Little Wars

Little Wars is a set of rules for playing with toy soldiers, written by English novelist H. G. Wells in 1913.

The book, which had a full title of Little Wars: a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books, provided simple rules for miniature wargaming.

It is mentioned in one of Wells' other books, Joan and Peter, where, during the Great War, a sensitive young man named Bunny Cuspard tries his best to compare his life in the army as a larger version of the manual.

Little Wars included fairly simple rules for infantry, cavalry, and artillery in the form of a toy 4.7 inch gun that launched projectiles, usually small wooden dowels to knock down enemy soldiers.

The two decided that with an addition of written rules, a good Kriegsspiel type game could be developed.

First edition (publ. Frank Palmer, UK)
H. G. Wells playing a wargame with W. Britain toy soldiers according to the rules of Little Wars . Wells is using a piece of string cut to a set length of the distance his soldiers can move. An umpire sits in a chair with his stopwatch timing Wells. Wells' opponent waits for his turn to move and fire his cannon at Wells' soldiers.