Bela Lugosi 20220604

This was inspired by idea of Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror by W. Scott Poole rather than book itself. I saw picture of Bela Lugosi as Austria-Hungary’s soldier. Book has part of Bela Lugosi but I draw this before I got to it. Wasteland discusses how The Great War influenced horror and culture as large. Book is ok and part of Audible subscription. It is free to listen if you have it and find topic interesting. At least it is part of subscription when I write this post. Some books have disappeared from free books.

Again using references like it doesn’t show. Soldier has closest to real colors. I found color reference for it. Others had black and white references. Experienced with black shadows little bit more. Tested them little on previous drawing. This time little bit more. I like how they look. Mike Mignola’s art has showed how well they can work. I will use them more in future.

Austria-Hungary WW1 20220529

First World War audiobook binge continued with A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire by Geoffrey Wawro. Geoffrey had some harsh words to say about Austria-Hungary and Franz Conrad. Book was ok but I wouldn’t go so far that I would recommend it. Collapse of the Habsburg Empire did fit only to title. Book is interesting and again so many things of the book remind today. This was supposed to be second last of the binge but I might continue with four book and about 80 hour series of eastern front.

Drawing has Emperor Franz Joseph, Leopold Berchtold and Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf. Again from references. Conrad has closest to correct colors. For others I had black and white references. Planned to have Austria-Hungary’s flag on background but that was before I knew what it looked like. That thing is the worst flag I have ever seen. Leopold Berchtold was foreign minister at the time but best fitting reference for this drawing was him in military gear. Civilian clothes would have been better but couldn’t find reference which would have worked here.

I am trying to get more into drawing. Giro d’Italia has ended and war in Ukraine isn’t as intense anymore. Don’t feel I need to be constantly on Twitter to follow it. At one point I had idea of having only drawings as pictures and thumbnails. I might try that now. This is fifth drawing in row and I don’t post that often currently.

Nivelle and Verdun 20220522

First World War audiobook binge continues. I haven’t finished it yet but I think I can recommend Pandora’s Box: a History of the First World War by Jörn Leonhard. It is really good if you want to know more about what happened outside the battles during the war. This is his only book to be translated into English. I would listen his other work if it would be available in English. After this I have two more First World books to listen. After that I will listen something else.

Again using black and white references. Colors are probably not correct. Battle of Verdun was one of big battles of First World War. Robert Nivelle commanded French army there. Here he is with aftermath of the battle at background.

Franz Ferdinand 20220515

It surely feel like beginning of 20th century nowadays. Been listening audiobooks about First World War lately. Few of them on backlog. Latest I can recommend is The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark. Some people have nostalgia of “good old days” when Russia, Germany, France and Great Britain still ruled the world. Before two world wars changed everything. I constantly run into justification and ideas current political leader talk about these days in books about the First World War and its causes. I thought we had learned better.

I tried to draw from reference this time. It is Franz Ferdinand in front of destroyed city. His death launched Europe in war. War might have started even without it. Don’t know if colors are accurate. I had black and white references.

Binging World War and Cold War audiobooks

I have been quiet here lately. I have been binging audiobooks about 20th century history. About both World Wars and Cold War. Haven’t been drawing that much. The picture is older one. I have listened history podcast but haven’t cared 20th century that much before. Russian invasion to Ukraine changed that. 20th century started to be more interesting. I haven’t written about those books because I am not historian and can’t judge their accuracy. Wanted to give recommendations of few of them from general audience point of view in case someone else is curious about the topic and want to find books to read or listen.

Barbara W. Tuchman: The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914

Book about world before the Great War. Quite comprehensive look what world was before the war broke. Interesting how people saw the world and possible future war before it actually happened. More about everything else than military and war.

Barbara W. Tuchman: The Guns of August

Classic book about how Europe went to war and first months of the war. Classic for several reasons.

G. J. Meyer: A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918

One volume book about The First World War. I found background sections more interesting than main sections. Main sections are quite basic military history but background tells more about why things happened like they did and what is was like to be there.

Max Hastings: Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945

This is almost like background sections of A World Undone but about The Second World War. Starts from beginning of the war. Nothing from reasons why the war begun.

Victor Sebestyen: Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire

Best book about The Cold War I have found so far. More about fall of Iron Curtain than Soviet Union. Basically what happened outside Soviet Union and lack of reaction from Soviet Union.

Still looking for good books about world between World Wars and fall of Soviet Union. Soviet Union books I have listened don’t tell much about economy which they say was big reason of the fall. Only that they needed more money all the time.