"Books Not Written: The 5 You Want!" Topic

You were asked – TMP link

What books do we need which aren't on our shelves because no one's written them (yet)?

In the final round of voting:

16% of the votes: "Minor Battles of the Napoleonic Wars"

11% of the votes: "Historical Scenarios for Old West Gaming"

10% of the votes: "Cavalry Scenarios for the ACW"

9% of the votes: "Consolidated Featherstone"

8% of the votes: "WWII Battles: Platoon, Company and Battalion Engagements for the Russian Front"

Cavalry scenarios for the ACW exists. It's a PDF on Wargame Vault. Series of scenario books.

Thanks

John

16% of the votes: "Minor Battles of the Napoleonic Wars"
Michael Hopper has published lots of these. link

11% of the votes: "Historical Scenarios for Old West Gaming"
If you know anything about the real old west you know there is not very much that would make an interesting game. OK Corral? 30 second shoot out with no maneuver. Dalton Gang raid on Coffeyville, KS or James-Younger raid on Northfield, MN? Both one sided outcomes. Shootout at the KC ranch? Anybody want to be Nate Champion? Siege of the TA ranch? The non-historical portrayal from Heaven's Gate is more entertaining than the actual event. Games with Wes Hardin, Tom Horn or Ben Thompson? Murderers and assassins. Hollywood movies are more fun than the real life events.

10% of the votes: "Cavalry Scenarios for the ACW"
As John pointed out, already available

9% of the votes: "Consolidated Featherstone"
Maybe of interest only to old grognard's, but today's gamer has no interest.

8% of the votes: "WWII Battles: Platoon, Company and Battalion Engagements for the Russian Front"
Big difference between Platoon actions and Battalion actions. Probably anything you just make up did occur on the Russian front.

Kim

I'm still hoping Christopher Shores writes a multi-tome opus about the Solomons and New Guinea air campaigns.

- Ix

Hi, Kim. The west is loaded with scenario materials. Best to research by categories. Railroads, cattle rustling (and those hired by big firms to capture the rustlers), mining, town raising and running of them, gamblers, bounty hunters, bank, train and stage robberies, competition amongst the soiled doves, Native American resistance to settlements, protection of settlements from marauding Indians, buffalo hunts, cattle drives to railheads just to mention a few. I am finding great materials with regards to railroad "wars" just in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming in servicing mining towns for goods in and transporting mined materials out.

Seems like "I" need to write some real and historical scenarios to help fill the gaps! Heaven knows just how much I have $pent visiting here in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah for books and joining historical societies (Like Clear Creek County Historical Society). It's like suggesting to someone living in Virginia that there is not much history in the area!

Not my era to game, but Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian is stuffed with gameable incidents.

Adobe Walls?

"Already available" has never stopped us yet :~)

Cheers,
John

Why did the ordinary population of France grow tired of Napoleon? Ok he made the trains run on time and reformed the Courts and Government But was it worth the deaths of so many french young men. Was it a war economy. Guns not butter. Is there a book along these lines. Yes I am a table top wargamer but am very interested in the wider picture(s). What do university students of 'modern' or 19thC European history have to read?

Would YOU like to live under a Napoleon? Do you?

Getting the trains running on time was quite the achievement though ;-)

Cheers,
John

It was an odd poll result, and I say that as the guy who started it. The stuff that really didn't exist mostly didn't make it to the final round, even though there was discussion about this or that book being available. You might almost suspect we don't listen to one another very well.

1. The Mexican Fleet in the Age of Santa Anna
2. Small Arms of the Confederate States Navy
3. Anatomy of the British X-Craft
4. The Uniforms, Equipment, and History of SS Fallschirmjager Batallion 500/600
6. The Complete History of Military Brothels from Caesar to Saigon