A set of simple, fast-playing rules for wargaming the conflicts that
re-shaped Europe in the period 1815-78. This important, yet
often-neglected period includes the Crimean War, the Italian
Risorgimento, the wars of Bismarck's Prussia against Denmark,
Austro-Hungary and France and the Russo-Turkish war. Tactically it saw
armies struggle to adapt Napoleonic doctrines to incorporate important
technological advances such as breech-loading rifles, steel
breech-loading cannon and the first machine guns. The book includes
brief analysis of the essential strategic and tactical military
developments of the period, a set of elegantly simple rules which are
fast-playing and easy to learn, yet deliver realistic outcomes. A
selection of generic scenarios, covering diverse situations such as
flank attacks, pitched battles and meeting engagements, is supported by
army lists for 28 different armies. There are also 12 historical
scenarios, ranging from the Battle of the Alma in the Crimean War to
Sedan in 1870, the decisive battle of the Franco-Prussian War, each with
historical background, deployment map, orders of battle and any special
rules for that engagement. Useful appendices include a guide to further
reading, an overview and price guide to the many scales and ranges of
figures available, and a selection of useful addresses for the gamer.
