A Game of War

by Alice Becker-Ho, Guy Debord

Founder and theorist of the Situationist International, and author of the massively influential book The Society of the Spectacle , Guy Debord (1931–1994) was also a connoisseur of military strategy. In his first volume of autobiography, Panegyric , Debord recounted his interest in classical war theory as espoused by the Prussian military theorist, Carl von Clausewitz. Debord devised and wrote the board game and book A Game of War in collaboration with his wife, Alice Becker-Ho, who has assisted with the production of this publication. As he writes in Panegyric : “I have studied the logic of war. Moreover I succeeded, a long time ago, in presenting the basics of its movements on a rather simple board game. I have played this game and, in the often difficult conduct of my life I have utilized lessons from it.” The game became Debord’s obsession in the years before his suicide in 1994. This first translation of the book (by Donald Nicholson-Smith, himself a past member of the Situationist group) comes slipcased with the board and counters.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Games

156 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2006

About the author

Becker-Ho was born in Shanghai, her mother Chinese, her father, originally from Alsace-Lorraine, a territory under dispute between France and Germany until the end of the First World War, claimed French citizenship. In 1947 her father moved the family to France.

In 1963 Becker-Ho became involved in the Situationist International. She began what would be a long lasting relationship with Guy Debord, they married August 5, 1972, and she was his partner until his death in 1994. Together they published Le Jeu de la Guerre (The Game of War) in 1987, an expanded edition of which was republished by éditions Gallimard, Paris, in 2006. An English edition appeared in 2008. Becker-Ho is the author of Les Princes du Jargon (Paris: Gallimard, 1993), as well as numerous works of poetry.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very impressive package from the great Atlas Press - and this is the game that Debord and his wife made up. Military orientated therefore war orientated. i never played the game, and I don't think I will. Yet pretty impressive.

[sdv duras · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want to learn to play...