Many years ago (back in the early 1980s), I took part in Eric Knowles' Madasahatta Campaign. This featured quite a lot of naval battles, and these were fought using a version of Fletcher Pratt's Naval Wargame rules.
Since then I have taken part in several more games run by John Curry (the driving force behind the HISTORY OF WARGAMING PROJECT) at COW and various other locations, and was very pleased to see that John has managed to put together a book that not only contains the most complete set of Fletcher Pratt's rules but also a lot of other related material.
John Curry very kindly let me have a copy of the book at COW2011, and I have read a great deal of it already. I know that it is the top selling book in the HISTORY OF WARGAMING PROJECT, and I can see why. I strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in naval wargaming who has not already bought a copy. Its details are as follows: Fletcher Pratt's Naval Wargame (published by The History of Wargaming Project [2011] ISBN 978 1 4475 1855 6).
Since then I have taken part in several more games run by John Curry (the driving force behind the HISTORY OF WARGAMING PROJECT) at COW and various other locations, and was very pleased to see that John has managed to put together a book that not only contains the most complete set of Fletcher Pratt's rules but also a lot of other related material.
John Curry very kindly let me have a copy of the book at COW2011, and I have read a great deal of it already. I know that it is the top selling book in the HISTORY OF WARGAMING PROJECT, and I can see why. I strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in naval wargaming who has not already bought a copy. Its details are as follows: Fletcher Pratt's Naval Wargame (published by The History of Wargaming Project [2011] ISBN 978 1 4475 1855 6).
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThat will be one for the library and no mistake!
Sadly my own naval involvement in Madasahatta was limited to the command of a German gunboat (Iltis or Luchs as I recall)during the bombardment of the German naval base. For the Allies it was like shooting rats in a barrel!
I escaped unscathed - mainly because the gunboat was too small to see at any kind of distance!
All the best,
DC
David,
ReplyDeleteThis edition of Fletcher Pratt's Naval Wargame rules are a must because they not only contain a complete set of rules but also explain some of the thinking that went behind them.
Taking part in any of the Madasahatta battles - however small that part might have been - meant that you took part in one of the epic wargame campaigns.
What set it apart was its duration - well over a year, with battles fought most weeks - and the fact that it came to a final conclusion when the Allies somewhat belatedly won.
All the best,
Bob
It is indeed a very valuable resource, but chapter 10 needs to be treated with rather more scepticism than I like (The Fletcher Pratt Rules and Reality).
ReplyDeleteCaptainblack,
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I rather skipped over that chapter as it was the rules that I was interested in.
Now that you have mentioned it, I will go back and read it!
All the best,
Bob