Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Donald Featherstone, RIP

It's all over our corner of the Internet. Donald Featherstone, the father of wargaming in our time, has passed away. 

I never met the man. I wish I had, so I could shake his hand. Buy the man a drink. Say thank you. 

Thank you for a life full of fun and miniature adventure. And thank you for so generously sharing his passion and his ideas. And for taking a chance and publishing books for which he knew the present audience to be tiny. I think I admired that courage most of all. 

When I was in college in the early 1980's, the university library had a small section of miniature wargaming books, including six of Mr. Featherstone's.  It's no exaggeration to say that I spent more time reading his books and putting them into practice than I did studying anything else during those years. That little collection of books defined wargaming for me then, and now. 

Thank you, sir. May you rest in peace.  May your family find some solace in the positive and inspiring affect you had on so many of us. Godspeed.

2 comments:

Don M said...

A sad day for the hobby, I always loved his Solo Wargaming book in particular.
If immortality is measured by the lives you touch, he will indeed live on for many years to come.

Will Scarvie said...

I agree completely, Don.

And oh yes. Solo Wargaming is a favorite among many favorites. I finally found a copy of my own a few years before the Curry publications became available, and consider it the crown jewel of my collection of wargaming books.