Thomas Hook

Notes from the Composer: The opportunity to incorporate historically authentic music into a military strategy game has always been a challenging and rewarding project for me. Again I tip my hat in gratitude to John Tiller for providing me with the source materials for this game. The victory songs used in this game truly could not be more diverse. For the French - the Marseillaise, was composed by French officer Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760-1836) in Strasbourg in 1792, and has been heard on battlefields all over the world, truly one of the most famous melodies of all time. The Vietnamese national anthem is more obscure to Western ears. Tien Quan Ca (March to the Fronts) was composed by Van Cao (1923-1995) in November of 1944 while he worked for Doc Lap newspaper - the organ of the Viet Minh front. In 1945 the Provisional Government selected Tien Quan Ca as the national anthem. For the draw song, John suggested Voila du Boudin, the favorite marching song of the French Foreign Legion. (As a resident of New Orleans I recognize boudin from the cuisine of Cajun Louisiana). Only a military force as colorful as the Foreign Legion would have a marching song praising a sausage! (See below for words to this song) Bon appetit, Tom Hook For more information, contact: Thomas Hook at Tmanfordhook@aol.com

FOREIGN LEGION MARCHING SONG (Heres the Blood Sausage) I In Tonking, the immortal Legion Covered with glory our flag at Tuyen-Quang. Heroes of Camerone, model brothers Sleep in peace in your graves. II In the course of our faraway campaigns, Facing fevers, and bullets, Let us forget, along with our sorrows, Death, which never forgets us. Refrain Heres the blood sausage, the blood sausage, the blood sausage, For the Alsationas, the Swiss, and the Lorrainers, Theres none left for the Belgians (bis) Cause theyre shirkers.