This is a book that should be on every Colonial Wargamers’ bookshelf. It is a brilliant study of the conflicts and personalities involved in a continuous series of wars for the British Empire between 1837 and 1901. It is by no means an exhaustive study of the period, but offers the reader a good slice of the times. If you don’t already play colonial miniature wargames, this book will make you want to.
Dark World War I Rules
Dark World War is a set of free wargames rules — actually pay what you want — for playing WWI games that include demonic and mythological creatures.
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
In this classic oral history, Stephen Ambrose follows Easy Company of the 506th Airborne from their training to the end of World War II. It’s an easy-to-read, compelling account of men at war. I came away from this book greatly admiring the men of Easy Company. This book was the basis of the hit HBO Television series “Band of Brothers.” In many ways, this book reminded me of the classic Cornelius Ryan works like A Bridge Too Far and The Longest Day. Ambrose has taken criticism for some factual errors in his work, but the reader must remember that this is an ORAL history, and the memories of the men involved may have dimmed with time.
Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Angel In The Whirlwind By Benson Bobrick
Angel In The Whirlwind is a good, one volume account of the American Revolution. Beginning with the war’s proximate causes in the French and Indian War, and continuing on to 1782 and Washington’s retirement, this book is full of the colorful personalities that make this period so interesting. This was the first book I read when beginning my research into the Ameican Revolution. It’s a good place to start — or, if you are a Revolution aficionado, a good read to remind you why the Revolution caught your imagination in the first place.
Angel in the Whirlwind : The Triumph of the American Revolution
Middle Earth Adventure Game
Middle Earth Adventure game is a well-done free RPG for games set in JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The system is able to be adapted to many of the existing commercial Middle Earth RPG supplements, such as ICE’s MERP.