The big goal this year is to put out both "Hounds of Nimrod" and Book Three, currently titled "Siege of Second Salisbury". But there is more to come after that, and I've mentioned that a spin-off will be done. Today I took the first concrete step towards that objective, purchasing some research materials.
That spin-off is centered around New Vienna, and the story is based on the events of the 1683 Siege of Vienna that Sabaton returned to popular awareness with "Winged Hussars". Starting this weekend (according to Amazon), the first two books will arrive; these deal with that siege. A second book on the siege will take another week to arrive.
One of the books ordered is the Osprey book on the subject. Osprey is fantastic for getting started on a research project; in addition to being a good survey on the subject, the Bibliography is a gold-mine of options for following up specific threads. I expect that Amazon will have these in hardcover or paperback, and whatever they lack I can acquire via the county library or by using my Alumus privledges at my Alma Mater (which is tied into the national university system).
The Enemy At The Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans, and the Battle for Europe is one of the books that goes into depth on the events of Vienna. The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent is the other.
Between these two, and the aforementioned Osprey book, I should be able to map out the sequence of events as well as the players making the moves. The purpose of that task is to discern where the dramatic potential lies for my purposes, and from there come up with a draft plot outline.
Osprey's related books to the siege cover the men that fought it, but I haven't bought them yet because that's for when it becomes necessary to delve into those details. The Hussars get a few volumnes, the Janisarries get a book, and I may pick up one or all of them if I find it necessary.
There is one recent film that also depicts the events, The Day of the Siege, which some Sabaton fans use to make music videos for "Winged Hussars". Sabaton's song is on The Last Stand.
There's also plenty of other books on the 1683 siege and the war giving it context. If you'd like to help, gifting me anything I haven't purchased is welcome; I maintain a History Wish List on Amazon, so have at it.
At this point, I should remind you that I don't intend for this to be a straight Space Opera retelling of history. As is my usual habit, I will be blending other inspirations into this project; I'll address those in detail in later posts. Just remember that Star Knight is, at its core, a blend of Space Opera and Chivalric Romance with giant robots and laser swords.
But you can be damned sure that, once again, the Winged Hussars will save the day.
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