Vol. 2 1420 - 1783

This is the second in a series of books being written by Donald F. Featherstone, the well-known British miniatures war-gamer, author, and editor of WARGAMER's NEWSLETTER. The series is published by Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd, London. Unfortunately, the publisher did not send us Vol 1 for review. According to the blurb on the dust jack the intention of the series is to provide, "under one cover, all the information that a wargamer requires to build up armies adequately in the respective periods covered by each volume. "Each period of warfare is considered and details given of the soldiers themselves, their dress, arms and equipment, leaders, tactics and their style of fighting."

I'm afraid the publishers have promised more here than the author delivers - or could reasonably be expected to, at least in the swell, 200-page, volumes of this series. In fact the author never states (unless it was in the missing first volume) just what he is hoping to accomplish with this work.

It is neither a set of rules nor the kind of hard data a wargamer would need for designing his own rules or to "build up armies adequately." Instead it seems to be a combination of pocket history of the military campaigns of the period covered, with some slight details on tactics, formations and organizations; and with an occasional thought on how some particular aspect of the period might be simulated in wargaming rules thrown in here and there - with little thought to whether they might be consistent with the main body of rules in use. Certainly, if the wargamer were to try obtaining all the information for building up his miniature armies from this one work he'd be lucky if he ever even learns what colors to paint them!

However the work has considerable value as an introduction for wargamers to the period covered, and an extensive bibliography is provided which will lead the reader to the kind of hard data he really needs. There are also other extensive appendices on "relevant articles in magazines and journals", "books and magazines dealing with wargaming", and "availability of wargames figures". Probably the main problem with this book is that the author has attempted to cover too much with too little. The reader would have been much better off if Mr. Featherstone had confined this volume to the pike and shot period, say 1494 to 1697, so that he could have covered it in more depth, and saved the 18th Century for the subject of another, separate, volume, where it too, could receive a more thorough treatment. Unfortunately the publisher did not inform us of either the price or the source of this book for those of us on this side of the Atlantic. It sells for £ 2.95 in the U.K., which would make it about $7.25 and I would assume that it might be found at some of the larger book stores and military hobby shops.

Vol 3: 1792 - 1859

This obviously, is a continuation of the same series as the one mentioned above - same author and publisher. This volume is far more useful to the wargamer, not just because it covers a period more wargamers are interested in, but because the author has narrowed his coverage to a mere half century and a period about which he evidently has more to say. Moreover about 90% of the book is concerned with the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, a mere 18-year period.

The first 10 chapters (of 24) concern wargaming ideas, and only then does he begin his capsule history of the period. Finally, there is one chapter each for "The War With America 1812-1815", "The United States-Mexican War 1846-1848". "The Crimean War 1854-1855" and "The War of Austria With France and Piedmont 1859". There are also a bibliography and the same appendices as in Vol 2, but updated somewhat.

I find this volume greatly superior to Vol 2, though still it is hardly in the required reading category, For one thing, if you are already a Napoleonic era wargamer you will not need the chapters of capsule history, and if you are not an experienced miniatures wargamer the chapters of wargaming ideas may very well be so much Greek to you. So the book might be most useful for someone who is an experienced miniatures wargamer but new to the Napoleonic period - which must be a fairly small audience.

It would seem to me, it would have been better to have put the chapters of historical summary first and then the wargaming ideas. Perhaps the whole problem with this series is that it tries to be "all things to all men" and, in being so broad, is necessarilly too shallow.

Vol 3 sells for £ 4.40 in Britain, which would be about $10.50. If you can't find this series you might write for assistance to the publisher: Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd, 3 Fitzroy Square, London England W1P 6JD.

More Book Reviews

Panther in Action
Wargames Through the Ages Vol. 2 and 3
Tank Facts and Feats
History of Land Warfare