This book came out nearly a decade ago to accompany Michael Wood's television series. Wood has a good eye for the telling comparison and in a great enthusiast for the period (to him it is all medieval). These essays may not be very deep but they set the taste-buds going. My original The King's War system was devised to permit a Viking/Saxon campaign, but the research got away from me. Underneath there is a great deal of interest in a period too often dismissed because its sources are less than full. Wood dwells on nine individuals. Boudicca representing the pre-Roman world and King Arthur the post (although the conclusion seems to be to move the good King to Cumbria rather than Cornwall). East Anglia appears with Sutton Hoo Man (possibly an early bretwalda). Mercia is represented by King Offa. The West Saex by Alfred and Athelstan, with Ethelred the Unready as a finale. Northumbria is poorly represented but in one of the later manifestations of northern independence we have Eric Bloodaxe. Finally, the Blessed Duke himself - William The Conqueror. Oh so tempting when one considers that apart from Britannia we have a dearth of games on the era. Boudicca has had two: Richard Berg's Druid and an old Boregamer called Hell hath no Fury (I think). There have been a number of tactical games or battles in "System" games like Prestags. Occasionally the Society of Ancients has some good ideas but their Dark Age man is a particularly sad example of the autodidact - probably has a job like librarian and needs to compensate - so more time is spent on sword toggles than the broad sweep. The period remains Dark still, although in fairness my Stephen & Matilda works as a simulation it is just not very exciting as a game, so perhaps the situation has some problems. More Book Reviews The Wars of Napoleon The Military Revolution In The Sixteenth Century In Search of The Dark Ages The Viking Art of War The Wars Of Frederick the Great Suleyman The Magnificent And His Age The Hundred Years War For Morocco Battle Tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies Russia's Military Way To The West Fisher's Face Stephen And Matilda: The Civil War of 1139-53 The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign Swiss Regiments a L'Étranger The Italian Reverse At Adowa Back to Perfidious Albion #92 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1996 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. 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