Monday 31 July 2006
Friday 28 July 2006
Thursday 27 July 2006
Boardgame Development - Dominion - Ancient Art of War (the boardgame) (2 to 4 players)
2005 © Leong Kit Meng (Liang Jieming)
Boardgame Development - Battle of Midway (the boardgame) (2 players)
2005 © Leong Kit Meng (Liang Jieming)
Wednesday 26 July 2006
Travel - Europe (England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, Italy) October - November 2005
London
--> Calais
--> Paris
--> Lucerne
--> Lugano
--> Verona
--> Venice
--> Pisa
--> Florence
--> Rome
--> Edinburgh
--> Sterling
--> London
Commentary Impressions...
"Cosmos doesn't wait for people."
"With Cosmos you eat well and stay well."
"Oh, I thought you were Japanese! You're from Malaysia?"
"Do your parents know you're here?"
"Wah, you're so dressed up to meet your friends."
"Is your passport still with you in your pocket?"
"Perfect weather!"
"I'm not rubbing the pig's nose. I don't want to come back to Florence."
"That must be Jean."
"Where is this guy taking us?"
"I need to take off my legs and soak them in hot water."
Tuesday 25 July 2006
Project - Catapult Models
These models were part of my research for my book with the exception of the small 1.5 inch high xuanfeng pao which was made specially for Urofpersia and the 8 5-inch high Hudunpao made as table centerpieces with Urofpersia & Centaur's help, and given away to guests at my wedding.
Monday 24 July 2006
Activity - Star Gazing at Mersing, Johor, Malaysia (Dark Sky Category 1)
I do regular (not so regular these days... sigh) excursions to peer into the nightsky from various locations, the further away from big cities the better.
I use a Schmidt-Newtonian 8 inch telescope: MEADE LDX55 SN-8 with AutoStar and the following lenses, Vixen 2.5mm & MEADE Plossi 6.4mm, 9.7mm, 12.4mm, 15mm, 20mm, 26mm, 30mm, 40mm & Barlow 2X
Anyone interesting in joining my excursions are most welcome. Bring your own sleeping bag and expect to drink lots of coffee... but the wait is well worth it once you see the milkyway unobscured by bright lights in all it's glory! People I know who've been there and seen the milkyway, all get Mersing-withdrawal right after a trip.
Latitude 103° 47' 05E Longitude 2° 35' 50N
Tanjung Resang, Mersing
Johor, Malaysia
Driving directions -
From Mersing central roundabout -> Drive Northward 16km (towards Kuantan) -> Exit Turn-off, Right turn to Tanjung Resang -> Drive Eastward 7.1km (towards beach) -> X-junction, Left turn onto coastal road -> Drive Northward 3.8km -> Off road between telephone poles nos. 29 & 30, Left turn off the road onto the grassy field Eastward 200 metres seaward to the clearing
30/08/03 - 31/08/03
- First trip out. Caught a ride with Matthew and didn't bring my scope. Coast road was nothing but a bumpy dirt road. Got bitten by the Mersing-bug and been infected ever since.
01/01/04 - 02/01/04
- Quick driving recon of the site in the afternoon to late evening with sis to check my "koyak GPRS" navigation, recon the site in daylight and to test my scope.
22/05/04 - 23/05/04
- Good sizeable group. Minor problem finding the site due to road upgrading works. Was there with sis but spent most of the night checking out other people's scopes. Spent more time oohing and ahhing then playing with my own scope.
07/0505 - 08/05/05
- Went with RT, Devi, Marie, Sis & baobei in 2 cars. Arrived late but thankfully I found the site despite the on-going roadworks. Best skies I've ever seen. Did too much snacking and drinking coffee with the girls.
17/03/07 - 18/03/07
- Ah Yan joined baobei and I this trip. All roadworks completed making for my easiest access ever. Found the site with little problems. Largest group I've seen to date with at least 12 scopes and 20+ people.
Sunday 16 July 2006
... and so it begins.... my first published book!
中国攻城兵器图史
Chinese Siege Warfare: Mechanical Artillery & Siege Weapons of Antiquity
- An Illustrated History
Limited Print First Edition
ISBN 981-05-5380-3 (pbk.)
Over 150+ Photographs!
Over 30+ Illustrations!
Over 200+ Reproductions of original primary source illustrations!
______________________________________________
< CONTENTS >
Foreword
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction to Chinese Siege Warfare
2. Brief History of the Catapult
3. Siege Weapons Types in Chinese Warfare
Catapults / Trebuchets
ii. 旋 風 砲 Xuanfeng Pao "Whirlwind Catapult”
iii. 虎 蹲 砲 Hudun Pao "Crouching Tiger Catapult”
iv. 四 脚 砲 Sijiao Pao "4-footed Catapult”
v. 回 回 砲 Huihui Pao "Muslim Catapult” (Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet)
vi. Other Types of Catapults
Arcuballistas / Crossbows
i. Mohist Siege Crossbow
iii. 連 弩 Lian Nu “Multiple Bolt Crossbow”
iv. 诸 葛 弩 Zhuge Nu "Zhuge Liang’s Crossbow” (Machinegun Repeating Crossbow)
Early Gunpowder Weapons
i. 火 枪 Huo Qiang “Fire Spear” (Firelance)
ii. 炮 Pao “Explosives” (Explosives, Grenades and Bombs)
iii. 火 箭 Huo Jian “Fire Arrows” (Rockets)
- Early Huo Jian “Fire Arrow” (Rockets)
- 火 車 Huo Che “Fire Cart” (Mobile Rocket Launchers)
iv. 火 枪 Huo Qiang "Fire Spear" (Guns) or 火 铳 Huo Chong "Arquebus"
v. 火 炮 Huo Pao “Fire Cannon” (Cannons)
vi. 地 雷 Di Lei “Ground Thunder” (Landmines)
vii. 水 雷 Shui Lei “Water Thunder” (Watermines)
Supporting Pieces
ii. 冲 車 Chong Che “Assault Cart” (Mobile Siege Tower)
iii. 洞 屋 車 Dongwu Che “House Cart” (Vinea)
iv. 喷 火 器 Penhuo Qi “Flame Spitting Machine” (Flame Thrower)
v. 車 Da Che “Throw-over Cart” or 車 “Gou Che “Hook Cart”
vi. 云 梯 車 Yunti Che "Cloud Ladder Cart" (Mobile Assault Ladder)
vii. 撞 车 Zhuang Che "Ramming Cart" (Battering Ram)
viii. Miscellaneous Supporting Pieces
4. Siege Weapon Types in Other Cultures
American
i. Pipil Stone Thrower
European
i. One-armed "Tension" Springald.
Greco-Roman
i. Ballista
ii. Mangonel "Onager"
Japanese
i. Oyumi “Great Bow”
Middle Eastern
i. Arab Madjanikh
ii. Lu’ab Madjanikh
iii. Rumi Madjanikh
iv. Turkish Madjanikh
v. Franjiyyah
vi. Maghribiyyah
vii. Qara bughawiyyah
South Asian
i. Yantra
ii. Mahashilakantaka
iii. Sarvatobhadra
5. Chronology of Chinese Siege Weapons
6. Appendices
Appendix A
Assyrian Wall Relief of the Siege of Lachish
Appendix B
China: Strategic Geography of the Land
Appendix C
Huo Yao “Fire Drug” or Gunpowder
Appendix D
Mozi: Books 14 and 15
Appendix E
Sunzi Bingfa “Sunzi's Art of War”
Appendix F
Warring States Fortified City Walls from the Mozi
Appendix G
Chinese Units of Measure
Appendix H
Khmer Stone Bas Relief of Double-bow Arcuballista
Appendix I
Pictorial Record of Construction of Scaled Models of Ancient Siege Engines
- 旋 風 砲 “Xuanfeng Pao”
- 虎 蹲 砲 “Hudun Pao” (French Trebuchet Version)
- 四 脚 砲 “Sijiao Pao”
- 回 回 砲 “Huihui Pao”
- 诸 葛 弩 “Zhuge Nu”
- 火 車 “Huo Che” (Korean Hwacha Version)
- One-armed Tension Springald
- Ballista
- Mangonel
7. Bibliography
USD$29.99 + S/H (International orders)
SGD$49.99 (Singapore orders)
A4 sized landscape. Total number of pages approximately 170+ (with coloured illustrations and photographs), softcover. Approximately 500gms net weight.
***************************************************************
(Please contact me for S/H rates and for bulk orders of more than 1 book)
http://www.grandhistorian.com/chinesesiegewarfare
The books are now available at local bookstores!
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