The following results were recorded in MagWeb's 1999 survey, which asked for member opinions concerning best commander, most pivotal battle, battle you'd like to see most, MagWeb strengths and areas for improvement, and other opinions. Highlights: Would you recommend MagWeb to a friend? Yes: 97.3% No: 2.7% 59.9% access MagWeb with 56.6K or faster connections Most enjoyed aspect of MagWeb: variety of information On 1 (awful) to 10 (excellent) scale, rate MagWeb's selection of articles: 8.7 If you could "time travel," which single battle would you observe? Waterloo Location for next major war? Middle East Best commander in history: Alexander the Great Note: Permission is granted to reproduce some or all of MagWeb's 1999 survey in print or electronic form as long as "MagWeb (www.magweb.com)" is credited as the source. 1. Who are the three best commanders in history (in order of preference)? First Choice: Alexander the Great 29.7% Napoleon 28.8% Hannibal 6.8% Wellington 2.5% Belisarius 2.5% Scipio 2.5% Ghengis Khan 1.7% Fredrick the Great 1.7% Marlborough 1.7% Rommel 1.7% von Manstein 1.7% Other 18.7% (Charles XII, Michael Collins, Prince Eugene, Guderian, Nelson, Patton, Subotai, Temujin, Washington (George), Minamoto Yoshitsune, Zhukov, Jan Zizka) Second Choice: Alexander the Great 20.8% Napoleon 15.1% Julius Caesar 9.4% Robert E Lee 5.7% Frederick the Great 4.7% Genghis Khan 4.7% Duke of Marlborough 4.7% Hannibal 3.8% Nelson 3.8% Rommel 3.8% Gustavus Adolphus 2.8% Stonewall Jackson 2.8% Patton 2.8% Scipio 1.9% von Moltke 1.9% Washington 1.9% Wellington 1.9% Other 8.1% (Augustus Caesar, John Churchill, Davout, US Grant, Lannes, Saladin, Scott, Timur) Third Choice Napoleon 13.5% Alexander the Great 7.7% Rommel 7.7% Duke of Marlborough 5.8% Julius Caesar 5.8% Hannibal 4.8% Nelson 4.8% Patton 3.8% Gustavus Adolphus 2.9% Frederick the Great 2.9% Stonewall Jackson 2.9% Ghengis Khan 2.9% George Washington 2.9% Davout 1.9% Eisenhower 1.9% Grant (U.S.) 1.9% Robert E. Lee 1.9% Von Moltke 1.9% Wellington 1.9% Zhukov 1.9% Other 21.2% (Charlemagne, Cochise, Cromwell, Eugene of Savoy, Bedford Forrest, Sir Guy Gibson, Nathaniel Greene, Guderian, Kessering, MacArthur, Manteuffel, Saladin, Schwartzkopf, Scipio Africanus, Admiral Somerville, Stilwell, George Thomas (ACW), Tokugawa Iyaesu von Manstein, Wolfe, Jan Zizka) Combined Top 20 (selected regardless of preference) 1. Alexander the Great 19.8% 2. Napoleon 19.5% 3. Hannibal 5.2% 4. Duke of Marlborough 4.3% 4. Rommel 4.3% 6. Julius Caesar 3.0% 6. Frederick the Great 3.0% 6. Genghis Khan 3.0% 6. Nelson 3.0% 10. Robert E Lee 2.4% 10. Patton 2.4% 12. Wellington 2.1% 13. Gustavus Adolphus 1.8% 13. Scipio 1.8% 13. Stonewall Jackson 1.8% 13. George Washington 1.8% 17. Von Moltke 1.2% 18. Belisarius 0.9% 18. Davout 0.9% 18. U.S. Grant 0.9% 18. von Manstein 0.9% 18. Zhukov 0.9% Others: 15.1% 2. What are the three most pivotal battles in history (in order of preference)? First Choice: Waterloo 17.3% Stalingrad 6.7% Hastings 5.8% Saratoga 5.8% Siege Vienna 1529 5.8% D-Day 4.8% Marathon 3.8% Austerlitz 2.9% Gettysburg 2.9% Manzikert 2.9% Midway 2.9% Zama 2.9% Agincourt 1.9% Hiroshima 1.9% Salamis 1.9% Spanish Armada 1.9% Teutoburger Wald 1.9% Tours 1.9% Yarmuk 1.9% Other 22.2% (Actium, Alesia, Barbarossa 1941, Battle of Britain, Borodino, The Easter Uprising, Gravelotte-St. Privat (1870), Jinalut (Mongols vs. Mameluks), Leipzig, Leuthen (1757), Maccabean victory over Seleucids, Second Battle of Marne, Moscow 1812, Moscow 1941, Naseby, Pearl Harbor, Princeton, Qadissayah, Quebec 1759, Syracuse (413 BC), Thermoplyae, Trafalgar, Yorktown) Second Choice: Stalingrad 9.8% Gettysburg 7.8% Waterloo 7.8% Hastings 5.9% D-Day 3.9% Leipzig 3.9% Manzikert 3.9% Yorktown 3.9% Marathon 2.9% Salamis 2.9% Saratoga 2.9% Trafalgar 2.9% Actium 2.0% Arbela 2.0% Lapanto 2.0% Marne 1914 2.0% Midway 2.0% Pearl Harbor 2.0% Zama 2.0% Other 26.5% (Ain Jalut, Antietam, Spanish Armada, Austerlitz, Badon Hill, Battle of Britain, Borodino, Cambrai, Chalons, Chancellorsville, Eylau, Hatten 1187, Kosova, Kursk, 1st Mons, Naseby, Nigbolu (The last Crusade), Poitiers, Salamina, Sedan, Suez Crossing Yom Kippur War, Tecnotliclan, Tours, Vienna Siege, Vietnam, 1st Ypres, Roman defeat of Hannibal, China kicked out the Huns) Third Choice: Stalingrad 10.2% Waterloo 7.1% Hastings 5.1% Moscow 1941 5.1% Kursk 4.1% Lepanto 4.1% Siege of Vienna 4.1% Poitiers 3.1% Tours 3.1% D-Day 3.1% Agincourt 2.0% Alesia 2.0% Battle of Britain 2.0% Cannae 2.0% Constantinopole 2.0% Gettysburg 2.0% Pearl Harbor 2.0% Plassey 2.0% Saratoga 2.0% Zama 2.0% WWII Atlantic Oc. 2.0% Other 28.9% (A-Bomb, Arbela (Gaugamela), Adrianopol, Amiens (WWI), Aspern Essling, Blenheim, El Alamein, Fredericksburg, Maratona,Midway,Moscow 1812, Plataea, Quebec (1759),Rome (407AD), Salamis, Smolensk 1941,Spanish Armada, Hue (Tet Offensive), Thermopylae, Trafalgar, Trenton, Valmy 1792, Verdun, Vicksburg, Wilson's Creek, Yarmuk, Yorktown, Greek defeat of the Persians) Combined Top 20 (selected regardless of preference) 1. Waterloo 10.9% 2. Stalingrad 8.9% 3. Hastings 5.6% 4. Gettysburg 4.3% 5. D-Day 3.9% 6. Saratoga 3.6% 6. Siege Vienna 1529 3.6% 7. Marathon 2.3% 7. Zama 2.3% 9. Midway 2.0% 9. Moscow 1941 2.0% 9. Salamis 2.0% 9. Yorktown 2.0% 13. Kursk 1.6% 13. Leipzig 1.6% 13. Trafalgar 1.6% 16. Austerlitz 1.3% 17. A-bomb (Hiroshima) 1.0% 17. Arbela (Gaugamela) 1.0% 17. Battle of Britain 1.0% 17. Manzikert 1.0% 17. Spanish Armada 1.0% 3. If you could "time travel," which single battle would you choose to observe? Waterloo 21.5% Austerlitz 9.3% Gettysburg 5.6% Borodino 3.7% Cannae 3.7% Kadesh (Quadesh) 3.7% Leipzig (1813) 3.7% Thermopylae 3.7% Aspern-Essling 2.8% Hastings 2.8% Zama 2.8% Arbela (Gaugemela) 1.9% Leuthen 1.9% Marathon 1.9% Rorke's Drift 1.9% None 1.9% Other 27.2% (Agincourt, Bannockburn, Battle of Britain, Blenheim, Bosworth, Caleme Airfield, Crete, 1940, Chancellorsville, Cowpens 1781, D-Day, Eylau, Golan Heights 1973, Gravelotte-St. Private, Hattin, Ichi no Tani, Isandlawana, Jerusalem (Roman Seige), Jhelum (Alexander vs. Porus), Jutland, Malazgirt, Midway, Mount Badon, Pavia 1524, Pharsalia, Battle of Ridgeway (Canada 1866), Trafalgar, Wagram 1809, WWII: Connor Attack on Italians in Libya, Any Greek, Roman or Macedonian battle, An almost unknown, barely recorded small battle between Chinese and Romans that no one knows the name or exact place.) 4. If you could "time travel," which single weapon would you choose to bring back to show friends? [Due to the wide ranging answers, we've congregated responses into categories] "Named" weapons 24.0% (Greek Fire, Excalibur, Brutus' dagger used to kill Julius Caesar, Sling of David, Spear that pierced Christ's side, The arrow that wounded King Harold at Hastings, Katana of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Alexander's sword, Hannibal's sword, Richard the Lionheart's sword, Achilles' Armor, The musket that slew Nelson at Trafalgar, The Sword of Mars (Attila's sword), Fat Man, Little Boy) Edged weapons 16.3% (Roman Pilum, Roman Gladius, A mint condition Rifle Brigade infantry sword from 1870, Heavy cavalry napoleonic blade, Huscarls war axe, Macedonian Sarissa, spear of the Vistula lancers, Ancient Greek Spear, Scimitar of Damascus Steel) Ranged Gunpowder weapons 13.4% (Ferguson Rifle, Napoleonic musket, French Napoleonic musket, 12pdr French Napoleonic cannon, arquebus, Gatling Gun, An 88 in the antitank role, Early cannon, Brown Bess, Baker Rifle, Henry Repeating Rifle, Von Dreyse Needle Gun, Some sort of Chinese artillery) None 6.7% Bow weapons 6.7% (Chinese repeating crossbow, English Long Bow, Assyrian bow & arrow (700BC)) Siege Weapons 10.6% (Trebuchet, Catapult, Balista, Real Trojan Horse, Roman siege works) Ancient Vehicles 5.8% (Hittite heavy chariot, Assyrian heavy chariot, Egyptian war chariot, Celtic/Briton chariot, Scythed Chariot) Modern Vehicles 5.8% (WWII Tiger Tank, WWII Panther Tank, Abrams Tank, B2 Stealth bomber) Ships 4.8% (SMS Derflinger (WWI German Battlecruiser), Bismark, British 74 Gun SoL, Athenian Galley, Athenian Trireme) "Sci-Fi" 2.9% (Phased Plasma Rifle, Hand phaser from 2054, 40 watt plasma rifle) Other 2.9% (Cuirassier Armor, Roman Legionary, etc.) Top 10 Weapons 1. Greek Fire 5.8% 1. Roman Pilum 5.8% 3. English Long Bow 3.8% 3. Roman Gladius 3.8% 5. Ballista 2.9% 5. Brutus' Dagger 2.9% 5. Excaliber 2.9% 5. Trebuchet 2.9% 9. Catapult 1.9% 9. Chinese Repeating Crossbow 1.9% 9. David's Sling 1.9% 9. Ferguson Rifle 1.9% 9. Scythed Chariot 1.9% 9. Panther Tank 1.9% 9. Tiger Tank 1.9% 9. Trojan Horse 1.9% 5. Where (in what location) will the next major war take place? Who vs. Who? Who will win? [The breadth and depth of the answers postulate a variety of opponents and outcomes. The major concepts can be categorized.] Middle East 29.2% Balkans 12.4% Korea 11.2% China vs. Russia 11.2% India vs. Pakistan 7.9% China vs. Taiwan 4.5% Ex-USSR Civil War 4.5% Russia vs. NATO 3.4% Islam vs. West 3.4%v No major, many little 3.4% Other 8.9% For explanations for the above answers, we present the responses in a separate file. Next War Explanations 6. What's your favorite "off-duty" activity? Wargaming 23.3% Reading (all types) 20.8% Sports 13.3% Computer Gaming 10.0% Family Time 5.0% Painting Miniatures/Modelling 5.0% Writing 3.3% Historical Research 2.5% Gardening 1.6% Historical Re-enacting 1.6% Watching Movies 1.6% Surfing the Net 1.6% Travel 1.6% Other 9.8% 7. How many times per month do you log onto MagWeb? 2 15.3% 10 13.5% 20 10.8% 4 9.9% 1 9.9% 15 8.1% 5 7.2% 6 5.4% 3 4.5% 30 4.5% 8 2.7% Non-spec 5.4% Other 2.8% 8. What modem speed do you usually use? 56.6 39.3% 28.8 22.2% 33.3 16.2% T1+ 10.2% ISDN 5.1% Cable 4.3% 14.4 1.7% Other 1.0% 9. What three aspects of MagWeb do you like most? Variety 32.9% Ease of Use 14.1% Specific Articles 11.7% Search Engine 8.5% Convenience, 24/7 7.8% Price 6.4% Back Issues 5.7% Update Frequency 4.6% Quantity of Info 3.5% Quality of Info 2.8% Friendly Service 1.4% That it Exists 1.4% Other 6.4% For longer explanations for the above answers, we present the responses in a separate file. Like about MagWeb 10. What three aspects of MagWeb need improvement? More Magazines 13.6% More Frequent updates 12.4% More (topic specific) 7.9% More Back Issues 7.3% More Advertisements 6.2% "More" 6.2% Better Layout 5.6% Better proofreading 5.6% Nothing 5.1% Better Search Engine 4.5% More Graphics 4.5% Add various new features 3.4% Better Graphics 2.3% Lower Price 1.1% Free access (no price) 1.1% Other 11.5% For longer explanations for the above answers, we present the responses in a separate file. Needs Improvement about MagWeb 11. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=awful, 5=average, 10=excellent), rate MagWeb's: Selection of articles: 8.7 Ease of finding what you want: 8.0 Speed of article download: 7.6 Overall article layout and links: 7.8 Membership price: 7.8 Overall value of MagWeb: 8.3 12. Do you buy the following products on a regular basis (Yes or No)? historical books Yes 98.2% No 1.8% historical computer games/CD-ROMs Yes 58.4% No 41.6% historical boardgames Yes 45.1% No 54.9% historical miniatures Yes 75.2% No 24.8% historical miniatures rules Yes 75.2% No 24.8% historical collectible toy soldiers Yes 12.4% No 87.6% historical re-enactment equipment Yes 9.7% No 90.3% historical videos Yes 36.3% No 63.7% fantasy/sci fi books Yes 47.8% No 52.2% fantasy/sci fi computer games/CD-ROMs Yes 31.9% No 68.1% fantasy/sci fi boardgames Yes 13.3% No 86.7% fantasy/sci fi miniatures Yes 23.0% No 77.0% fantasy/sci fi miniatures rules Yes 15.0% No 85.0% fantasy/sci fi videos Yes 24.8% No 75.2% 13. Would you recommend MagWeb to a friend? Yes: 97.3% No: 2.7% 14. Where did you first hear about MagWeb? Internet 39.6% Magazines 19.8% Conventions 18.0% Friend 9.0% Advertisements 8.1% Other 5.5% 15. Any other comments, criticisms, suggestions, condemnations, praise? All comments are unedited, so you can appreciate the variety of opinions. Comments MagWeb wishes to thank the members who took the time to answer our annual survey. As always, all personal information remains confidential and will not be sold, traded, lent, given away, posted, or in any way transferred. Survey e-mailed February/March 1999, compiled through June, released on July 1, 1999. Back to The Gauntlet No. 17 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com