A sudden change of circumstances in recent weeks forced me to have a radical rethink about how I earn a living. Design work has dried up for the time being—nobody’s fault, just the state of play at the moment, with my clients not having any projects for me to work on—and this left a gaping hole in my income that needed to be plugged urgently.
I’m lucky to have the tremendous support of my Patreon patrons, but even so, I needed to think on my feet and, to use the modern jargon, ‘pivot’ my business as quickly as possible.
With my thinking cap firmly jammed onto my head, therefore, I looked around at other stuff I’d done in recent years, and the most obvious candidate was the series of articles on tactics that I had written for Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy magazine before my cancer treatment radically altered both my physical and mental health for a time during the pandemic.
So, I set about working out the best way to divide the articles into two small volumes and also creating all the maps to accompany them. (Those that appeared in the magazine had been created by the marvellous Rocío Espin from my sketches, but were obviously her copyright, so I needed to start from scratch.)
The result, as you can see here, is that I have published two small volumes, the first consisting of the earlier articles focusing on the proper use of infantry, cavalry and artillery on the battlefield, the second being a series of scenarios designed to put that theory into practice.
These are available from my Payhip site in PDF, ebook and Kindle format, from WargameVault in PDF format, and on Amazon too, both as Kindle and, within the next few days once I’ve checked the proofs, in print-on-demand format too.
So far, I’ve been astonished by the enthusiastic reception these titles have received, not just on social media, but in terms of real sales too. This has encouraged me to start planning further works, both along a similar vein and covering more varied wargaming and military history topics too.
Together with the news I have just received from Pen & Sword that the initial print run of Wargaming Campaigns has now sold out (and is being reprinted) this has given me a much-needed boost to morale, not just as a creative person but also as someone treading the lonely path of self-employment! Perhaps there really is light at the end of the tunnel…
Meanwhile, a huge “thank you” to everyone who has been so supportive in recent weeks, both in terms of actual purchases of my work and also for helping to spread the work on social media. It is truly appreciated.
So, keep your eyes peeled for more releases in the coming weeks and months, and you’ll see that I’m reviving my Gladius publishing imprint that has languished for quite some time, but which fits the bill for this kind of subject matter.
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Hi Henry
I received my copy of your new book and am very impressed.
Also looking forward to seeing how your WW2 imaginations armies develop.
Kind Regards
Jim
Thanks very much for the feedback, Jim, and I’m delighted that you like it.
I’m reading through your campaign book but at the same time making notes and looking back to your previous book and also Don Featherstone’s campaign book Charles Grants book on campaigns.
At the same time looking for mechanisms to use in solo games. I use Trevor Halsall’s Napoleonic rules modified for WAS in Europe so that I can use a tried points system (not for the value of general officers though).
My main problem is an example campaign. I know you have rules in your book but a small force say 2 brigades of
4 x 24 figure Btns. and 48 hussars or less if there are dragoons or Horse and 1 Bty. of artillery. Written as a small novel with the landing of the force, piquets, objective and embarking on completion or defeat.
The enemy have more assets but also more targets to loose, harbour, towns, warehouses, bridges, magazines etc all having the needs of garrison troops.
Perhaps a less time consuming campaign with equal forces with one trying to contact an ally or just travelling from A to B neither knowing where the other is or what orders the opponent has much like the price of wales trying to out manoeuvre Maurice de Saixe in the Netherlands
I use small units rather than Charles’ 48 figure units because they have to be used with caution and battles are over quickly.
But an example played through would giv us all an idea of a small campaign without having to play the Leipzig size.
The Waterloo campaign is an easy to cope with campaign because of the size and time of crossing the Sambre to the retreat back to France or Paris.
Thanks for your thoughts, Mike. I’m afraid that pressures of time and space meant that I could not include an example campaign. And all the campaigns I have been involved with have been much bigger!
Just a thought if you are printing books on tactics then a follow up could surely be SYW and Napoleonic Operational Strategy or ACW for that mattter.
Thank you for your suggestions.
Hi Henry, these look fantastic. Don’t forget to mention that although the first print run of Wargame Campaigns has sold out, the reprint is due to arrive in the Pen & Sword warehouse today and should be booked in and ready to go early next week. Buying it direct from Pen & Sword gives the best return to publisher and author.
Indeed, Phil, thank you!
Looking very forward to a couple of print on demand copies, Henry!
Kind Regards,
Stokes
Thanks Stokes! I’m waiting for the proofs to arrive—apparently they’ll be here on March 4th. Assuming they’re okay, I’ll give them the green light the same day so the books will be on sale that weekend.
Fantastic! I’ll buy those!