Articles by Steven M. Smith

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Posted on Aug 18, 2015 in Books and Movies

Wellington: Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace – Book Review

Wellington: Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace, 1814-1852. By Rory Muir. Yale University Press, 2015. 585 pages of text; 43 Illustrations; 4 map;, 4 pages of Chronology 1814-1852; 3 pages of Wellington’s offices, honors and titles; 66 pages of notes; and 34 pages of bibliography. Hardback. $40.00. Wellington: Waterloo and the Fortunes of Peace is the second of two volumes examining Wellington’s life. The first volume, Wellington: The Path to Victory, covered Wellington’s birth to 1814, when Napoleon first abdicated. This volume covers from the first occupation of Paris to Wellington’s death and is focused on Wellington’s political life, his impact on British culture, and “how the hard-working, high-spirited, indiscreet man who commanded the army in the Peninsula in his early forties, adapted to the very different milieu of London society.” The book is divided into five parts. “Part I: War and Peace in Europe (1814-18)“, covers the first occupation of France, the return of Napoleon, Waterloo, and the second occupation of France. “Part II: In Cabinet (1819-27)”, covers Wellington’s...

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Posted on Jul 31, 2015 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

Wars and Battles: October War 1973 – iOS Game Review

A turn-based war game platform supporting different periods and several platforms. The 3-D models are good with a detailed image of the appropriate infantry, armored vehicle, or artillery.

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Posted on Jul 21, 2015 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

Wellington’s Victory – iOS/Mac Game Review

Overall ‘Wellington’s Victory’ from HexWar is a good solid game, more geared to the casual gamer with an interest in the battle of Waterloo.

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Posted on Jun 12, 2015 in Books and Movies

Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles – Book Review

Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles’ is a highly readable historic novel of the Waterloo campaign, rich with small details.

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Posted on Jan 20, 2015 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

Wars and Battles – iOS Game Review

“Wars and Battles: Normandy 1944” provides a wargame with style, a good game for casual or experienced wargamers, with detailed information that is not obtrusive but is easily available.

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Posted on Dec 10, 2014 in Books and Movies

Napoleon: A Life – Book Review

If you are looking for a good, comprehensive, single-volume biography on Napoleon, this is the book to read.

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Posted on Jun 27, 2014 in Books and Movies

The Sleepwalkers – Book Review

“The Sleepwalkers – How Europe went to war in 1914” is a book anyone seriously interested in how World War I started needs to read.

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Posted on Jun 25, 2014 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Fading Glory – Boardgame Review

The “Fading Glory” board game features four battles from the Napoleonic Wars. Victory is achieved by reducing your opponent’s morale points to zero.

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Posted on Dec 26, 2013 in Books and Movies

Wellington: The Path to Victory – Book Review

“Wellington: The Path to Victory” is the first of two volumes examining Wellington’s life through his own actions and perspective, his military campaigns and political debates in which he was engaged, and how he was perceived by his contemporaries.

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Posted on Oct 15, 2013 in Books and Movies

Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War – Book Review

“Catastrophe 1914” tells the story of how World War 1 started and its first few months, when the war was dynamic and forces maneuvered over Europe. The book utilizes letters and diaries of common civilian and lower-level military participants as well as their leaders.

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Posted on Apr 11, 2013 in Books and Movies

Elihu Washburne – Book Review

“Elihu Washburne: The Diary and Letters of America’s Minister to France During the Siege and Commune of Paris” provides a personal account of the inner workings of American diplomacy under under extremely difficult circumstances.

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Posted on Oct 10, 2012 in Books and Movies

Wellington’s Wars – Book Review

‘Wellington’s Wars: The Making of a Military Genius’ explores how Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, became not only a great military commander but also a political general.

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Posted on Jul 9, 2012 in Books and Movies

Tarnished Victory: Finishing Lincoln’s War – Book Review

In ‘Tarnished Victory: Finishing Lincoln’s War’ William Marvel uses contemporary to describe events from May 1864 to June 1865 as current events – which they were for the soldiers and civilians of the time.

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Posted on May 16, 2012 in Boardgames

Warlords of Europe – Boardgame Review

‘Warlords of Europe’ is a strategic board game covering 13th-century Western Europe, with plastic playing pieces and a clever mechanism for handling the Church’s moral authority.

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Posted on Jul 1, 2011 in Books and Movies

Churchill’s War Lab – Book Review

Churchill’s War Lab raises expectations it doesn’t fulfill, but it presents a focused overview of Churchill and military technology, which has not been done by other Churchill biographies.

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Posted on Apr 27, 2011 in Books and Movies

Creating the Nazi Marketplace – Book Review

‘Creating the Nazi Marketplace’ provides background information, then illustrates the topic with stories about the people who were involved: business leaders, marketers, consumers, and Nazi officials.

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Posted on Apr 26, 2011 in Electronic Games

HistWar: Les Grognards – PC Game Review

HistWar: Les Grognards is a must-have for command-level hardcore wargamers.

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Posted on Sep 3, 2010 in Electronic Games

Victoria II – PC Game Review

A review of Victoria II says details are the soul of this real-time strategy game. Not visually exciting, it is very good at representing the economic and political issues and trends of the Industrial Age.

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Posted on Apr 22, 2010 in Electronic Games

Rise of Prussia – PC Game Review

his review of the PC game Rise of Prussia says contemplative players who linger over and like to fine-tune their force dispositions will feel the love, but those who want a tactical-level Seven Years War game should look elsewhere.

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Posted on Apr 8, 2010 in Electronic Games

Strategic Command WWII Global Conflict – PC Game Review

A review of Strategic Command Global Conflict says its system is straightforward and logical and rewards players who think several turns ahead.

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Posted on Jan 11, 2010 in Electronic Games

Campaign Austerlitz – PC Game Review

John Tiller’s Campaign Austerlitz PC game continues in the tradition and mold of his earlier Battleground Napoleonics games, offering much to strategy-oriented gamers though documentation could be better in places.

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