Of Dice and Men Of Dice and Men

Of Dice and Men

The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who

    • 4.5 • 44 Ratings
    • $13.99
    • $13.99

Publisher Description

Updated with new chapters and an introduction for the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the fascinating and authoritative history of Dungeons & Dragons that “tracks D&D’s turbulent rise, fall, and survival, from its heyday in the 1980s…to the 21st century” (The Wall Street Journal), by award-winning journalist David M. Ewalt.

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture, and 2014 marks the intriguing role-playing phenomenon’s 40th anniversary. Released decades before the Internet and social media, Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures and is still revered by more than 30 million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.

In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt describes the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game’s origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game’s origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D’s lasting impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences, “writing about the world of fantasy role-playing junkies with intelligence, dexterity, and even wisdom” (Ken Jennings). An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, Of Dice and Men sheds light on America’s most popular form of collaborative entertainment.

GENRE
Arts & Entertainment
RELEASED
2013
August 20
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
288
Pages
PUBLISHER
Scribner
SELLER
Simon & Schuster Digital Sales LLC
SIZE
3.9
MB

Customer Reviews

AJF2468 ,

An excellent read

I should preface this review by saying that I am and have been a gamer since the 6th grade, even earlier if you count the time my mother bought me a boxed D&D entry game in fifth grade. Now, after almost a decade of playing RPG's, I can officially call myself a member of the 'target audience' of this book.

I say 'target audience,' obviously referring to RPG players of any sort, largely out of deference to several ARC readers that implied (or explicitly stated) that gamers were this book's target audience. And, although I am prone to disagreeing with them, I can't do so in good conscience because I am looking at it as one of the 'initiated,' and I'm a decade removed from being uninitiated.

That being said, this book is a delight to read. It is far more than a history of dungeons and dragons, though in some ways it is also a lot less. The history is, in some ways, incomplete. Some of the best stories around (that I've heard from interviews, articles, other books, etc.) don't make the final cut. Instead, the history is more of a story. Actually, it's more like multiple stories, paralleling one another beautifully. David (and I feel like I should be on a first name basis with his after reading this book, despite never having met him, which speaks volumes itself) switches between the narrative of the Dungeons and Dragons game and his own adventures within that system. The stories are funny, tragic, and inspiring. At their core, they are very human stories, and many times, they are very compelling.

The book itself reads like a travelogue/history/autobiography/internal monologue/philosophical treatise in a way that could, conceivably, become a bit cluttered and confusing, but runs so seamlessly that it feels only natural. There's enough geek lingo to put gamers at their ease, but it's all very well defined and sparse enough to be unobtrusive.

The most important thing that I can say about this book is that, as a nerd that frequently dons imaginary armor and shoots dark blasts of eldritch energy from his hands while cackling wildly, this is precisely the book that I would point my uninitiated friends and family towards, if I was trying to explain my strange hobbies to them. It's funny, fun to read, objective (well, as much as one can be), and, most importantly, captures the elusive 'feel' of Dungeons and Dragons.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

Jefwfunk ,

Great history w/ game play interspersed throughout!

As a child of the late 70s / early 80s this book took me back to my geek youth in a good way! After laying down my dice 35 yrs ago I've recollected them from the dusty box where they've traveled with me through adulthood and re-engaged w/ D&D 5E, and this book has been a primary cause! In addition to offering some appropriately dramatic recounting of the author's game play interspersed throughout the main body of the text, the author adroitly retells the history of D&D. From its origins in the '74-'76 time frame in Wisconsin through its heyday in the 80s and into its varied iterations before and since its purchase by Wizards of the Coast. This book tells us not only what happened, but offers some sense of the nerd/geek zeitgeist that gave the world Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the rest of us who didn't make it quite so big. A thoroughly enjoyable read! I highly recommend it!!

Draconiou5 ,

Pleasantly Surprised

I went in expecting a record of a persons D&D campaign. Most campaigns are entertaining enough, I thought, thus it would make sense to write one down and sell it for the entertainment of others. I was wrong, and I am glad.

This book, while it does chronicle the authors travels in his DM's world of choice, weaves said tale in with a comprehensive history of D&D. I came out of it having learned things I never knew about D&D, and I'm glad I chose to read this book rather than just read the Wikipedia article for D&D. This has left me a bit quizzical, however — why doesn't Wizards of the. Coast publish D&D manuals in e-book format?

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