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.

H.G. Wells, the man who imagined Martian invasions and time travel, once spent an afternoon shooting toy soldiers with a catapult. This book is the result of that obsession. Written in 1913 but radiating timeless boyish enthusiasm, Little Wars is both a rulebook and a love letter to the strategic pleasures of miniature warfare. Wells walks readers through the creation of battlefields (a drawing-room floor will do), the deployment of armies, and the art of the opening salvo. He recounts actual games with infectious delight, including the legendary Battle of Hook's Farm, where wounded soldiers are carried to the rear and cavalry charges decide fortunes. But beneath the玩耍 lies something sharper: Wells believed that playing at war might teach us to despise the real thing. The result is oddly moving, a window into a brilliant mind rediscovering the profound foolishness of conflict through lead soldiers and careful planning. Whether you actually play or simply read about others who did, this little book proves that the best science fiction author could also be the most charming hobbyist.