Classic Wargaming books

[DaveH]

I think the main inspirations to me were Featherstone's Wargames and Skirmish Wargaming.

[Kassad]

There were very few books about wargames (and also boardgames) in Italy, traslated from English or by italian authors. I have two old books from 80's:
"Battaglie in miniatura" di Luigi Casali and "Le Campagne di Napoleone" di Bruce Quarrie (original title: "Napoleon's campaigns in miniatures. A wargamers' guide to the Napolionic Wars 1796-1815). I found in a old used books store, many years ago.These books made me discovered the beautifull world of wargames. They are very precious (said like Gollum ^_^) for me.

[Hertsblue]

The late Bruce Quarrie was a member of our club back in the seventies. The Airfix Napoleonic rules were adapted from our club rules, originally by Steve Tulk.

[Kassad]

The late Bruce Quarrie was a member of our club back in the seventies. The Airfix Napoleonic rules were adapted from our club rules, originally by Steve Tulk.

Hertsblue, please, if you have any contact with Mr Quarrie, give him my respectful compliments. His book totally changed my previous hobby and my life too. I meet a lots of new dear friends, playing wargames.

[Hertsblue]

Hertsblue, please, if you have any contact with Mr Quarrie, give him my respectful compliments. His book totally changed my previous hobby and my life too. I meet a lots of new dear friends, playing wargames.

I'm sorry, Kassad, Bruce Quarrie is no longer with us. He passed on in 2004 from lung cancer. There's quite a good piece on him in Wikipedia and the Osprey site if you're interested.

[Kassad]

I'm sorry, Kassad, Bruce Quarrie is no longer with us. He passed on in 2004 from lung cancer. There's quite a good piece on him in Wikipedia and the Osprey site if you're interested.

It's very sad new for me. He is in a better place now.

[Gandalf]

I grew up in a small town in the eighties and early nineties, and pre internet I was only vaguely aware that there was something called wargaming. Nobody around me did it, and the TV gave me the impression that the odd millionaire might have a table full of figures. Wargaming as a game (rather than just display and dioramas) was caught only as a glipse of a repeat one summer of an old show, "Modeller's World" (?) presented by a guy who seemed like he could have been James Robertson Justice's affable brother (Bob someone?) Anyway it had a short section on an AWI game, and for me the rest of the world fell away for five minutes. That would be it for years.

One day in the tiny town library I found "The Wargame" and even though it already seemed ancient, I was mesmerised. So that was my introduction in print. At a guess I was about 15.

I remember watching Model World in the seventies.  It was presented by Bob Symes who is a bit of a character to say the least. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Symes

[goat major]

another fantastically inspirational book was Curt Johnson's Battles of the American Revolution - although not a wargaming book it was full of magnificent Peter Gilder AWI eye candy. This was another one i had on semi-permanent loan from the library and started my AWI itch thats never gone away (there are creams available for it nowadays), Here's a pic from it i found on the interweb....

[hamsterking]

Lulu have many of these classics available as licensed re-prints. I picked up a copy of Donald Featherstone's "Naval war Gaming" recently.

Dave Turner

[FierceKitty]

I started off on Featherstone and Grant too. They must have wrecked more potential real gamers than Games Workshop!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

They must have wrecked more potential real gamers than Games Workshop!

Bit harsh - dont forget Tunstill, or a certain ex-commando as well......and as for a certain gentleman from Birmingham with a perchant for Orange tee shirts...



IanS

[FierceKitty]

Can't comment; I'm a South African, so not privy to all the inside dope.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Well Mr Barker is still with us, so I have to be carful....

IanS

[sixsideddice]

For me too, my first impressions as a kid were very much steered by what was available at my local library at the time.

My introduction to wargame books were Terrance Wise`s "Introduction to Battle Gaming"  Donald Featherstone`s "Skirmish Wargaming" and "Solo Wargaming" and finally Gavin Lyall`s "Operation Warboard". "Battle" magazine also had a huge influence on me.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

'Battle' magazine or 'Battle Action Comic' Later merged with 'Victor'