Your best Donald Featherstone's book?

[paspas]

Hello

D.Featherstone published 40 books about miniature wargaming.

Is there one (or more) that you really like? And why?

Cheers

[FifteensAway]

The one by Jack Scruby! 

Oh, wait, he didn't write any books that I know of. 

I do have a couple of Featherstone books but they are so dated in reading that I didn't find much use to them - just fun to have around.

There was - and probably still is - an internet interview with him at 94 that was an interesting listen.

It does seem that his book writing started with his subscription to Jack Scruby's little newsletter and then sharing editing duties and finally parting company with one another over some disagreements.  Shortly after that I believe was the first Featherstone book.

[Harry Faversham]

His first one, loved it back in the day, and still do now. I've got over a thousand Spencer Smith 30mm ACW figures,...
all the fault of The Don of Don's!

 

[Inkpaduta]

The one he did on skirmish wargaming. He then covered several
different periods and including a simple set of rules.

[fred]

Tank Battles in Miniature vol 1 the Western Desert - one I remember from secondary school. Not sure we ever played the rules, but do remember poring over it a lot.

[RSDean]

I have a lot of them on the shelf, mostly the earlier ones.  I picked up a 2nd edition (didn’t know there was one) of Battles With Model Soldiers at Fall In last weekend…

The two that I reread for inspiration most often, so I guess you can say they are more favorites, are War Games, the first one published, and Solo-Wargaming, because that tends to be where my needs are.  War Games I find interesting in that most of what we do today was already sketched out at the very beginning, by the primal wargamers of the 1950s and before, captured in that book.

In the next tier is Skirmish Wargaming and War Games Campaigns.  The latter is definitely due for a reread since my second son moved back to this area, and he and my elder son and I have some catch-up gaming to do.  Henry Hyde’s new campaign book is comprehensive, but does tend toward the more complicated, and we probably need to start off more modestly.

[fred]

Had a flick through Wargames Campaigns last night as have the reprint on my bookshelf - was rather underwhelmed.

Most chapters are just a few pages long and are mainly some narrative about how it played out, with a few fairly fiddly tables of movement rates.

[Doug ex-em4]

It’s all about inspiration for me. I haven’t used Don’s rules although I did get the Fletcher Pratt naval rules from his Naval Wargames book and used them a lot in the seventies.

The first of his books I read was Naval Wargames and that was because it was the only book on Wargames of any description in our local library. I had found a copy of the magazine Miniature Warfare (not to be confused with the later, Miniature Wargames) and wanted to know more about what seemed a fascinating hobby. In those days (1968) the first recourse was the library. There was Naval Wargames and, despite having no interest in naval games at that time, I was hooked. That was the start of a long search for a copy of Wargames which I got eventually.

His books and perhaps even more, his fanzine, Wargamers Newsletter, were a great inspiration. He actually published a couple of articles of mine and it was a great privilege to meet him briefly not long before he died. He was very friendly - a real gent.

Doug

[Matakakea]

Skirmish Wargames. A friend got me a replacement 2nd edition copy, with autograph! I do enjoy using it.

[Harry Faversham]

Many moons ago I met Charles Grant at Northern Militaire. He signed my copy of 'Battle! Practical Wargaming'...
how sad's that!!!???

 

[has.been]

The one he did on skirmish wargaming. He then covered several
different periods and including a simple set of rules.

Plus one to that. It opened up a whole new way of War-Gaming.

Many moons ago I met Charles Grant at Northern Militaire. He signed my copy of 'Battle! Practical Wargaming'...
how sad's that!!!???

Room 052, Arts Building. Wednesday 28th April, 1993.
The Centre for research in East Roman Studies hosted a Public Lecture.
The Victory of Legion over Phalanx: The Battle of Cynoscephalae, 197 BC.
An Illustrated Public Lecture by
Peter Connolly, F.S.A.

I still remember the first ten rows of the audience ducking as he swung his
reconstructed Sarrissa over them.
He kindly signed my copy of Greece and Rome at War.

So I think I win.

[Doug ex-em4]

So I think I win.

If the topic was Peter Connolly, you certainly would

Doug

[Emir of Askaristan]

War Games.

Finding this book in my local library in Woodside, Aberdeen, just above the shelf with Connolly, Funcken and Blandford when I was a young lad, playing with 1/32 and 1/72 airfield and matchbox....there was only one way it could have gone. 40 years later it's still going strong.

There were a few other books on that shelf, with casualty hoops and measuring sticks and hexes and other things in them, but War Games was enough. The Central Library in Aberdeen had more and I devoured them, Bruce Quarrie and Airfix Guides too.

Whichever book buyer in Aberdeen bought those wonderful books....thanks!

[has.been]

If the topic was Peter Connolly, you certainly would

I thought Harry had raised the topic of, 'Sad'. so...I win?

[Shahbahraz]

Whether the Don has rules that are significant today is sort of moot. It was the enthusiasm, the range, the pictures, and for me, the fact it was respectable as a hobby for grown-ups. So whether it was 'Wargames Through The Ages' or 'Wargames Campaigns' doesn't really matter. It was knowing that somewhere, there was a cravat and a sand table, and something to aspire to, from someone who had been there and done it for real.