Author Paul Wright has written an "instant classic" already receiving wide praise from readers and hobby magazine editors. FLW both leads and follows the growing interest in 54mm (1:32) war games and figures. Written in part as a tribute to HG Wells' ground breaking "Little Wars," FLW is a much expanded and broadened modernization. There is a fascinating chapter devoted to Wells the Man and his journey with his "Little Wars" from inception to the day in 1916 when he put the game away for good. For Wells' fans, the author may surprise with information you did not know, or could even guess. Retaining many of Wells' original rules (spring-loaded toy cannon, etc), there are additional rules for Shell Bursts, machine guns, observation balloons and aircraft, field hospitals, supply wagons and dumps, spies, military bands, unit Colors and Standards, Brigade and Division Commands, hidden movement, skirmishers, snipers, signals, morale, variable effects of terrain and more. Infantry units are 20 figures strong, Cavalry 12, and Artillery can appear as single Guns with crews, or as Batteries up to three strong. From 2 to 4 such units typically form a Brigade, the perfect command for each Player. Two or more Brigades form a Division, allowing a Player to act as his side's C-in-C. Brigade and Divisional HQ's are represented by variable numbers of Staff and ADC's, marching on foot, mounted on prancing steeds, or even seated in Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Renault, or other grand Staff Cars from the Golden Age of Motoring. These HQ's send orders to the units on the firing line, and back to the Brigadiers and Generals, come reports from scouts--and desperate messages from the front delivered by Runners-- and even Pigeons! There is far less abstraction in "Funny Little Wars" on your lawn than on the traditional table top, yet games can be played there as well. Toy soldiers can range from antique and modern "Collectibles," to readily available plastics. There are detailed lists for 14 different Armies identified by their "Colors" ("Army Red," "Army Black," "Army Red/Gold," etc) with complete information to build your favorites. Each Army has unique strengths and weaknesses, and a personality suggesting its historical counterpart. FLW represents the years prior WW I, when war was still romantic, the uniforms were dashing, and the Generals still waltzed. The rules reflect the late Victorian/Edwardian spirit in both substance and his delightful writing style. Designed for "The Better Sort of Chap," the book contains suggestions for proper Dress during the game, etiquette on the field, and more. Nor are the Ladies and "Girls of the better sort" forgotten. The authors's Wife, Georgina, provides a charming account of a proper dinner served after an especially Gentlemanly game at Dover Castle during one golden Summer. The Basic Rules actually occupy only 10 pages, but the many Optional Rules allow players to set their own levels of play. There are lists of providers of toy soldiers in every price range, as well as accessories. Sections describe how to set up a yard, park, beach, etc, to be your Battlefield. Rules for basing figures are flexible, there are no complex rules, with only 6 sided dice and measuring tapes required--and a beautiful day under the shade of the trees. Childlike, but never "childish," FLW returns to the Hobby's roots as we play once more with toy soldiers as we did as kids. There are optional record sheets included, many color photos of toy soldiers at play throughout, and the author's wit, charm, unabashed love of toy soldiers. Read "Funny Little Wars" and relive a time when the world was young!

In the years immediately before the First World War, Archibald Haswell Miller, a young artist, travelled Europe to study painting. While he was there he indulged his other great interest the military. On his travels he observed first-hand the soldiers of the European Armies in the last days of the colourful and elaborate uniforms that were giving way to grey and khaki across the continent. Realising that this was a great military heritage that was slipping away he set out to record these splendid uniforms. In those uncertain days before the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Haswell Miller sketched and painted hundreds of figures, each wearing a different uniform, from the armies of Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden. Just before the First World War the paintings were exhibited in Leipzig, and it seemed they might be published. But when war broke out they were returned home and lay forgotten for nearly one hundred years. Now published together at last, they represent a unique record of the uniforms of the last great age of military dress. Accompanied by, in Haswell Miller's own words, 'notes and memories of the days before “the lights went out in Europe” in the year 1914', this is a book of great historical importance.

This delightfully unusual book by H. G. Wells is a comprehensive guide to Little War, a game invented by Wells for "boys from twelve to one hundred and fifty years old and for that more intelligent sort of girls who like boys' games and books". A fascinating look at a bygone era, when boys were boys, and most girls (except the more intelligent ones) were girls. With a history of Little War, detailed instructions to playing it, a description of an exemplary game, extensions and amplifications to the game, and a final challenge by the author to his young readers. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

A determined young boy and a no-nonsense Tooth Fairy tussle over who gets to keep his baby teeth.

Over two years in design, play testing, and editing, Paul Wright's "Little Campaigns" (LC) is the perfect sequel to his original "Funny Little Wars" (FLW). "Little Campaigns" is a collection of rules for putting miniatures battles into a campaign context. Many of these rules may be used in games without an Umpire by as few as two players, and indeed, with different rules for other scales/subjects. More complex rules benefiting from an Umpire allow for hidden movement and surprise. Extensive rules for Logistics, Isolation, Troop Trains, Armoured Trains, Amphibious Landings, Espionage/Sabotage/Assassination, Pontoon Bridging, Barrages, Fieldworks, Forts, Super Heavy Artillery, Field Telephones, Prisoners of War, and Night Fighting are only some of the rules offered to enliven your games. Besides some 40 pages of campaign game systems, Little Campaigns contains 28 more of Rule Enhancements and adjustments to the basic combat rules for FLW. There is a special chapter on how to play video battles over the Internet, the essentials of which can apply to games with smaller scale figures, too. The book also includes a chapter detailing a fictional Campaign, complete with special maps, orders, OB's, and more. Seven new Army Lists (Turkish, Chinese, Boer, etc) are provided, as well as more pages of suggestions for representing terrain, sources for figures, gaming accessories, and miniatures. New Campaign Record Sheets are provided, as are templates for artillery fire on trains, and plotting sheets for aerial reconnaissance, etc. "Little Campaigns" is lavishly illustrated with color photos, period art work, maps, and more. An optional LC Graphic Supplement (maps, map counters, mock "Illustrated London New" issue covering the Campaign described in the text, etc) is also described in the book which can be ordered directly from the Publisher. There are rules on so many aspects of campaigns that it would be a bold band of players who would use them all at once, but any of these may be adopted and applied to other games not related to FLW at all and other periods as well. Even as a resource book, LC will be one taken down from the shelf for inspiration and reference for years to come!

Despite being a pacifist, Wells masterfully explains and gathers all the prerequisites for waging a war... with toy soldiers. ‘Little Wars’ can be said to be the original instruction manual for how to run a tabletop battle. Satire and pacifist views blend in this narrative that expresses Wells' idea that wars should be waged on the dining room floor rather than among the corpse-ridden trenches of Europe. The book’s influence on modern warfare manuals and board games is indisputable, as tabletop conflicts are conducted to this day. Wells portrays the harrowing nature of war, but his humour ensures the book remains an entertaining read. The whimsical writing and stunning sketches create a book that should be read by all fans of tabletop war games. H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was a celebrated English writer, remembered mostly for his science fiction works. Often described as a futurist, H. G. Wells’ influence cannot be overstated for his works foresaw many technological innovations such as space travel, the atomic bomb, and the Internet. A four-time Nobel Prize in Literature nominee, Wells explored a wide array of themes in his works, from religion to social criticism and beyond. Some of his best works include the time-travel novel ‘The Time Machine’, the sci-fi adventure novel ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’, and the mankind-versus-aliens novel ‘The War of the Worlds’. Wells occupies one of the central seats in the canon of science-fiction literature and his writing inspired other celebrated authors such as Ray Bradbury and Philip K. Dick. Wells’ stories are still widely read to this day and have had numerous cinematic adaptations including ‘The Invisible Man’ starring Elisabeth Moss.

The Portable Wargame has been developed over the past ten years to meet the needs of wargamers who want a fast, easy to learn, simple to use set of wargames rules that don't require the player to purchase and paint a large collection of figures and that can be staged on a small dinner table, a large coffee table, or something even smaller. The rules are designed to be used with a gridded tabletop made up of squares or hexes.

Little Wars is a set of rules for playing with toy soldiers, written by H. G. Wells in 1913. Its full title is 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. Little Wars included fairly simple rules for infantry, cavalry, and naval artillery in the form of a toy 4.7 inch gun that launched projectiles, usually small wooden dowels to knock down enemy soldiers. In addition to its being a war game, the book hints at several philosophical aspects of war. The book is written in a whimsical style and illustrated with amusing drawings and photographs of a game being played that Wells describes in the book. Wells also gives a description of the game from the view of one of the generals in the battle bombastically relating his memoirs.

In this Newbery Honor-winning novel, Gary D. Schmidt tells the witty and compelling story of a teenage boy who feels that fate has it in for him, during the school year 1968-68. Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood isn't happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Holling's domineering father is obsessed with his business image and disregards his family. Throughout the school year, Holling strives to get a handle on the Shakespeare plays Mrs. Baker assigns him to read on his own time, and to figure out the enigmatic Mrs. Baker. As the Vietnam War turns lives upside down, Holling comes to admire and respect both Shakespeare and Mrs. Baker, who have more to offer him than he imagined. And when his family is on the verge of coming apart, he also discovers his loyalty to his sister, and his ability to stand up to his father when it matters most.

In this irresistibly funny follow-up to the breakout bestseller Darth Vader and Son, Vader—Sith Lord and leader of the Galactic Empire—now faces the trials, joys, and mood swings of raising his daughter Leia as she grows from a sweet little girl into a rebellious teenager. Smart and funny illustrations by artist Jeffrey Brown give classic Star Wars moments a twist by bringing these iconic family relations together under one roof. From tea parties to teaching Leia how to fly a TIE fighter, regulating the time she spends talking with friends via R2-D2's hologram, and making sure Leia doesn’t leave the house wearing only the a skirted metal bikini, Vader’s parenting skills are put hilariously to the test. Plus, this is the fixed-format version, which looks almost identical to the print edition.