THE AVALON HILL GENERAL, 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Bi-monthly, offset printed, $4.98/year. Donald Greenwood, editor (not credited). 16 pp, 8 1/2"x11". Circulation, about 10,000? For those few who don't know, this is the official publication of the Avalon Hill Company (anybody who doesn't know who they are?). With the appearance of the SEP-OCT issue, Don Greenwood's influence is beginning to be noticeable in subtle ways, but the format is essentially unchanged. Some improvement seems discernible in the layout and also the content. Big news to some, no doubt, is that the Opponents Wanted page is returning to the free-style ads of yesteryear. According to the editorial a regular feature in future issues will be the "Reader Buyer's Guide." Readers are requested to fill out a form rating a particular AH game, and the results are published in a later issue. FRANCE, 1940 is the first subject.

Also planned is a series of games between experienced players with the moves and running commentary from both players published in the General. The first will be a BULGE game. Though the names weren't given in the GENERAL the players will be Randy Reed of AH, Germans, and yours truly, Don Lowry, Americans (big deal).

This game is now underway via PBM and Randy is off to a good start, so be watching for it, if you're a BULGE fan. Among the authors represented in this issue of the GENERAL, PF readers will recognize the name of Roy Easton, who presents a PANZERBLITZ situation recreating a commando raid. A good magazine for boardgamers, and getting better.

HOOSIER ARCHIVES, c/o Walter Buchanan, R. R. #3, Lebanon, IN 46052. Weekly, Ditto, $2.00/13 issues or $1 .00/6 issues. Walter Buchanan, editor. 5 pp, 8 1/2"x11". Circulation unknown. HA was originally a periodic listing of the DIPLOMACY archives of the editor. It is now primarily a general DIPLOMACY magazine devoted to articles on good play, demonstration games such as the Multiple Winners Invitational (1972 CR) now in progress, rating systems, and game news. See the DIPLOMACY column in this magazine for an example of the type of articles found in HA. DIPLOMACY players, especially those involved or interested in postal play, will find this magazine very informative and entertaining.

SOLDIER, Challenge Publications, Inc., 7950 Deering Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91204. Quarterly, offset printed, $12.50/year or $3.50/issue. Ed Schnepf, Publisher; Sydney P. Chivers f Executive Editor. Circulation unknown. 80 pp, 8 1/2"x11". From the company that publishes SCALE MODELER; this is the second attempt to get this magazine started. Two issues appeared in 1969 and then faded away long before qualifying as an old soldier. This is a very slick professional magazine with excellent photographs, including quite a bit of color, and seems aimed primarily at collectors of 54mm (and the new larger scale) miniatures.

One article, "War in the Trenches," is strictly history with considerable detail on weapons, tactics, etc., of WW 1. "The Eve of Essling" is an excellent photo series in B&W and color of a beautifully constructed and painted diorama in 54mm scale of Napoleon and his staff (32 figures, most of them mounted). Other articles concern the historic use of music in the cavalry, Field Marshal August von Mackensen (1849-1945); review of new miniatures on the market; step-by-step instructions on painting faces of miniatures; converting a Stadden Zulu warrior into a New Guinea headhunter; biographical sketch of the Duke of Wellington; a short and very shallow look at the ""Life of the Frontier Cavalryman"; a study of the Highland regiments in the Waterloo Campaign, taken from the forthcoming Imrie-Risley booklet on the subject; Norman armor in 1066; the development of the Maxim machine gun; and tips on painting large scale miniatures (77, 90, or 120mm). All in all probably of interest to wargamers, but the price is pretty steep. I'd suggest refraining from subscribing until time reveals whether or not it's here to stay this time.

WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL, 726 North Reynolds Road, Toledo, OH 43615. Quarterly, offset printed (typewritten), $6.00/year, $1 .50/copy. Edward C. Fisher, Jr., Editor. 100 pp, 8 1/2"x11". Circulation about 3,000. This is the journal of the Naval Records Club, Inc., and has been published since January 1964, The subscription price includes Annual Membership (there are other kinds of membership) in the NRC, which is a club "bringing together those amateur and professional people with an interest in ships and history of the world's navies." (What are "amateur people?" Dogs that like to play at being human?) This magazine would seem to be the answer to a naval buff's dreams (I'm a landlubber myself, so I can only presume). Its 100 pages are packed full of excellent photographs, drawings, plans,etc., of ships, models, etc., of all eras of naval history (though the emphasis seems to be on the twentieth century), articles news, want ads, questions and answers, and much more. Naval buffs would be well advised to at least try a sample issue.