After seven years of diligent work at the helm of the Seven Years War Association Journal, Jim Purky has decided to hand the reins over to a new person. I would like to acknowledge the fine job Jim has done over these years. The Journal has flourished under his stewardship, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. I also wish to salute the founder of the Journal and the Association, Bill Protz, for his pioneering and visionary effort in turning his dream into reality back in 1983, and also Steve Carpenter who, along with a group of fellows known as the "Forlorn Hope," first formed the Seven Years War Society back in the 70's. I am pleased to consider Jim, Bill, and Steve as my friends. It is with deep humility that I now strive to carry on the traditions that they have so masterfully established.

For those of you who may not know me very well, I'm 46 years old, was born in Wisconsin and have lived in Indiana since 1963. I have a BA from Indiana University in Anthropology and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from IU in Data Processing and Information Systems. I have been an avid wargamer since my teens and a French & Indian War re-enactor since 1990. I am fortunate to have accompanied Christopher Duffy on both of his Frederick the Great battlefield tours and hope to be on the next one, too.

For the last few years I have been a business partner with Dean West of "Old Battlefields Press." Many of you know me through that enterprise. I also helped him with the development of his 18th Century wargame rules: "Final Argument of Kings."

I am interested in all aspects of the Seven Years War, both in Europe and abroad, and in recent years have been researching the war in western Germany as well as in North America. I am the translator of Camp Topographies of the Campaign of MDCCLVII in Westphalia( and am in the process of translating and annotating the French and Indian War Journal of the Chevalier de Lévis, Montcalm's second in command. As a devout Francophile, I hope to bring to light more information on aspects of the French war effort. I will not neglect other topics, however. There is still plenty of room for articles on the Prussians & Austrians, etc.

As you can see from the masthead, I have been fortunate in being able to obtain the permission of a number of people who, after a bit of arm twisting, have agreed to be contributing editors. Most of you probably know Professor Christopher Duffy or, at least are familiar with his numerous books and articles on the period of the Seven Years War. Christopher has, in the past, contributed an occasional article to the Journal, and I am hopeful that he will continue to do so as time allows.

Those who are into the French and Indian War will probably recognize the name of Brian Dunnigan, former President of Old Fort Niagara, writer of a number of books and articles on the history of Fort Niagara, and currently the Curator of Maps at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Brian is presently working on a project dealing with the iconography of Detroit, and I hope that when he has a break in his busy schedule he may be able to share some input with us.

Brent Nosworthy is a name familiar to many of us as the author of Anatomy of Victory and With Cannon, Musket and Sword. Brent is very interested in the mechanics of how battles were fought at the tactical level.

Jim Purky, of course, is the prior editor of this journal. Jim is a great wordsmith in his own right and has expressed an interest in running a column in the Journal. His first column appears under the tentative working title: From the Veranda at San Souci. That's an appropriate title for our Fritzophile friend, I think!

Ken Bunger is one of the founding members of the SYWA, author of numerous wargaming articles, and creator of the venerable and influential rules set known as Tricorne. He brings a world of knowledge to the Journal.

Professor Patrick Le Beau has a doctorate in Native American Studies and teaches at Michigan State. Pat is an old friend and dedicated wargamer who may be able to give us some new perspectives on Indian warfare.

Dean West is a wargamer from time immemorial and the author of Final Argument of Kings. Like Brent Nosworthy, he is very interested in the tactics of the 18th century and how they relate to wargame design.

Last, but certainly not least, S. Richard Black is one of the founding members of the Association. He has contributed a number of articles in the past; most recently an excellent one on the battle of Kesselsdorf. Rich, like myself, is a re-enactor in the Royal-Roussillon infantry regiment. He is also an expert flag maker and a whiz at building and upgrading computers (and periodically pulling my chestnuts out of the fire when I have one of my occasional computer disasters).

I encourage all of you to submit articles relevant to our time period. Based on what has been published thus far, it appears that our membership is primarily interested in the period of the Seven Years War and the War of the Austrian Succession, in that order. I invite the membership to inform me if they would like to see an occasional article dealing with any conflicts of the 18th Century that are earlier or later than the above conflicts; wars such as the War of the Polish Succession, the War of the Bavarian Succession, etc. I would not be opposed to considering such articles if there is a demand. Otherwise I plan on sticking to the period that we have traditionally covered.

Suggestions for articles might include: reviews of rules sets, figures, books, etc., information on flags, uniforms, weapons, battles, biographical information on various military/political personages, ideas for scenarios, or unit histories. Those of you who can read languages other than English are encouraged to send in any translations you may have done. Neil Cogswell, Alistair Sharman, Peter Lenders, Peter Wilson, and others have set a wonderful example in their research that I hope others can follow. I also welcome articles on living history, battlefields you may have toured, museums, libraries, and other resources, as well as information concerning relevant web sites on the internet. One thing that I have found most interesting, while reading through back issues of the Journal, is the first person account of what combat was like. I hope that the membership will send in more of such items.

As your new editor, I am open to any ideas you may have to improve the quality of this publication. Tell me what you would like to see more of in the Journal. I will do my best to accommodate you.

As you can see, I have decided to experiment with adding color to the Journal. I recently bought a Hewlett-Packard color printer and am determining how much color I can add to the Journal and still have it remain cost-effective. I hope to have a color cover and possibly on occasion, a color center insert as well. However, if it comes down to costing too much, I will revert back to a black & white format for most issues with maybe an occasional color issue when appropriate.

I intend, to the best of my abilities, to publish the Journal on a quarterly basis with a fall, winter, spring, and summer edition. In any event your subscription of $30.00 will cover the cost of an entire 4-issue volume. I anticipate no increase in printing costs, so this price should remain the same for the foreseeable future.

Again, please feel free to correspond, call, or e-mail me with feedback. And don't forget that your submissions are always appreciated.

So long for now.

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