From the 4.7" Naval Gun to the Eve of the Golden Age
by Pat Condray

Pat Condray's name was familiar to me from HMGS-East publications and issues of his Armchair General I'd found on MagWeb.com, but I didn't really appreciate how much he had participated in the early days of our hobby until I came across this very entertaining 48-page booklet. Anyone interested in the "modern" history of wargaming, and particularly in the organizational background of that organization we love to hate, should take a look at this. You'll be familiar with many of the names if you follow the wargaming literature at all, and won't be surprised, I suspect, at what a conglomeration of characters were in at the founding of HMGS.

Condray opens with a sketch of the history of wargaming, looking at its emergence from the hobby of model soldier collecting, and its relationship with boardgaming and adventure gaming, which also developed as viable recreational activities in the 1960s. The critical point is reached when a group gathers in Wally Simon's basement in November, 1981, and the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society raised its corporate head for the first time. Condray's discussion of the relationships among the various gaming groups putting on and participating in the growing convention movement is instructive. Pre-HMGS, and for much of the group's early life, the miniature wargaming community found itself linked to conventions operated by other organizations. Anyone who's put together a convention, or just put on an event at one, will find the early trials and tribulations faced by HMGS to be familiar. And those problems are only exacerbated when multiple organizations are involved. It wasn't until after Historicon 87, Condray says, that HMGS "felt prepared to go our own way. And, of course, we were right!"

Yes, they were! We have a lot to thank these pioneering wargamers for! Available for $6 post-paid from: Pat Condray, 2225 S. Gulfwater Pt., Crystal River, FL 34429.

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