I get to interview some of the nicest and most interesting people in the hobby, and Duncan Rogers of Helion & Co is certainly up there as an A-lister in this regard, acknowledged by the great and the good in the hobby to be a man who deserves the success his company is currently enjoying.
It would be a mistake to think that Helion have only recently shot to prominence in the military history and wargames publishing world because, like almost all ‘breakthroughs’, we are now witnessing the result of decades of hard work and heartache that are finally paying off.
The respect in which Helion is held by historians, authors, the trade and wargamers alike is thoroughly deserved: their superb new website and the glossy-covered products on display at their wargame show stands and in bookshops bear testament to the work put in by Duncan and his team to build a reputation for excellence and innovation in the publishing world, with stand-out products such as Peter Dennis’ Paper Soldiers and series like Century of the Soldier or From Reason to Revolution catching the imagination of wargamers and military enthusiasts everywhere.
The range of subjects covered, both historically and in terms of subject matter, is vast, covering the 15th to 21st centuries, including biographies, memoirs, wars, battles, tactics, uniforms, navies, armour, air forces – even military surgery and chaplaincy! Fans of the horse and musket and pike and shot eras will be just as delighted as those intrigued by modern, and often obscure, ‘small wars’ which, of course, have been every bit as important to their combatants as better-known conflicts and deserve to be more widely known – a job at which Helion excels.
So, join me in welcoming Duncan aboard the battleship Battlechat as we explore the history of the company and the man himself, from his early youth in the smoke-filled exhibition halls of the 1970s, to his decision to dabble in 28mm figure manufacturing in the mid-2000s, through to his captaining one of the most responsive and captivating publishing companies of the 21st century.
Henry
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