Little Wars

Little Wars is a set of rules used when playing with toy soldiers written by H.G. Wells in 1913. (Belli, 2013) The book was not only a set of rules, it was also ‘an important socio-political work’ (Silvano, 2005) that hints at a few philosophical aspects of war and Well’s belief in pacifism. The book was written in a playful style and illustrated with amusing drawings and photographs offering an insight at the author’s personality. (Little Wars) Little Wars included simple rules for infantry, cavalry and artillery in the form of a 4.7 inch naval gun that launched projectiles commonly in the form of wooden dowels used to knock down enemy soldiers. The development of the game started via a visit by his friend Jerome K. Jerome after he visited, after dinner Jerome began shooting down toy soldiers with a toy cannon which inspired Wells to write Little Wars.