Here’s what people have been saying about The Wargaming Compendium. Huge thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave reviews on Amazon, other online booksellers or social media.
Just received my pre-ordered copy of The Wargaming Compendium from Pen & Sword today – blown away by it, and looking forward to poring over the hugely diverse content. This one is destined to be a classic description of the hobby, a once in a generation book. Chapeau Henry Hyde, chapeau!
Laurence Baldwin, organiser of the Partizan and The Other Partizan wargame shows
“I’ll come straight out with it, this is a fantastic book! As Charles S Grant helpfully points out in the Foreword a Compendium is “A book containing a collection of useful tips” and “A selection, especially of different games in one container”. And never has a book been more accurately titled! As well as a mass of information about the hobby of wargaming and its history you also get three sets of wargames rules for your money. Now that can’t be bad value.”
(29 reviews in total including 23 ***** ratings as at 24th January 2014)
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book
27 July 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase
I have not enjoyed a book about wargaming so much, since discovering Donald Featherstone and the ‘Airfix’ book range in my local library some 40 years ago. I would spend many happy hours studying those books as a 12 year old and now I have the book that will allow me to obsess once again (although now, as a fifty-something obsessive). An absolutely beautiful book that will be a source of reference for years to come.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
27 July 2013
By D. Livesey
Amazon Verified Purchase
I’ve been looking forward to this book since Henry announced he was making a start on it. My expectations were high………………………But not THIS high. Mr Hyde, Sir, this is a TRIUMPH!!!!!!!!!!. Been a long time coming, but all is forgiven. If you are a wargamer or considering the hobby, THIS is the book for you.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth the wait
27 July 2013
By M. Hobbs
Amazon Verified Purchase
I’ve had this book on preorder for an absolute age after hearing the author describe his ideas for the book on a podcast, it arrived a few days ago and I’ve spent a fair amount of my free time since then absorbed in it.
Wargamers are often describes as sad geeky people with no idea of social etiquette, but Henry shows the world that some wargamers are erudite and able to engage with the wider world with style. The style of writing in this book is informal but clever, it is an easy read and the thing that comes across is the passion Henry has for the subject.
I am only 50 odd pages into the 500+ that make up this weighty volume, however I did spend a long while going through it just looking at the pictures and scanning the contents before I settled down to a serious read. Since then I’ve found it hard to put down, it really is that absorbing.
If you are a wargamer or someone just interested in finding out about the hobby, then I recommend you buy it. However if you have no interest in the hobby and think wargamers are a bit odd then you doubly must buy it as it’ll show you that the hobby is worth a second look.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Wargaming Compendium
2 September 2013
By Stephen Sumption
Amazon Verified Purchase
It’s sad I know, but I can say that I bought my first wargames figures on 1st January 1974. They were Hinchliffe ECW pikemen; so I have seen a fair number of books, magazines, figure ranges, fads, periods and what might reasonably be termed ‘tribal allegiances’ come and go. One thing that the Hobby has lacked is a reference work that will be of value to anyone involved or interested in wargaming that is of general application, rather than ‘period specific’, yet not so broad brush as to be of little use. This book provides, in one place, an exceptionally useful and helpful source of information for anyone interested in the hobby whether they are just mildly interested or have been involved for some time. It is not only the individual chapters on collecting armies and choosing periods or scale that are interesting and useful but the “Resources” chapter which will help the reader to track down figure and terrain manufacturers. Overall this is a book that I have already used for reference and will undoubtedly do so again. One for the Christmas list, if you haven’t already bought it
REVIEWS ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Top class stuff Henry. Congratulations on your labour of love/rod for your own back. Very readable and real purty. Just flicking through I can see its going to be a treasure trove of info for the novice and grognard alike. I can see this being the sort of book you just read and go back to time and time again like [Harry Pearson’s] Achtung Schweinehund for inspiration.
‘Fat Wally‘ on http://www.wd3.eu/wd3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2032&start=44
My copy arrived (Australia) today. In the words of Ron Weasley: bloody brilliant! I am so impressed with what you have done and it is going to be my constant companion as I devour it over the next few days. You stand on the shoulders of giants (Featherstone, Grant et al) but your book leaves all other ‘general’ wargames books in the dust. It’s difficult to see it ever being topped.
Richard Bright commenting on https://www.facebook.com/MiniatureWargames
Henry Hyde’s book was released recently and I received my copy this morning, it is a hell of a tome, nothing like this has appeared since the Grant Featherstone days, and is likely to give the wargames industry a boost should little Johnny see this in preference to the GW rules.
This will appeal to wargamers old and very new, it even has some campaign and game rules included, and budding with ideas which even with my 41 years of wargaming thought I never thought of that.Even a wargames grognard like me found this utterly fascinating, very highly recommended and congratulations to Henry for producing such a marvellous piece of work.
de_lancey, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Toofatlardies/message/146917
This already points to the aspect I enjoy most: namely the approach to the hobby The Wargaming Compendium propagates. Wargaming is described as a low-threshold hobby where hours of fun can be had with a couple of figures and a lot of imagination. What for Henry probably only reflects his enthusiasm for the Old School approach, for me reads almost like a deliberate subversion of the increasing commercialization of gaming. The book promotes a hands-on approach and encourages the reader to get rid of the constraints of integrated gaming systems or the norms set up by glossy magazines and instead to trust in his or her own inspiration. At least for me, this is what wargaming is all about.
Thomas Brandstetter on http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com/
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