Mike Tucker (retired Ronin) and Merle Robinson (retired DoD analyst) presented two hours of how to win a war through good prep at the “Military Logistics in Ancient & Medieval Times, National Security Decision” panel on Friday, 9AM, Westin Augusta D. From making sure you have the water, food, shelter, and transport (for humans and animals), horses, donkeys and other beasts of burden, live food animals (chicken, sheep, pigs, etc.), boats, wagons, siege engines, swords, spears, armor, bows, arrows, etc., and all the right non-combatants to support soldiers that are fighting-fit, this intense look at the upkeep of armies before guns and motorized transport was pure joy for those historically bent or in the midst of reading or writing a war epic. 

Brief drifts into the Napoleonic Wars were easily forgiven. Who can forget the recipe for Chicken Marengo (at its most basic, chicken, crawfish, mushrooms, and oil)? 

Different ways and best times to obtain or recruit soldiers and how to pay them once in service were discussed as well as equipping and training them. The mathematics of weapons, armor, and transport for any size engagement added more worrisome details. 

Naval forces had their own unique needs, like barnacle removal, ropes, oars, and sails, not to mention captains, navigators, and sailors. 

Further reading suggested for the medieval period were William Manchester’s A World Lit Only By Fire and Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror. BBC documentaries recommended were The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke and the Connections series, Episode 8, “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry,” also with James Burke.