Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel

By Wells, H. G.

Book Id: WPLBN0002953729
Format Type: Mp3 eBook :
File Size:
Reproduction Date: 2007

Title:	Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel
Author:	Wells, H. G.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non-fiction, Essay/Short nonfiction, War stories
Collections:	Audio Books Collection, Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel
Historic Publication Date:	1913
Publisher:	LibriVox Audio Books


Citation APA MLA Chicago Wells, H. G. (1913). Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel. Retrieved from http://self.gutenberg.org/

Description
Miniature wargaming got its start with the publication in 1913 of this thoroughly entertaining little account of how H.G. Wells, with certain of his friends, took their childhood toys and turned play into acceptable middle-aged sport by subjecting the exercise to the civilizing influence of actual rules. While wargaming progressed far past these beginnings, Wells observes how little wars with even his elementary rules can suggest the wholesale crudity of the real thing. You have only to play at Little Wars three or four times to realise just what a blundering thing Great War must be. Great War is at present, I am convinced, not only the most expensive game in the universe, but it is a game out of all proportion. Not only are the masses of men and material and suffering and inconvenience too monstrously big for reason, but--the available heads we have for it, are too small. That, I think, is the most pacific realisation conceivable, and Little War brings you to it as nothing else but Great War can do. Wells leaves almost hanging the tantalizing concept that we might someday simulate war, as an instrument of international decision-making, rather than practice actual combat. But most of this book is just the fun of evicting the boys from the playroom and spending happy days there, away from the skirt-swishers, developing the framework under which two gentlemen might meet and accumulate boastable victories!

Summary
Electronic recorded live performance of a reading

Excerpt
Essay/Short nonfiction, War stories