Sunday, June 28, 2015

Sea Lion as Cover Art

I have always been intrigued with cover art. I have been known to purchase a second copy of an Agatha Christie mystery just based on the cover art. Those of the 1960s and 70s had a very distinct look and feel to them compared to the earlier works for the 30s and 40s. . While at the Navy Exchange I was known to buy a sci-fi or alt-history novel based on the cover art, with mixed results. Now that I am adding to my early World War II library, I am intrigued by the cover art and dust jackets of the books I am buying come from the 1940s to the present. Much of my Sea Lion collection is fiction with appropriate art.

My most recent purchase for this project is Sea Lion by Richard Cox. This novelizes The Staff College wargame that was fought by real 1940 Sea Lion participants in 1974. It is an enjoyable read and has well though combat examples. Well worth a read by anyone interested in World War II in general or Operation Sea Lion in particular.

What I find most distressing is the fictional artwork on the cover. It is not the shallow eyes of the soldier, or the Ju-87 bombing the building (a church?) but it is the little tank in the lower left corner. To me it looks like a Soviet T-34. My assumption is that the artist was told to draw a tank and the T-34 was what was in his sketchbook. Does this make the book less valuable, no, but it makes the arguments about the History Channel getting video wrong just the most recent errors that I have caught. Oh bother.

For now back to the landing beaches. Cannot wait to find out what is going happen,

7 comments:

  1. Interesting project. I await further developments too.

    I have been following an online Europa boardgame replay of "Their Finest Hour" and that has been quite enjoyable.

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    1. Where is this at. Love to follow as well.

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    2. I believe the game begins here:

      https://cardboardwars.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/their-finest-hour-operation-sea-lion/

      You can follow the progress through the current, German OCT 1940 II turn.

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  2. I'm not sure it's even a T-34... almost looks like something post-war... like a T-55 or something.

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  3. Looks far too wide for any actual prototype - Perhaps it is a Panzer II with an extra wide hull, track and growsers to act as mudshoes when crossing the Essex mudflats lIke in Arthur Ransome's Secret Water. ;)

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