Map and Counters

HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND BEST WISHES TO ALL MY READERS FOR 2012

2011-12-31T07:57:00.000-08:00

Today marks the last day of 2011 and speaking for myself, its end and the arrival, now just hours away, of 2012 couldn't be more welcome. The year that is finally limping to a close has brought with it few, if any, real signs of economic improvement, either here in the US or abroad. And "wars and rumors of wars" continue, along with dire warnings of an impending worldwide financial Armageddon, to

BOOK REVIEW: 'THE FIRST WORLD WAR'

2011-12-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

The First World War; by John Keegan; Vintage Press (May 2000); ISBN-13: 978-0375700453 Second wave of British troops leaving trenches on the Somme The First World War, despite its name, was not the first "multi-continent" conflict in history — strictly speaking, that title could more accurately be applied to the The Seven Years' War (1754-63) — but it was, nonetheless, a truly

SEASON'S GREETINGS FOR 2011

2011-12-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

This is my second attempt at a post on the subject of the 2011 Holiday Season. The first version, my wife gently but firmly explained to me, was both too dark and too depressing. This is not to say, by the way, that she took exception to my overall view that the current times are hard and — after three long years of economic stagnation and high unemployment — still pose very real, and sometimes

TODAY, DECEMBER 7th, IS PEARL HARBOR DAY

2011-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

In the last few years, Pearl Harbor Day has taken on increased significance to me personally, not just because my father and many of my uncles served in the armed forces during World War II, but also because most of the veterans of that war that I grew up knowing have passed from the scene. It was an extraordinary time: rendered more so by the fact that Pearl Harbor and the events that followed

'STALINGRAD' ANYONE? PART DEUX

2011-12-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

Back on November 16th, I published a brief description of what I understood then to be the preliminary details of a soon-to-start PBeM STALINGRAD Tournament. At the time of my initial post, the final format and rules for this tournament were still being sorted out among those members of the Consimworld STALINGRAD Forum community who were most interested in seeing this project actually get off the

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL IN 2011

2011-11-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, 2011! Another year is rapidly approaching its end and it is again time to take note of the onset of the Holiday Season. Unfortunately, another somewhat melancholy Thanksgiving post seems all too appropriate as we gather with friends and family to celebrate this year's holiday. Much has happened since last Thanksgiving, but regrettably, very little seems to have improved from

2011 WORLD BOARDGAMING CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT RECAP

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

BPA Posts This Year’s WBC Tournament “After Action Reports”It’s that time of year again. Don Greenwood and his tireless (and largely unpaid) minions have at last made available the long-awaited — at least by me — event recaps from the 2011 WBC Convention Tournaments. For the many wargamers (like me) who, for one reason or another, were unable to attend this year’s WBC Convention, the recent

THE CURIOUS SAGA OF THE D10 "POSTAL" COMBAT RESULTS TABLE

2011-11-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

A question a few days ago from one of this blog's visitors regarding the D10 "Postal" Combat Results Table got me to reminiscing about the early days of "play-by-mail" gaming. It was, for those of us who were in the hobby at the time, an interesting, if occasionally frustrating period. And while I don't claim that the personal recollections that I am about to recount regarding this long-past era

'STALINGRAD' ANYONE?

2011-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes what initially seems like a "hare-brained" idea, upon reflection, doesn't seem "hare-brained" at all. Such is the case with the idea of a STALINGRAD PBeM Tournament. Many of us who were first approached about the idea were skeptical, but, after kicking the idea around for awhile, a lot of us former "skeptics" have decided to climb on board. Thus, after over thirty or so years and

A FEW THOUGHTS ON VETERANS DAY, 2011

2011-11-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

Up until a few days ago, I had planned on writing a completely new piece to commemorate the return of Veterans Day; however, upon reviewing the short essay on this little-understood holiday that I first published last year, I have decided that I really don't have anything new to add to the sentiments already expressed herein. November 11th: A Day of Remembrance and Thanksgiving World War I

SPI, NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES (1976)

2011-11-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES is a set of four games, each of which simulates a different battle in Napoleon's short-lived 1815 campaign against the British and Prussian armies in Belgium. Each of the games that make up the NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES Quadrigame can be played individually, or they can be combined to allow players to simulate the entire three-day campaign. The four major engagements

THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IS 236 YEARS OLD TODAY!

2011-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

As is my custom, I try to commemorate important dates in American history as they come around every year. I first posted this piece on the birthday of the United States Marine Corps last year and, except for acknowledging the change in the circumstances of my nephew's deployment, I see very little else that I would like to change. The Continental Marine Corps, landing for the Battle of Nassau.

MORE THAN NOSTALGIA: A 'GROGNARD' MUSES ON WHY HE STILL APPRECIATES THE 'CLASSICS'

2011-11-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Although I have, in previous posts, already detailed my reasons for believing that the best games from the "Golden Age" of wargaming, the so-called 'classics', continue to have relevance and value today — both to the broader hobby, and to individual gamers — I thought that I would revisit this topic again; especially since my recent essays on STALINGRAD bring to light precisely those "historical"

BOOK REVIEW: 'THE BOER WAR'

2011-11-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Boer War; by Thomas Pakenham; Folio Society, First Edition edition (1999) ASIN: B000J2J17W Every once in awhile, I stumble across a historical writer whose originality, talent as a wordsmith, and whose meticulous scholarship are all quite exceptional. By exceptional, I mean someone who could legitimately be included in the company of such truly gifted authors as Douglas Southall Freeman,

THE 'STALINGRAD' NOTEBOOK: "BARBAROSSA" REDUX

2011-11-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE NEW ARTICLES YOU PROMISED?

2011-10-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

Loyal visitors to "Map and Counters" will, I have no doubt, already be aware of the fact that it has been over a month since my last blog post. In my own defense, I have endeavored to keep up with reader comments, but these occassional entries have been the extent of my recent contributions to my blog. This has been an ongoing bother to me, particularly since one of the things that I most pride

BOOK REVIEW: 'NO MAN'S LAND'

2011-09-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

No Man's Land: 1918, The Last Year of the Great War (World War I); by John Toland; Bison Books (September 1, 2002); ISBN 10: 0803294514 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in the open car. At precisely 11:00 am, on November 11th, 1918, the guns of World War I finally fell silent in Europe. It was the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of the fourth year of a war that —

THE 'STALINGRAD' NOTEBOOK: DEFENDING THE MOTHERLAND

2011-08-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

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IF IT ISN'T ONE THING, ITS ANOTHER

2011-08-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Or Why Does Bad Luck Always Seem to Come in Threes?Based on my recent posts, I suspect that some of my regular readers are beginning to wonder why, if my computer problems have at last been resolved, I have been so slow to resume my usual pace of blogging. The answer to this question, I'm afraid, is that (proving, I suppose, that there really is no fool like an old fool) I suffered a major bout

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: ANOTHER WBC CONVENTION HAS COME AND GONE

2011-08-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Thoughts About "DonCons" Past, Present, and FutureThis past Sunday, August 7th, was the final day of the 2011 WBC Convention; and, I confess that a wave of nostalgia washed over me as I watched the minutes slowly tick by on Sunday morning. Assuming this year's convention followed the same course as those of the recent past, I knew that things would probably limp along to a close for the last

AFRIKA KORPS: AN ENDURING CLASSIC

2011-07-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

A Guest Post by Bob Goddard Back in January of this year, I announced that, among other changes to the future content of “Map and Counters”, I planned to begin adding an occasional “guest post” to accompany my own regular stream of game-related ramblings. Unfortunately, prospective contributors have been slow to come forward with their projects; something, by the way, that I understand completely

THE START OF THE 2011 WBC TOURNAMENT CONVENTION IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

2011-07-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

Because of a flurry of computer and other problems, I am posting this convention reminder considerably later than is my usual custom. Nonetheless, although there are only a few days remaining before this year’s “DonCon” (which runs from 30 July to 7 August), I still wanted to post some sort of event announcement before I completely ran out of time. JCBIII This year’s WBC Tournament Convention

MY CURRENT COMPUTER WOES HAVE FINALLY BEEN RESOLVED

2011-07-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm Back At Last And Ready To Resume Blogging!For those regular visitors to "Map and Counters" who have been following my latest round of computer-related problems, I'm pleased to report that it looks like the transition from my old (and faltering) laptop to a (hopefully) more robust and durable desktop is now complete. Thanks to the tireless efforts of my wife (who had to do most of these

MY COMPUTER SAGA CONTINUES

2011-07-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Or, It Never Rains, But That It Pours!Those visitors who have been following my regular ramblings on "Map and Counters" already know that computer problems forced me to temporarily stop posting new material several weeks ago. Initially, although this unwelcome setback was a bit irritating, I really did not expect to be side-lined when it came to my blogging for more than a few days or so. This

ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PAUSE IN MY BLOGGING

2011-07-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here We Go Again!Most of my regular visitors have no doubt been surprised that there have been no new posts on this site since 21 June; there're not alone, I am as disappointed and frustrated as they are. The explanation for this sudden pause, however, is probably not a surprise; to make a long story short, a few weeks ago I encountered a set of what I initially thought were minor computer