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Little Wars and Floor Games
Little Wars was written by Wells as a set of rules for playing with toy soldiers. Its full title is Little Wars: a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred & fifty & for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games & books.
Little Wars may be the first modern tabletop war game. It included simple rules for infantry, cavalry & artillery in the form of a toy 4.7" naval gun that launched projectiles, usually small wooden dowels to knock down enemy soldiers. In addition to it being a war game, the book hints at several philosophical aspects of war.
The development of the game is explained & Wells' thoughts on war, as he was a pacifist, are revealed in his writing. According to him, the idea of the game developed from a visit by his friend Jerome K. Jerome. After dinner, Jerome began shooting down toy soldiers with a toy cannon & Wells joined in to compete. The two decided that with written rules, a good Kriegsspiel type game could be developed. The game revolved around the use of lead hollow cast soldiers made by W. Britain & battlefields made from materials at hand, usually blocks or other toys. Simple rules of movement, firing & close combat were developed with a set amount of time for each player to move & fire. He also provides a chapter of "Extensions & Amplifications of Little War". In an appendix, he provides "Little Wars & Kriegspiel"; more complex rules to be played in a larger space involving Military logistics, military engineers, cavalry charges & railway transport of troops.
The book is written in a whimsical style, illustrated with amusing drawings & photographs of a game being played that Wells describes. He also gives a description of the game from the view of a general in the battle bombastically relating his memoirs.
Little Wars was first published in 1913 by Frank Palmer. There have been numerous reprints. It's now available online at Project Gutenberg, along with a previous game book by Wells called Floor Games (1911). A recent edition of the book was published by Skirmisher Publishing LLC in 2004 & includes an introduction by game designer Michael J. Varhola & foreword by Gary Gygax.
Little Wars may be the first modern tabletop war game. It included simple rules for infantry, cavalry & artillery in the form of a toy 4.7" naval gun that launched projectiles, usually small wooden dowels to knock down enemy soldiers. In addition to it being a war game, the book hints at several philosophical aspects of war.
The development of the game is explained & Wells' thoughts on war, as he was a pacifist, are revealed in his writing. According to him, the idea of the game developed from a visit by his friend Jerome K. Jerome. After dinner, Jerome began shooting down toy soldiers with a toy cannon & Wells joined in to compete. The two decided that with written rules, a good Kriegsspiel type game could be developed. The game revolved around the use of lead hollow cast soldiers made by W. Britain & battlefields made from materials at hand, usually blocks or other toys. Simple rules of movement, firing & close combat were developed with a set amount of time for each player to move & fire. He also provides a chapter of "Extensions & Amplifications of Little War". In an appendix, he provides "Little Wars & Kriegspiel"; more complex rules to be played in a larger space involving Military logistics, military engineers, cavalry charges & railway transport of troops.
The book is written in a whimsical style, illustrated with amusing drawings & photographs of a game being played that Wells describes. He also gives a description of the game from the view of a general in the battle bombastically relating his memoirs.
Little Wars was first published in 1913 by Frank Palmer. There have been numerous reprints. It's now available online at Project Gutenberg, along with a previous game book by Wells called Floor Games (1911). A recent edition of the book was published by Skirmisher Publishing LLC in 2004 & includes an introduction by game designer Michael J. Varhola & foreword by Gary Gygax.
Paperback
First published January 10, 2006
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About the author
H.G. Wells
5,186 books11.2k followersHerbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 13, 2025
Proof - if any were needed - that HG Wells really was quite nerdy.
The wargaming rules he sets down are fascinating in how little they differ from even the complex games of today (barring the use of real projectiles to make hits, and curtains to screen positioning at the start of a game). He'd probably be mad for Warhammer 40k, were he still around. The especial gem with this book is more how Wells' enthusiasm springs from the page, and how his recounting of played games is a clear testament of his love for an enjoyable hobby.
The wargaming rules he sets down are fascinating in how little they differ from even the complex games of today (barring the use of real projectiles to make hits, and curtains to screen positioning at the start of a game). He'd probably be mad for Warhammer 40k, were he still around. The especial gem with this book is more how Wells' enthusiasm springs from the page, and how his recounting of played games is a clear testament of his love for an enjoyable hobby.
December 11, 2024
H.G Wells would have been a fun friend to have! This was a fascinating book where he basically creates tabletop gaming or real-time strategy gaming using tin soldiers and string.
December 20, 2016
an interesting book
I came to this book from an unusual angle I was doing some research in to sand play therapy and I came across a statement in a book that sand play originated from floor games and I was lead to this book I found it a very interesting read on the way the games are played and I can see how it can be used in a move constructive way.
I came to this book from an unusual angle I was doing some research in to sand play therapy and I came across a statement in a book that sand play originated from floor games and I was lead to this book I found it a very interesting read on the way the games are played and I can see how it can be used in a move constructive way.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews