I felt I must pay my own small tribute to Professor Christopher Duffy, who died on Wednesday, and without whose inspiring work this blog and these flags would almost certainly not exist. It was his books (and Charles Grant's The War Game) that first got me excited about 18th century military history and wargaming nearly 50 years ago. I have all his books that I have been able to get my hands on, regardless of subject, as he always contrived to write well and interestingly about anything to which he turned his hand. I had some correspondence with him in the early 1990s about his books and he was very courteous and kind and helpful, just as many others have said of him. He was very much the gentleman scholar but also an iconoclast who overturned many misconceptions about 18th century military history. He did look very frail in the pictures from July of the Festschrift in London and I knew that his health had not been good for some years. Even so, it was a shock to hear that he has died. I very much regret that I never met him and wish I had been able to go on one of his European battlefield tours.
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| Menzel - Maria Theresa Reviewing Her Troops |
And Christopher Duffy describing the action at Kolin 1757 (one of his favourite battles of the period; he once described it as "a great day for humanity"!) on his battlefield tour in 1994 - this picture courtesy of Jim Purky who took it:
(More pictures and a tribute to Christopher Duffy can be found on Jim Purky's blog at: https://altefritz.blogspot.com/ )
Fitting tribute to a fallen giant. He will live on forever through his body of work.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jon. Yes, we have the consolation that his excellent body of work wil continue to be read and enjoyed.
DeleteAll the best,
David.
Well said David thank you for your tribute.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
Thank you, Willz. His death prompted me to buy the last two of his books I did not have, Eagles Over The Alps on Suvorov's Campaign in Italy and Switzerland 1799 and his book on German views of the Somme 1916. I've also bought the Festschrift volume by Helion.
DeleteAll the best,
David.
Indeed, a very fine scholar. He was working to the last. I'd hope we might see his last work even if incomplete.
ReplyDeleteYes, he was still thinking of new projects and ideas to the end. A true scholar! I do hope his promised book on Prague and Kolin 1757 surfaces amongst his papers... and perhaps other works we know nothing about. Having helped publish unfinished MSS from the papers of a very fine scholar and friend who supervised my PhD, I know what gems can be lurking amongst the papers of academics.
DeleteAll the best,
David.
David, we’re you on the 1994 tour?
ReplyDeleteSadly, I was not. I missed all three of his battlefield tours and I very much regret it. For the first two in the 1990s I could not afford to go and I did not hear of the 2016 tour in time. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.
I did not know him, but the way you evoke his memory commands respect.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ronald. It is a sad loss as not only was he a wonderful researcher and writer but he was also a very decent human being. At least we still have all his books to enjoy.
DeleteAll the best,
David.