Brian King

By Armchair General

Title: Director of Digital Media, Weider History Group
Follow Me: Twitter
Forum Handle: Siberian H.E.A.T.
Hobbies: Wargaming, mountain biking, computers, photography, science fiction
Favorite Movies: Aliens, Blackhawk Down, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Favorite Television: Don’t watch television
Favorite Books: Earth Abides (Stewart), The Stand (King), Blue Adept (Anthony), books about the fall of civilization
Now Playing: World of Tanks, The Operational Art of War III
Background: Brian’s interest in military history was cultivated at a young age with war movies, books, models, and eventually wargames. While the other fourth graders were writing book reports on the Hardy Boys, Brian would turn in reports on the Battle of Midway and then go home and work on a model of the USS Yorktown. Similarly, when old enough to grasp the complex manuals, Brian would sit down with a wargame such as Avalon Hill’s Third Reich to see if he had what it took to crush the Axis once again. This led to 20+ years of boardgaming, which continues through the present day.

Brian has a Master’s Degree in Geography as well as Bachelor’s degrees in History and Geography. This has provided an excellent foundation for the understanding of the relationships between geo-political problems, and military solutions/failures throughout the ages. Brian is most interested in reading and wargaming situations from the Second World War in Europe, although working with Armchair General has provoked an interest in the age of Napoleon as well. So much history to explore!

When not managing writers, writing articles, or working on the websites, Brian enjoys playing strategy games such World of Tanks or The Operational Art of War III. Brian is also an avid mountain biker and budding road biker, doing two charity bike tours each summer of 100 miles each. Finally, and definitely not least of all, when not doing any of his numerous hobbies, he spends as much time as possible with his wonderfully tolerant wife, his two beautiful children, and two great dogs. Brian works on the St. Louis campus of the Weider History Group.

*Photo taken on the bridge of the USS Missouri. (more pics of Pearl Harbor)

Over the past 10 years I’ve gotten to travel quite a bit for the Weider History Group.  Here are some of the highlights;

One of the highlights of my job has been meeting my web team face to face. Here is my good friend Doctor Sinister, who flew in from England to attend a game convention with me. Taken under the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO

Red Square, Moscow, Russia. 2011.

Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia. 2011.

Dressed as a Russian soldier from World War II. Stalin Line, near Minsk, Belarus. 2013.

Minsk, Belarus. 2013.

Tour inside White House. 2012.

Tour inside Pentagon. 2012.

Visit to Richmond, VA. 2012.

Tour inside US Capitol Building. 2012.

USS Constitution. 2012.

USS Wisconsin. 2012.

Antietam Battlefield. 2013.

World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA. 2013.

National Marine Corps Museum. 2012.

Maine Lighthouse. 2012.

USS Massachusetts. 2012.

Lexington Battlefield. 2012.

Valley Forge, PA

Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA.

Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Aberdeen, MD

GenCon Game Convention, Indianapolis, IN

Origins Game Convention, Columbus, OH

Devil’s Den, Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA

Patton Tank Museum, Fort Knox, KY

Harrisburg, PA (Monument to PA Medal of Honor Winners)

Annapolis, MD

Empire State Building, New York, NY

USS New Jersey, Camden, NJ

USS New Jersey, Camden, NJ

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA (Second Visit)

Lexington, KY

Historicon Game Convention, Lancaster, PA

Manassas Battlefield, VA.

The Korean War Memorial, Washington D.C.

The Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

The National Archives, Washington D.C.

The Vietnam Memorial, Washington D.C.

The White House, Washington D.C.

The World War II Memorial, Washington D.C.

Action Shot, on the phone calling home – at the Lincoln Memorial looking back over the reflecting pool at the Washington Monument. Washington D.C.

Looking upriver to Harper’s Ferry, WV.

2005 E3 Game Convention, Los Angeles, CA

USS Midway, San Diego, CA

Other notable locations include Pearl Harbor, though I wasn’t there purely on official business, Baltimore, MD, San Diego, CA, Thousand Oaks, CA (home of Armchair General magazine), and Leesburg, VA (HQ of Weider History Group).  I have the best job in the world!