Bill Protz's "Wargamer's Guide to the ECW, 2nd ed."

Review in short - A MUST-HAVE RESOURCE!

I saw this in a bin at Cold Wars a few years ago - can't remember the vendor, sorry.  As I like some of Protz's other work [BATAILLES DE L'ANCIEN REGIME 1740-1763(BAR), I grabbed it altho it was $16 and the print was tiny, as though someone had shrunk down an 8.5x11" book into a 5x8".  I was just starting to get into the ECW as a player / painter, and it looked like a useful resource.

The table of contents said it all, and still says it all.  It has an intro to the period, a complete set of [very old style] rules that include; how to organize your units, lots of diagrams and drawings, written orders-simultaneous movement-sequential shooting-melee.  Also useful info on uniforms, flags, army characteristics, a list of sieges, deployment, tons of info in fact!  The rules also cover lots of small details that are educational also, such as formations and the terms for them during the period.

While the mechanics of the rules have aged badly - involving lots of unnecessary details and lots of math - the information is still pretty accurate.  I think Bill must've had his sensible head on when he gathered all this together.  There are a few things that have gone by the wayside with new research, but if you want a single book that has lots of information that is 80-90% still good, then this is for you.  If you want the latest, then there are new Ospery's and publications by Partizan that update things, but this is the perfect place to start.

So - "buy this book!"