Top 5 Aubrey-Maturin Novels

Hi. This is a board game blog. Yet, for the second time this month, there‘s a post about books: The first one was a guest post by book blogger Naty from Naty’s Book Shelf with book recommendations based on board game tastes. Here, the second one is about a series of historical novels – so at least you get the history fix you’ve come to expect on this blog.
We go back to the Age of Napoleon. France is fighting a coalition of European powers led by Britain. As Napoleon dominates the European continent, the only thing between his victorious army and Britain is the sea – and the ships that sail it. One of these ships is commanded by Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy, an Englishman as ever he was.

The Life & Games of Napoleon Bonaparte (Part 2)

Welcome back to the Life & Games of Napoleon Bonaparte! You can find the first part dealing with Napoleon’s biography here. This second part is going to be a little more analytic, examining his military, political, and cultural legacy – and the games about it (see more games also in the first post).

The Life & Games of Napoleon Bonaparte (Part 1)

BoardGameGeek divides their history-themed games in eras. Only one of them is named after a person (and the one after it indirectly, as Post-). So, how big must you be to have that honor? – Napoleon-big. As Napoleon was born 250 years ago (on August 15, 1769), here’s a post covering his life (from his early years over his mastery of Europe and finally his downfall) and the games about it. Not all the games, mind you. Not even close. In board gaming – as in history and public memory – Napoleon looms large.

A Short History of the Total War

On this day 75 years ago, Joseph Goebbels, the Third Reich’s Minister for Propaganda, gave his most famous speech. In the midst of World War II, he was speaking to a select crowd of supporters. At the climax of the speech, Goebbels asked, “Do you want total war?” The question – and the crowd’s frenetic response in the affirmative – were broadcast many times and remain infamous until this day.
But what is a total war? This article will look at the characteristics of a total war, the use of the term from the 18^th to the 20^th century, and Goebbels’ speech about it. Finally, there will be a brief section about board and video games that make use of the term.