Ahhh, Dice Men (2022). This is billed as the origin story of Games Workshop, and primarily covers the period from the company’s founding to the point in 1985 when Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson passed leadership over to Bryan Ansell (though they retained shares in the company until 1991). There’s a little bit about WFRP and Rogue Trader, but that is really a nod rather than anything in-depth. And while there is a good deal of business history here that is interesting, I caution readers from expecting a no-holds bar accounting; this is very much a celebration of a much-loved period of the company’s history and there is little here that is controversial or even a little bit prickly, even. That’s fine! I’m here for the visual history, honest!

It’s rich! The book starts briefly with the manufacture of board game bits and gets right into the Owl and Weasel newsletter, showing all 25 covers, which is a treat (the version I crowdfunded came with a replica of #1, even)! There’s a lot of material on the import of D&D, as well as big chapters on White Dwarf magazine, Citadel Miniatures, Warhammer and Fighting Fantasy. All full of art and covers and photos of ephemera and even a too-brief catalog of painted miniatures.

The rest concerns business stuff, which has its own charm. Lots of vintage photos of warehouses and offices and folks painting miniatures and folks gathered at the storefronts. It’s all rather cozy, actually.

Highly recommended for GW aficionados, particularly those, like me, who appreciate the early period above all else. My interest whithers pretty much completely after 1991 or so (the Realm of Chaos books are the last to grab me), and this basically gives me everything I want. I’m keen to see what the publisher does with the forthcoming Fighting Fantasy art book (update: it’s fucking amazing), and how this account pairs with Grimdark: A Very British Hell.