D&D General The new Book "Game Wizards: A history of D&D" from the D&D historian Jon Peterson

[darjr]

Author of "Playing at the World" and D&D historian for classic titles at the DMSGuild has a new book up for preorder!
Game Wizards: A history of D&D

I have a new book coming out next month called Game Wizards. Unlike my previous books, which are histories of game design, this is an early history of Dungeons & Dragons as a product: of how it came to be a product at all, of the people who made it, of its unlikely success, and of the battles that its success caused. If you've read my "Ambush at Sheridan Springs" article from 2014, this is a book-length expansion of its story. It follows the business journey of D&D, as well its creators, from their hobbyist origins up to Gary Gygax's ouster from TSR in 1985.

Game Wizards: My New Book

I have a new book coming out next month called Game Wizards . Unlike my previous books, which are histories of game design, this is an earl...

playingattheworld.blogspot.com

Looks like there will be details about the financials of D&D at the time, which I'm always interested in, among other things.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Author of "Playing at the World" and D&D historian for classic titles at the DMSGuild has a new book up for preorder!
Game Wizards: A history of D&D

I have a new book coming out next month called Game Wizards. Unlike my previous books, which are histories of game design, this is an early history of Dungeons & Dragons as a product: of how it came to be a product at all, of the people who made it, of its unlikely success, and of the battles that its success caused. If you've read my "Ambush at Sheridan Springs" article from 2014, this is a book-length expansion of its story. It follows the business journey of D&D, as well its creators, from their hobbyist origins up to Gary Gygax's ouster from TSR in 1985.

Game Wizards: My New Book

I have a new book coming out next month called Game Wizards . Unlike my previous books, which are histories of game design, this is an earl...

playingattheworld.blogspot.com

Looks like there will be details about the financials of D&D at the time, which I'm always interested in, among other things.

YES! I am so there.

....AND THE FINANCIALS! Yummy.

 

[Parmandur]

In some future century, there will be a graduate student of Nerdology blessing the name of Jon Peterson, and citing him like 100 times in a doctoral dissertation.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

From his post announcing it-

Three things Game Wizards does not try to do ...Trace a history of ideas and innovations. Really, this is not a history of who invented what. It is, however, a history of how people started arguing over who invented what.

Oh ... yes. So very much yes.

 

[darjr]

It’s like it’s made for forum thread generation !

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

It’s like it’s made for forum thread generation !

I’ve already thought about doing a series of threads as I read through it. Depending on time etc.

 

[Morrus]

There's this and Ben Riggs' book, both covering similar ground, coming out soon. TSR historians are about to have a boom!

 

[darjr]

There's this and Ben Riggs' book, both covering similar ground, coming out soon. TSR historians are about to have a boom!

Can't wait for Bens book.

 

[Malmuria]

From his post announcing it-

Three things Game Wizards does not try to do ...Trace a history of ideas and innovations. Really, this is not a history of who invented what. It is, however, a history of how people started arguing over who invented what.

Oh ... yes. So very much yes.

Now all we need is an Aaron Sorkin screenplay.

 

[darjr]

Just FYI, if you wan't the book any time near release, preorder it.

See this thread about it from Keith Ammann about his new book Moar! Monsters Know What They Are Doing.