Friday Memes and 'Little Wars and Floor Games' by H.G. Wells

Today is my little sister's birthday! She is officially a grown-up now, which is worrying in many different ways. One, how did I get so old, and two, is the world ready for two grown up Witte girls? Anyways, just a short shout out to my sister: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And now on with the memes! I'm not doing Follow Friday this week because there simply is no way I can actually go and visit a lot of blogs today or this weekend! I shall be back next week though!

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This week's question was suggested by Elizabeth over at Silver's Reviews:

Have you ever received a bound galley from a publisher for review? What did you think about it? Were you surprised at anything?

I am going to assume that bound galley means receiving an actual paperback or hardcover, rather than an online edition. I have indeed. I regularly get sent bound galleys by Little, Brown and Piatkus, which is great because I love reading paperbacks! I have also received some amazing bound galleys from different publishers. One that really stood out was a copy of The Antigone Poems by Marie Slaight, with art by Terrence Tasker from Altaire Productions and Publications. I had requested it on Netgalley and they said they sent out physical copies so I emailed them. A few weeks later I received this beautifully bound book with amazing quality paper and the whole presentation just really added to the tone of the poetry. I love seeing books where a lot of attention and care has gone into the book itself. That is potentially my favourite bound galley ever, I still like looking at it.

This week I'm using a book by one of my favourite authors, H.G. Wells, called Little Wars and Floor Games. It was published on 18/02/2015 by Dover Publications, who are great at these kind of unfamiliar books by classic authors.

Ironically enough, one of the twentieth century's leading pacifists wrote Little Wars, a book that has entertained and enlightened war buffs for the past hundred years. H. G. Wells, the great science-fiction pioneer, turned his attention from tales of time travel and alien invasions to write the first classic book of war games. His simulations of past battles and hypothetical future clashes allow readers to test their tactical and strategic skills and attempt to rewrite history. 

The companion piece, Floor Games, offers a more lighthearted look at war games. Based on the playful battles Wells waged with his sons, the narrative describes how creative play with miniature figures can transform an ordinary room into a magical world. The book has since been hailed as an inspiration for the development of a nonverbal psychotherapeutic method employed in the treatment of adults and children. Both Little Wars and Floor Games feature winsome illustrations by J. R. Sinclair that enhance their antique charm.

I think it sounds pretty interesting! I'm not necessarily very big on war games, but I'm interested in what a pacifist would have to say about it. Book Beginnings and Friday 56 are hosted by Gilion over at Rose City Reader and Freda over at Freda's Voice.

Beginning:

'"Little Wars" is the game of kings - for players in an inferior social position. It can be played by boys of every age from twelve to one hundred and fifty - and even later if the limbs remain sufficiently spuule, - by girls of the better sort, and by a few rare and gifted women. This is to be a full History of Little Wars from its recorded and authenticated beginning until the present time, an account of how to make little warfare, and hints of the most priceless sort for the recumbent strategist...' p.7 (first page)

I really like Wells' tone here. On the one hand it is really playful and yet it's also still interesting to read. I hope this continues throughout the book!


Friday 56:

'For instance, our planks and boards, and what one can do with them, have been a great discovery. Lots of boys and girls seem to be quite without planks and boards at all, and there is no regular trade in them. The toyshops do not keep anything of the sort.' p.56

And again, I find myself really liking Wells' way of writing. It is really informal and almost joking. Also, I like the way he keeps referring to both boys and girls when in the time that he was writing wargames might have been considered a boys' privilege!

So this is it for today from me!