The World of Warhammer

by Richard Wolfrik Galland

In stunning, full-color pages illustrated by some of the world's best fantasy artists, the magical world of Warhammer and all the incredible races that live in it are now thoroughly described in one volume. Warhammer is Games Workshop's enormously successful game of fantasy battles. Players collect armies of painted miniatures and, across the tabletop battlefield, marshal them in wars between mythical races and fantastic monsters. The first rules for the game were introduced in 1982 by the award-winning U.K.-based Games Workshop, and Warhammer has since developed a rich and well-documented history, attracting a cult following that has generated over $90 million in sales.In addition to the basic game rules and a wide selection of supporting miniatures, Warhammer has spawned a large number of offshoots including supplements and modeling guides (one Manhattan store even offers a course in painting the miniatures). Warhammer also produces its own magazine, White Dwarf, which sells over 150,000 copies each month in seven languages. The magazine updates enthusiasts of all ages on the latest news, product releases, and developments of the game.

The World of Warhammer is a complete realm in one encyclopedic, oversized volume. Lavishly printed on high-quality, glossy paper showcasing four-color and black-and-white art, it is an invaluable reference for all Warhammer devotees and provides an accessible entry for the novice or for the merely curious. It contains all the popular fantasy elements -- Elves, Dwarfs, Knights, Wizards, Dragons, and its own bestiary of outlandish creatures -- and will fascinate all fans of fantasy art and fiction. The history, habitat, culture, and tradition ofevery race is examined in depth, and the reader is also guided by essential maps, diagrams, and timelines that provide the most complete picture of this world of the imagination.

Genres: Fantasy, Reference, Games, Gaming

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 1998

Reviews

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this older guide to the fantasy Warhammer world in my used bookstore. I'm glad I bought it.

It is an illustrated guide to the races of Warhammer. Covering the following:
Lizardmen
High Elves
Wood Elves
Dwarfs
The Empire
Bretonnia
Realm of Chaos
Skaven
Chaos Dwarfs
Dark Elves
Undead
Orcs and Goblins

Then each section has detailed notes about their origin stories, physical aspects, home territory, how they think, how they talk, what they build, how they are organized, what they believe and their battle tactics. Full of illustrations and information, this is a must-have reference for the Warhammer fantasy world.

If you are a fan of the Warhammer fantasy world, then you will love this reference manual. I certainly did.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially an encyclopedia-styled collection of the world lore that used to fill the pages between the game rules and short fiction pieces in each of the Warhammer Armies books. Reading through it was an enjoyable reminder of the simple brilliance of the previous incarnation of the Warhammer World: a speculative, dark fantasy, alternate Earth.

[Robert Chartrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with intent to familiarize myself with the lore of the Warhammer World. With the MMO coming out in a month, I wanted to better understand the backgrounds of all of the characters to get a greater feel for everything in the game.

The book is what it says it is; an encyclopedia. Each chapter is about a different race, and it talks about each races' history, habits, culture, etc. The book contains really well done artwork depicting battle scenes and characters that added a nice touch to the overall content.

I thought the book was really well done. Everything was explained really well with as much detail as was allowed. I do wish the book could have been larger, but I understand that this book is most likely a sampler of the rich lore and background of the warhammer world. However, after reading this it did make me want to go out and learn as much as I could about each race and faction. Not sure if I would recommend buying this, but if you are interested definitely try and get it from your local library.