Wargaming: Nineteenth Century Europe, 1815–1878

by Neil Thomas

A set of simple, fast-playing rules for wargaming the conflicts that re-shaped Europe in the period 1815-78. This important, yet often-neglected period includes the Crimean War, the Italian Risorgimento, the wars of Bismarck's Prussia against Denmark, Austro-Hungary and France and the Russo-Turkish war. Tactically it saw armies struggle to adapt Napoleonic doctrines to incorporate important technological advances such as breech-loading rifles, steel breech-loading cannon and the first machine guns.

The book includes brief analysis of the essential strategic and tactical military developments of the period, a set of elegantly simple rules which are fast-playing and easy to learn, yet deliver realistic outcomes. A selection of generic scenarios, covering diverse situations such as flank attacks, pitched battles and meeting engagements, is supported by army lists for 28 different armies. There are also 12 historical scenarios, ranging from the Battle of the Alma in the Crimean War to Sedan in 1870, the decisive battle of the Franco-Prussian War, each with historical background, deployment map, orders of battle and any special rules for that engagement. Useful appendices include a guide to further reading, an overview and price guide to the many scales and ranges of figures available, and a selection of useful addresses for the gamer.

Genres: History, Gaming, Military History

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2012

Reviews

[Devon Start · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this because during a trip to Italy a few years back i was bitten by the Risorgimento, and the creation of modern Italy.
This was one of many wargames i picked up to try to find a great system to play these wars. In the end this was not the rules for that, but the book was still a great read. The rules themselves are only a few pages and not too complex. There are several scenarios covering some different wars during the period covered, starting i believe with the carlist war and ending with the russo turkish war. Some of the lists were lacking and really only pertained to the battles in the scenarios. So the rules were a wash.

but the rest of the book is the authors thoughts on the history, and politics and the other aspects of real life that he used in his process to create the game rules and frankly this was the part of the book that was the most interesting and useful. I never would have thought i would have cared about this aspect of game creation but it was really an enjoyable read.

[David Cuatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Thomas has written consistently excellent books about wargaming with historical miniatures. I have read most of them, and they all stand out for their eloquent prose and clear, concise rules that capture the flavor of the period without becoming bogged down in details as so many other writers do. This book differs in that he only presents one set of core rules, then devotes the rest of the book to beautifully presented scenarios from many different conflicts of the 19th century. He avoids the periods which have already been covered by many other writers ( Napoleonic Wars, American Civil War, British Colonial Wars, etc) and focuses instead on lesser known, but no less interesting ones, such as the Franco-Prussian War, Crimean War and many more. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in wargames or in military history.

[Robin Braysher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and thought-provoking look at European warfare in the post-Napoleonic era - including the political background - with suggestions for how to replicate this on the tabletop. The rules look straightforward and fun; they, and the book as a whole, have a delightfully 'old school' feel about them and it is good to see Donald Featherstone name checked. My only complaint is that the book purports to go up to 1878, but the sample battles end in 1870. Even so, it's a good introduction to the subject.

[Robert Hausladen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent source in terms of the military history presented and innovative rules for conducting the battles described. Sometimes, the rules for individual battles can be a little confusing, but I expect it would be cleared up by actually setting up the battles. That must await a future date.

There is real value in these battles, as most are less well-known. The appendices also provide valuable sourcing material and demonstrate how much research went into this book.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read and if you are looking to wargame in this period i recommend this book. It has a lot of gppd ideas and goes through various periods and technologies

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Thomas has made a name for himself in the wargaming world for simple but entertaining and practical rule systems. In his previous books he has tackled ancient, medieval and Napoleonic warfare all using the same basic mechanisms. In this volume he gives the conflicts of 19th century Europe the same treatment. As well as providing an elegant set of rules he discusses the historical background in some detail and in a new departure he provides historical scenarios. Some of these are what you might expect ie Crimean or Franco-Prussian, but there are several comparitively unknown ones.
Many wargamers dismiss Mr Thomas' approach as over simplistic and deride his rules as 'unrealistic'. He has dealt with these criticisms in his previous volumes and I find his arguments convincing. The aspect of his work that appeals to me most is its resemblance to the 'old school' wargaming books I read as a boy. This is not something produced by a team, with a carefully researched target audience. He is not trying to sell a range of figures or a set of rules, or even the book itself. He merely describes his own likes and dislikes and the rational behind them. Those who do not appreciate this approach will not like this book. Those who liked the earlier books or who like simple 'old school' rules will. I am happy to count myself as one of the latter.