade of the Grail all the more dramatic. Diu Crône is a bravura performance which creates a compelling new foundation myth. Camelot is transformed from its initial state of factionalism, sexual betrayal and lack of morale under an inexperienced king to one of law, order and security symbolised by the supreme resourcefulness shown by Gawain in the unflinching service of Arthur, his liege lord. It reinvents the imaginative foundation of the Arthurian ideal, and demonstrates that the ideal maintained its appeal in Germany into thelater middle ages. NEIL THOMAS is Reader in German in the School of Modern European Languages in the University of Durham

There has been much speculation about the introduction of the contract culture in the public services and its consequences for those involved (including service users). This book, which is based on original research, sets out to examine the impact of contracts in three areas of the public service: health, social services, and other government activities. These findings are set in the context of policy development for the public sector as a whole. Detailed case studies in selected areas reveal the varying different patterns that have emerged. A study of the attitudes of those involved illuminates the different perspectives of participants. In the concluding chapters the authors review the policy implications of the study and identify likely future developments.

An interpretation of the -classical- works of the Arthurian genre in medieval Germany with special reference to the reception accorded those works by near-contemporaries of Hartmann and Wolfram."